Sustained Dialogue – we often hear this term when talking about peace, but what does it really mean? This informative piece on Sustained Dialogue details five stages of Sustained Dialogue: Deciding to Engage, Mapping Relationships and Naming Problems, Probing Problems and Relationships, Scenario Building, and Acting Together.
HasNa’s program model incorporates the five stages of Sustained Dialogue in a unique way aiming for alternative routes to building sustainable relationships. While many dialogue groups engage individuals around topics specific to conflict, HasNa does not plan programming specifically around the topics of tension within the communities we serve. Instead, HasNa participants choose to engage for the purpose of bettering themselves in some capacity, by way of professional or skill development or building relationships with foreseeable personal impact.
The second stage of mapping relationships and naming problems is specific to each program. For example, farmers have a need to work with agricultural experts in increasing their productivity and understanding the necessity and nature of those relationships as well as the problems that are addressed by them are crucial in this stage. In another example from our Crafting Peace program, we saw Armenian stonemasons with intimate knowledge of historical buildings that was beneficial to Turkish stonemasons engaging in the restoration of historical buildings. Some of this needs-exchange process happens prior to when our programming takes place, but is more crucial during program implementation, when participants discover ways in which they can engage in mutually beneficial positive relationships.
Throughout the program, the participants probe problems and build scenarios together in which they begin to visualize the actuality of potential from their relationships. Upon program completion, our participants then go on to stage five, in which they act together implementing their ideas and further building their relationships. In this way, HasNa’s program model works to create a foundation for sustained dialogue through sustainable relationships. For more information on Sustained Dialogue, check out this link.
