Community Dialogues

FOSTERING BETTER DIALOGUE AND A CULTURE OF DELIBERATION IN ESTONIA 

Fostering a culture of deliberation and cultivating meaningful dialogue between people, groups and organisations are essential steps to creating a mentally resilient society, improving the living environment, and bolstering democracy. The Estonian Cooperation Assembly (ECA) aims to promote dialogue skills within the public sector and institutions and contribute to civic education in this field.

WHY?

• The poor quality of debate is one of the biggest problems of the information age. The development of deliberative skills is in the public interest / Estonian Human Development Report, 2020
• People’s mental health and society’s readiness to face crises depend on people’s social and emotional sense of security and their ties to the community.
  Feeling like one’s opinions and needs have not been heard causes frustration and defiance and promotes the emergence of alternative social media groups, the consumption of misinformation, polarisation, and a general mistrust of the state and other people. / Estonian Human Development Report, 2023

WHAT WE DO?

• 2022–2023 / Local Dialogues in Local Libraries
  The development program designed for libraries, providing skills for community and democracy work. The aim is to encourage discussions on important local topics and bring together diverse voices. 24 librarians across Estonia have been trained so far.
• 2024–2025 / Dialogue with the Community
  The development program for local governments leaders and officials to build skills for organizing dialogue-based discussion groups, and to foster open and community-driven governance. 24 local government officials and leaders have been trained so far.
• 2023–2026 / Strategic Partnership with the Ministry of the Interior
  The partnership focuses on implementing and fostering community-centred approach
• Publishing the first Estonian-language open-source Dialogue Guide.
• Launching the 2-day dialogue skills training course

More information:
Kairi Tilga
Head of the Estonian Cooperation Assembly
kairi@kogu.ee