Dialogue

At NIMD, we believe that democracy starts with dialogue. We know from experience that when different political groups come together in dialogue – with each other, with civil society, or with their population in general – a country has a much greater chance of implementing reform, forging lasting peace, and cultivating a thriving inclusive democracy.

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Our Goals
Our Approach
Practical examples
Our Collaborations

Our Goals

Through our dialogue initiatives, we aim to build trust, collaboration and consensus between political parties and other political actors. In addition, we foster political responsiveness and trust in state institutions by building connections between politicians and the people they represent.

At the centre of all our work on dialogue is trust-building. Whether we are combatting polarization by bringing people together across ideological divides; cultivating inclusive spaces where voices from across society can be heard on an equal footing; or encouraging consensus building towards new inclusive legislation – our work is based on one shared belief: That, by bringing people together in an open respectful setting, we can enhance the trust which underpins a strong democratic culture.

Today, we believe our dialogue work is more crucial than ever, as we see a worldwide trend towards shrinking democratic space, with more single party dominance, and a weakening of opposition forces. In these contexts, NIMD’s dialogue platforms provide safe spaces where all political and civic actors can express their views. This is crucial for democracy as it ensures diverse perspectives are considered in decision-making processes.

Our Approach

What makes our dialogue work?

Dialogue is a very particular form of communication, based on mutual respect, active listening and consensus building. While negotiation or debate aims to highlight differences, dialogue builds trust by guiding its participants towards common ground.

What makes our political dialogue approach unique is our commitment to impartiality: we give all relevant actors a seat at the table with an equal voice. And all decisions are made on the basis of consensus, not by voting. For many dialogue participants, this is a big change from parliament or other political institutions. By allowing everyone an equal voice, we encourage the participants to build trust across ideological divides.

Regardless of level of formality, structure or participants, each NIMD dialogue has certain things in common. For example, dialogues are owned by the participants – who take joint responsibility for the process and its results. They are responsible for making sure the dialogue process is sustained over time and has a lasting impact.

Learning across our network

The success of our dialogue is also dependent on our expert impartial dialogue facilitators. These skilled facilitators ensure that each NIMD dialogue intervention is responsive to the specific needs and goals of the people we work with, and sensitive to political dynamics in their country.

As they carry out their work in different contexts across NIMD programme countries, many of our facilitators face similar issues and challenges. That’s why NIMD has harnessed the power of its worldwide network, to set up the Baobab Network, an international network of facilitators of political dialogue.

The Baobab Network works to support more exchanges between dialogue facilitators, through training, mentorship, peer exchange and learning opportunities.

Our signature dialogue interventions

We have six signature dialogue interventions, which we deploy after extensive analysis and consultation with our target groups:

Political party dialogue

Our traditional dialogue intervention, in which NIMD or its partners facilitate a safe space for dialogue between representatives of political parties. These platforms meet regularly, but may have different goals; from building trust and collaboration over the long term, to a short-term intervention, to producing results regarding one particular issue, theme or piece of legislation.

Political Actor Dialogue

Similar in approach to our Political Party Dialogue, but these include parliamentarians, opposition parties not yet in parliament, government officials, caucuses, local government figures and Civil Society Organizations active in the political sphere.

Multi-stakeholder dialogue

Going beyond people directly involved in the political process, these dialogues gather diverse groups in society who have a stake in the political process. These can include unions, advocacy groups, protest movements, and businesses. Multi-stakeholder Dialogues are usually convened with a specific issue, goal or purpose in mind and take place over a designated time frame.

Intergenerational political party dialogue

These dialogues bring together young political party members with senior political leadership, across different political parties. As well as providing an important networking opportunity for young people, these dialogues also help to increase trust and mutual understanding; overcome stereotypes; and diminish polarization between generations in politics.

Informal Dialogue

Not all settings require a formal and structured dialogue platform with set parameters. For those occasions, NIMD or its partners can facilitate informal gatherings in which political or civic actors exchange ideas and build trust in a convivial and non-confrontational environment. There are no formal commitments, and the main goal is to build trust and lay the groundwork for future collaboration.

