The BriD Initiative ©

We must be honest with ourselves and admit that debates, discussions, factual information, civic education, and democracy campaigns are all a thing of the past. They no longer work! Around a third of Germans subscribe to anti-democratic movements, and in states such as Saxony-Anhalt, this figure is as high as 40% — and it is rising. At the same time, mistrust and division are spreading, opportunities for dialogue are diminishing, and relationships with acquaintances are breaking down over political issues. Personal and social trust is being lost, even within families and among friends. This exacerbates social fragmentation and isolation. — It is in this state of affairs that we are approaching state elections that could determine the future of Western democracies as a whole.

But if our traditional patterns of political work and discourse no longer work, how can we develop and uphold a shared democratic consciousness and social cohesion in the face of conflicts, tensions, and blatantly increasing social inequality?

What looks promising here — and has simply never been tried before — is an approach that requires neither megaphones nor cameras, and that takes place beyond all media and internet portals: informal conversations among acquaintances and friends. These conversations can be conducted in smart and thoughtful ways. Many people in a community can engage in them simultaneously. They take place in spontaneously created informal spaces, bilaterally and not publicly — for example, in neighbourhoods and around work, churches, clubs and associations, trade unions and adult education centres. Most importantly, this type of dialogue will not be intended to persuade. They do not mean to be debates. Rather, they will be motivated by curiosity and the human urge to get to know and understand others better, and to express one's concerns about democracy, freedom, and cohesion.

These are 'bridge-building dialogues in the immediate circle of acquaintances' (BriD©), which people will be systematically encouraged to conduct within their social environment. BriD© will approach regional and community organisations and identify those members who feel concerned about democracy and human rights. These will then be encouraged, trained, and coached to approach self-declared sympathisers of anti-constitutional, resentment-based movements individually. They identify these individuals within their own social circles and invite them to a personal conversation about current social issues.

These BriD dialogues© are deliberately held in a private, non-political setting to help restore our ability to engage in interpersonal exchange, calm discussion, and respectful negotiation, which have been neglected for a long time.

To ensure those involved can engage in BriD dialogues © with confidence, they receive expert assistance and coaching, drawing on narrative and group-dynamic communication methodologies. This prevents the conversation from becoming heated or breaking down. At a later stage, BriD dialogue© conversations can safely progress to mature political debates involving conflicting points of view.

If numerous people within a community do this — each anchored in associations, clubs, businesses, trade unions, sports organisations, adult education centres, churches, political parties, and so on — and if these bridge-building conversations with sympathisers of anti-democratic movements continue to branch out dynamically and are methodically accompanied by expert coaching, the democratic resilience of the community will grow. If then the regional and community organisations which host the activities will ultimately adopt the BriD initiative© fully and set up their own internal dialogue infrastructure because they recognize its added value for their own purposes and also want to take social responsibility for the inner peace and economic prospects of the community — and if they see themselves as local stakeholders and form alliances with other equally committed organisations — this will eventually bring about a far-reaching increase in the population's capacity for bridge-building dialogue in a region. As a result, democracy will gain vitality and resilience and will be better equipped to withstand powerful anti-democratic forces in the region and worldwide.

The BriD initiative© also creates a new, transferable mode of outreach civil society dialogue & civic engagement that can establish a sustainable democratic culture in everyday life.

The pilot project will result in the following:

• a BriD© core team within a respected civil society institution in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt;
• a BriD© conversation methodology that can be transferred to other areas for civic outreach, dialogue, and engagement;
• a BriD© advocacy procedure that can be used to effectively address member organisations in the region or federal state;
• a concrete cooperation with at least one organisation from each of the following areas: [i] clubs/associations; [ii] chambers of commerce/industry; [iii] trade unions; [iv] sports; [v] universities/adult education centres; [vi] church/religious institutions; [vii] political parties; [viii] foundations.
• a short training course in BriD© conversation methodology for key figures in the member organisations.
• a more comprehensive BriD© training for internal BriD© working groups within the organisations.
• a process of practical support and coaching for active BriD© participants (intervision, strengthening dialogue skills, and quality assurance).
• a collection of thematic options and dialogue strategies for BriD© conversations.
• a transferable methodological guide for BriD© conversations and regional BriD© network building.
• finally, an advocacy concept for supporting the independent continuation and consolidation of the BriD© initiative within the respective organisation.

Overall, an innovative, outreach-based, and participatory methodology for dialogical civic education is provided. It is conducted on an equal footing in a dialogical, peer-to-peer manner and implemented locally within the community. Both offline and online spaces for political discourse are relevant, and both adults and young people can participate. Contact, cooperation, and support from education policymakers and schools are actively sought.