Current

The Dialogue Society was founded as a grass roots community organisation. Between 1999 and 2006, its sole focus was bringing people together through community-based events. These events sought to mobilise first and second generation British Muslim communities, facilitating their exchange with, and understanding of, different cultures and faiths, while simultaneously encouraging the same pattern of behaviour among the UK's majority and other cultural and religious communities.

The Dialogue Society retains its commitment to dialogue at the community level, and its conviction that effective and authentic dialogue must always grow out of the concerns and activities of the community and feed back into it. However, the Dialogue Society's role in serving the community has changed through the diversification of its structure and services. While continuing to deliver community-based and targeted projects, it is now devoting further attention to (i) supporting local communities and stakeholders through London and regional representatives and (ii) capacity building through partnerships, consultancy, training, publications and advocacy. Through these approaches it can stimulate and support more work at the grassroots level than it could possibly deliver directly itself.

In an attempt to extend its work further and deeper at local community level the Dialogue Society is appointing London and regional representatives. London and regional representatives will work to increase intercultural dialogue, social cohesion and citizenship in a particular region by supporting existing initiatives and working in partnership with local people, organisations and stakeholders. Based in the region to which they are assigned, they will be well-placed to respond to the needs of that area and to understand and work with existing structures and services. To read more, click here.

An example of our capacity building work supporting local organisations in their community dialogue is the Community Dialogue Manual series to be published September 2011. The manuals focus on projects and practices which the Dialogue Society has found to be effective in promoting intercultural dialogue and social cohesion. They provide inspiration, detailed advice and a range of helpful sample documents to assist in the smooth running of a varied selection of events. To read more, click here.

Another way in which the Dialogue Society builds capacity for community dialogue projects is through consultancy for regional dialogue groups. This service is provided to a number of organisations working to promote intercultural dialogue in regions throughout the UK. The Dialogue Society provides suggestions and support for projects and assists with organisational development, helping to make the work of the organisations in question more effective and more sustainable. Consultancy is provided for free through regular meetings, annual workshops and telephone support. To read more, click here.

The Dialogue Society's Schools also contribute to capacity building for community dialogue. The Dialogue School, which ran for the first time in 2010 with great success, is intended to equip young people (17-27 years) with the skills and understanding they need to become a new generation of leaders and organisers of intercultural dialogue. The Media School, a new project launched at the end of 2010, targets small to medium sized community groups. Its objective is to empower these groups to engage with the media in a more confident and positive way. This should enable them not only to avoid any misrepresentation but also to raise the profile of their work through active relationships with media outlets, enhancing its scope and impact. The Dialogue Society will also run its Success School in 2012 which aims to inspire, encourage and equip young people to aspire to and work towards success through engagement with those who are successful in their chosen field of occupation. Malcolm Gladwell, author of 'Outliers - The Story of Success' suggests that one of the preconditions of success is to become 'socially savvy' which comes through engagement with a wide range of people and circles. The Success Schools aims to facilitate such engagement. To read more on the Dialogue, Media and Success Schools, click here, here and here, respectively.

In addition to these activities the Dialogue Society continues to deliver community-based projects through initiatives such as the Noah's Pudding events. One of the Dialogue Society's earliest initiatives, this project brings diverse groups within the local community together to share in the delicious pudding associated with the Muslim festival of Ashura. Through this project, the Dialogue Society facilitated the distribution of approximately 10,000 bowls of Noah's Pudding throughout Greater London in January 2010. To read more, click here.

As part of its community engagement work, the Dialogue Society is planning a new project called London Trips targeting disadvantaged and minority community groups in the UK. Participants will engage in exploration of London's history, community and diverse cultures, with guided tours and activities catered to the needs of each group. The trips are intended to promote understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity in the city.

Past

In the past, the Dialogue Society has explored a range of community-based methods of promoting community cohesion (in addition to its longstanding Noah's Pudding project).
These included:-

• Whirling Dervishes performances highlighting the spiritual and ethical dimension of faith in society. These were held at large, prestigious venues like the Wembley Conference Centre and the Hackney Empire. Between 2004 and 2007, the Dialogue Society organised over 30 Whirling Dervishes events. The events sought to unite people of diverse faiths and cultures in an exploration of the path of love, understanding and universal peace taught by Rumi, the founder of the Sufi order to which the whirling ritual belongs. Each event included an exhibition on Rumi and the Anatolian Sufi tradition, a video clip and a magical performance by Whirling Dervishes from Turkey.
• Communal Fast-Breaking Friendship Dinners organised during Ramadan where neighbours, friends and passers-by, irrespective of faith or background, were invited to share in the after-sunset meal to break the day-long fast.
• Essentials of Peace gatherings at which the common characteristics and teachings of the three Abrahamic faiths were explored together by representatives of each before mixed audiences.
• Community celebrations of religious festivals. Members of different cultural and religious groups united to share the joy of Eid meals, Christmas services and St George's day celebrations. A highlight was the shared celebration of Eid, Hannuka and Christmas in December 2007, an occasion charged with good food, good will and shared festivity.
• A shared exploration of Jesus from Christian and Muslim perspectives and a conference bringing together Muslims, Christians and Jews to consider the virtues of the prophets.
• A number of small group dialogues with local police forces, exploring methods for effective engagement with minority groups. Participants had time to meet each other informally over refreshments after the main proceedings. The meetings were very positive and productive.