Dialogue Assistance

In cases where a government or other (state or civic) actors have set up their own dialogue initiative, NIMD is able to provide technical, logistical, and thematic support and expertise to help in the success of the initiative.

NIMD may choose to use one or many of these interventions within a programme, depending on the context in the country. Our constant monitoring allows us to evolve and adapt our approaches to ensure they remain impactful in often rapidly changing political landscapes. Whether it’s building hope through dialogue in Myanmar or identifying the need for intergenerational dialogue in Ethiopia, our teams are continuously strengthening and adjusting our efforts. This adaptivity ensures that our dialogue work responds effectively to the realities in each country.

Supporting inclusive legislation through dialogue

Inclusive democracy requires inclusive laws, which safeguard citizens’ equal opportunity to participate in elections.

Inclusive laws have an immediate positive effect on democratic systems. They can set in motion systemic changes to empower underrepresented groups and remove obstacles to political participation. Take for example electoral laws that include a quota system for women, youth or indigenous people. These boost the inclusiveness of elections and give these underrepresented groups a direct opportunity to influence political decision-making.

An important aim of our dialogue initiatives is to support the adoption of inclusive legislation. Our dialogue initiatives aim to build trust, collaboration and consensus between political actors and other stakeholders. By working together long-term, and really listening to each other, these groups can put forward new laws, regulations, and policy changes that work in the interests of the population in general.

NIMD also facilitates multi-stakeholder dialogues around legislative reform, bringing together political parties, Members of Parliament, Electoral Management Bodies and civil society.

And it’s not just about having the right laws on paper. In addition to our dialogue work, we work closely with Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) to ensure effective implementation of inclusive electoral laws. For example, we help EMBs to plan their actions strategically in line with the election cycle, to ensure that their work is timely and effective.

Dialogue in fragile and conflict-affected settings

When a country faces security challenges, the political environment can become deeply polarized, creating significant divides. These divides often lead to a lack of trust among political actors, which can complicate efforts to resolve conflicts.

In the most conflict-affected settings, where trust is needed the most, NIMD’s strategies for political party dialogue become invaluable. Effective trust-building requires not only an understanding of the institutional context and the actors involved but also skilled diplomacy and expert facilitation.

Based on our track record and multiple years of experience in political dialogue at the highest levels, NIMD and its network of international facilitation experts and trusted local partners facilitate dialogue between opposing sides, investing in building political trust and forging lasting peace.

And the benefits can be seen worldwide. By enhancing peace and trust within countries, NIMD directly addresses the conflicts that contribute to global issues such as irregular migration and economic instability.

Practical examples

Voices of Resilience: A dialogue for democracy and peace in Myanmar

NIMD has a long history of promoting dialogue in Myanmar. Our work began in 2014 and, since then, we have worked with political actors from across ethnic and ideological divides, building trust between them and promoting respectful open dialogue. Of course, with the 2021 coup d'état, Myanmar’s gradual process of democratization stalled. In the country’s new and complex political landscape, where political suppression and conflict are daily realities, NIMD has been forced to find new windows of opportunity for our work. Everything has changed but, for us, it remains important to continue to invest in Myanmar's democratic future. That’s why, amid the ongoing conflict, we have searched for ways to keep dialogue among Myanmar’s political actors alive. With success. Together with Demo Finland we are facilitating a multistakeholder dialogue platform. This quiet yet powerful initiative brings together a diverse group of local stakeholders from various political institutions, providing a safe space for open dialogue in a high-risk context where such conversations are often silenced. By collaborating across divides, building trust and jointly reflecting on Myanmar's future, the platform helps to keep the democratic culture in Myanmar alive. It enables political stakeholders to continue working and moving towards Myanmar’s democratic transition. We hope that, when that time comes, we will have contributed towards a collaborative and open mindset among the country’s democratic leaders.

