It's Not Over Yet: When Dialogue Creates Hope
Imagine that your voice is not heard, your experience does not count, and you do not have the opportunity to grow. This is the reality for many vulnerable groups. But dialogue can change that. The A-CLASE project brings new hope – with volunteers creating a space for conversation building confidence, skills and bonds through dialogue.
After completing the Dive in Dialogue project, which focused on students, we transferred the methodology of dialogic gatherings to adult education through an international partnership between the Development and Education Centre Novo mesto and the Turkish association SAYEG-DER. The results already show that dialogue goes beyond age, background, and circumstances—it connects people where they are.
From school desks to inclusive communities
In the Dive in Dialogue project, dialogic gatherings have proven to be a powerful tool for developing critical thinking, empathy and social skills in young people. Now we have extended this process to adults. Volunteers, mostly pensioners, become ambassadors for dialogue and strengthen bridges between generations through meetings with the unemployed and less educated adults.
In the first year of the project, we trained 40 volunteers who gained skills in conducting dialogic gatherings and using digital tools. These volunteers have already begun leading dialogue sessions that allow participants to express themselves, build their self-esteem, and feel a sense of belonging. One volunteer summed up his experience by saying, "I never thought that simply listening and talking could change lives so much—for him and me."
Concrete achievements and what's next
This year, we continue to hold gatherings and develop innovative materials that will be accessible to all adult educators:
- An e-textbook and an e-manual that include theoretical background and practical guidance on how to use the methodology.
- An online platform where materials, guidelines and an e-library will be available to teachers and volunteers.
- Guidelines for adult educators to facilitate the integration of the methodology into non-formal education programmes.
Our goals are clear: to enable the general public to use the methodology of dialogic gatherings and to lay the foundations for its sustainable use even after the project's completion.
Transforming individuals and communities
Dialogic gatherings are not just a method – they are a place where voices that are not often heard are given their place. Participants in the gatherings highlight how the dialogue has changed their view of their own abilities. One participant said, "I finally feel that someone is listening to me and that my opinion means something."
This simple but profoundly transformative method strengthens individuals and communities. We are building an environment where every voice counts, where cooperation between generations is not the exception but the rule.
Join us and build bridges!
You can follow our work on the A-CLASE website or our social networks. Share our stories, follow our progress, and become part of a movement that changes lives.
When volunteers lead dialogic gatherings, they don't just create a space for conversation – they create a space for hope, change and a shared future. With the methodology of dialogic gatherings, we are laying the foundations for a more inclusive society – and this path is only just beginning.
Belinda Lovrenčič (belinda.lovrencic@ric-nm.si) is an Adult Education Assistant at Development and Education Centre Novo mesto, with experience in the field of adult education and managing and participating in international Erasmus+ projects.