Participant Reflections

The true strength of this initiative lies in the voices of those who have chosen to participate, many of whom have found renewed purpose and resilience through this dialogue process. For the Deputy Chair of an ethnic-based political party and a former Member of Parliament in the previous government, the impact of these dialogues has been profound. “Due to the intense suppression of political space in the country, all politicians got disconnected from political discussion and dialogue exchange,” she reflects. “Under NIMD-organized events, I feel empowered and politically re-energized to keep working for my people again. I value the impartial role that NIMD plays in dialogue facilitation, and I see it is quite effective for the country’s struggles for democracy.” Youth leaders are also finding renewed hope through these engagements. The Secretary of an ethnic-based political party, who has participated in numerous dialogues at both national and sub-national levels, shares a similar sentiment:

I’ve attended so many dialogue meetings at the sub-national level but also at the national level, but I was never satisfied with the process since most of those meetings do not stick to what they promised. NIMD is different; I see facilitators of NIMD walk the talk, and that’s what I appreciate a lot.

Impact and Outcomes

While the details of these discussions remain sensitive due to the high-risk context, the dialogues are an important tool to enhance collaboration and consensus in a multi-ethnic country where division can sometimes dominate politics. Participants have reported a shift in perspective and a deepening understanding of the value of dialogue. A senior political advisor and elder of the state shared her initial reservations and subsequent change of heart: “I was a bit worried at the beginning of the dialogue process about how things would work out, especially when all groups involved have various political interests. Now, I’ve learned that there should be no fear in approaching dialogue. As long as our hearts are for the people, there is nothing we cannot discuss. And, especially in highly political sensitivity, consensus should be respected.” This spirit of open discussion and mutual respect is echoed by a leader involved in an Ethnic Representative Organization (ERO). “I’ve learned from dialogue that we cannot decide for our state just by listening to one side of our stories,” he explains. “Being brave enough to listen to the other side of the stories is important for inclusive decision-making and representation too. More dialogue is needed for the whole country, including more key stakeholders to address the grievances of Myanmar.” Indeed, by continuing NIMD’s long tradition of dialogue in Myanmar, we hope to set the stage for openness, respect and collaboration in a political landscape often marred by conflict and divides. If we are to hope for a peaceful and democratic future in Myanmar, this culture of collaboration will be its cornerstone.

Challenges and Resilience

Despite the progress, this journey is fraught with challenges. The participants are well aware of the risks involved—both personal and political—but their resilience is unwavering. “Every time I leave a dialogue session, I wonder who might be watching or questioning my motives,” one participant confesses. “But I keep coming back because I believe these conversations are the only way to achieve lasting peace.”

A foundation for peace

As Myanmar continues to grapple with political turmoil, the work of fostering dialogue at the grassroots level is more vital than ever. The efforts of NIMD and the courage of those who participate in these dialogues highlight a path toward a more inclusive and democratic future. These conversations are not just about addressing grievances—they are about building the trust and understanding that could be a foundation for peace. The international community must recognize and support these efforts, ensuring that the voices of those striving for peace in Myanmar are heard, protected, and amplified.

Overcoming political differences for a common goal in Sint Eustatius

It was never really for them a plan, or their intention, to enter politics. But it was a culmination of events that led Rechelline Leerdam, and later Raquel Spanner-Carty to be at the epicenter of political life when communication broke down completely between the political leaders of Sint Eustatius. An island nestled between the islands of Sint Maarten and Saba, forming the SSS-islands of the Dutch Caribbean. The two women politicians Rechelline, leader of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) and Raquel, leader of the opposition party – the Democratic Party (DP), would come to play indispensable roles in bringing the different political representatives of Sint Eustatius back together through the implementation and later success of the NIMD-facilitated Political Dialogue Platform Statia (PDPS). After over half a year of tentatively restoring the lines of communication through the Dialogue platform, the parties presented the initiative and its impressive progress during a town hall meeting with the citizens of Sint Eustatius on 17 August 2023. But with the history of political clashes in the back of their minds, the citizens were not immediately convinced. “They thought this is, not fake, but a fairy tale,” Rechelline shares, “like a play.” Raquel echoes this sentiment and says that “they did not see it as real.” While the history of political clashes internally as well as towards the Dutch National Government dated a while back, they culminated after 2018 when the Dutch government took unprecedented action on the island. The national Government dissolved the islands democratic institutions. They aimed to bring about reforms to the island, however, the move was met with mixed reactions, also within Statia's different political parties. The strain that the intervention brought to the island culminated in 2022 where all communication between political representatives broke down. The political parties had to make collective decisions in the Island council – the highest administrative body of the island - but could simply not work together, “it was really bad, we were not making any decisions and the island did not need this clashing at the time.” Rechelline, part of the island council since 2015, shares that she realized it would be necessary to find a new solution to the breakdown of communication and increased polarization between the political parties. Following a mediation process it became clear that an alternative would have to be found to maintain the lines of communication and avoid another breakdown and “so that is why I asked NIMD’s help.” Raquel and Rechelline at the table with the island council on the immediate and third left, with Nilda at the head of the table.

Raquel and Rechelline at the table with the island council on the immediate and third left, with Nilda at the head of the table.

If I would explain what Dialogue is, “I think our facilitator explained it best. It gives us a space where we can discuss matters that are relevant but in a different way,” says Raquel. She added that “the dialogue platform gives you the space to be a different person, not fake, but you can be less of a politician for a moment and focus on the dialogue and who you have in front of you.” Rechelline responded, “I subscribe to what she says, I would emphasize the creation of a safe space. If I disagree with my party member in the dialogue platform, I know that it will not appear on the radio or in the media by the opposition, or vice versa.” In short, what happens in the dialogue platform - stays in the dialogue platform. But creating a space that feels so safe to all members is not an easy task, how do you get everyone on board? “Trust is not something you build in a day, but Sint-Maarten based, NIMD expert, Dr. Nilda Arduin played a very important role in this, interviewing everyone beforehand to hear their expectations. She was realistic as well, not painting a rosy picture. She said it is our platform, if we did not participate based off our histories then we will never get anywhere," says Raquel. But “not everyone was as eager,” says Rechelline, “one member was particularly reluctant f irst about the dialogue platform. But now he is glad to be on board and is very active. Getting people like that on board was only possible through having those discussions, reiteration, and changing our perceptive by showing us the possibilities of the platform.”

Differences are obvious, but the dialogue platform enabled us to also see what we have in common. - Raquel

“The dialogue platform really worked. We were able to start coming together and making decisions,” says Rechelline, Raquel adds that “the idea that we all get along now, and it is a bed of roses is not at all what we were trying to portray during the town hall to the citizens. What we wanted to portray was the truth. We are trying to work together in the interest of our people and trying to find common ground.” They share that the political clashing is still there, but different. “We have learnt to discuss in a different manner. We have learnt to focus on issues and not be in constant strife with one another,” Raquel says. Rechelline agrees, adding that “I realize now that the opposition has some good points. Previously policies or points coming in from the opposition would be ‘dead on arrival,’ but now we approach it differently, what does the opposition have to say? Now we can have a conducive dialogue and perhaps find a way in which we can both support the issue and go out as a united front. We are facing a lot of different issues on our island, and it does not make sense to be divided on these issues.” The latter is an integral part of a functioning democracy. At NIMD we believe that dialogue is not about getting everyone to agree on everything, but it is finding common ground and finding a common goal to work towards. In the near future, the parties will face their next challenge. Looming on the horizon is the reinstatement of the democratic state, with which will come the appointment of a new governor on 1 April 2024. Raquel and Rechelline both foresee challenges, maintaining communication and the agreements on how to communicate made during the dialogue platform sessions. "Now we have to take over the platform, Nilda cannot be there forever, we have to continue the dialogue process and own it ourselves," says Rechelline. The motivation for both women is the next generation. There is a sense of responsibility in ensuring that the practice of dialogue continues after them, passing on the torch so to speak. The importance of continuing the dialogue process is to ensure that the trust with the citizens is slowly but surely rebuilt, so they no longer ask, is this real?

Strengthening and sustaining democratic culture through youth training and inter-generational conversations

For years, crisis and conflict have defined Ethiopia’s politics. For example, thousands of people have died or been displaced due to the two year Tigrayan conflict that erupted in 2020. An AU-brokered peace deal in October 2022 has made tensions subside and has improved relations between the belligerents. Yet, the country remains trapped in deep divides that continue to fuel conflict in, for instance, Western Oromia and the southern regions. To address the situation, NIMD has been investing in transforming the mindsets and attitudes of Ethiopia’s emerging and current political leaders through two interrelated initiatives— the Ethiopian Democracy Academy (EDAC) and the Inter-generational dialogues. Designed and deployed with different funding sources (Initial funding for EDAC came from the EU. Ongoing rounds are funded by the Dutch and British Embassies. USAID has primarily funded the intergenerational dialogues), both are based on the premise that enhanced capacity of political leaders—complemented with intra and inter-generational dialogues on issues of common interest—will strengthen trust and promote consensus-building, with positive outcomes for peace and democracy in the long term. So far, the capacity of over 100 young political leaders— drawn from more than 20 political parties (governing and opposition)— has been enhanced through dedicated EDAC trainings. An immediate impact of this has been increased political engagement, with some of the alumni creating political parties that have become key voices in the quest for sustainable peace and democracy. EDAC has also increased trust amongst political youth. This is evidenced by the many different networks they have created for sustained interaction and engagement across the country post trainings. So far, four regional Alumni chapters across the country have been established. The trust that the EDAC builds responds to a shared feeling in Ethiopia that there is a need for opposing groups to come together and find common ground. That’s why NIMD has also organized dialogue sessions between alumni and senior political leaders – these are called intergenerational dialogues. Two, from the past year, are particularly important to highlight.

The first, organized on the theme ‘Empowering Youth Political Leaders to build a culture of Peace and Democracy’, provided a rare opportunity for participants to step out of their comfort zones and begin to engage civilly—and unreservedly—with their peers on sensitive political matters such as the Tigray conflict. Building on the first dialogue, the second dialogue, themed ‘Bridging Intergenerational Divides on Contentious Issues’, covered more controversial issues linked to political history, state-building and federal state-structure. The third round, covered the theme Building a Common Vision of State Building and provided the leaders opportunities for establishing shared visions on state/nation/ building in Ethiopia. In the long term, we hope that these discussions will feed into policy making, but for now it's already impressive that such dialogue can take place in a country that has experienced a lot of polarization. The dialogue is bringing together people from across generational, political and ethnic divides to discuss issues that are traditionally sources of tension. This demonstrates that a certain degree of trust, which is a prerequisite for such engagement. This crucially reduces the possibility for different political factions to influence the youth to become violent. Indeed, since the launching of these initiatives, this tendency is diminishing as all sides are shifting their focus onto what unites rather than divides them. By implementing the EDAC and intergenerational dialogue, NIMD Ethiopia has contributed to:

Improved knowledge and skills in different areas including conflict management/resolution and utilization of social media.
Enhanced understanding of youth political leaders on competing perspectives and a base/groundwork for them to work towards consensus building.
More informed views among youth political leaders regarding competing visions about state/nation building in the country achieved by listening to different generational perspectives.
Improved understanding of intergenerational issues and challenges associated with the visions on state/nation building in Ethiopia.
The creation of a platform for young people to work towards achieving their shared visions.

In conclusion, the current results of the EDAC and intergenerational dialogue programs are promising. These two projects focus on the improving the political understanding amongst youth. Hopefully, in the future this can play a part in improving the political situation in Ethiopia.