'Dialogues Unfolded'

Dialogue is vital in our polarized times.  The DIAL Erasmus Plus project has set out to improve dialogue skills  in everyday settings. Many of us think that dialogue is not doing well. In fact, in Finland 68 % of respondents of the recent national dialogue survey run by the Hyvin sanottu campaign that the country's conversation culture has deteriorated in the last 12 months. This development has swiped across Europe with heated debates in both mainstream and social media, which carry to our everyday interactions. It is also evident that the skills of entering a dialogue don't fall evenly, as Eurobarometer 508 has suggested. As a result, the Dialogue In Adult Learning Erasmus Plus project (DIAL) has set out to bring dialogue and related skills from facilitated discussions to everyday settings: workplaces, schools, housing communities and so on. We have set out to reach out to learners who don't have as much access to more formal dialogue or who haven't practiced...

  Let's talk real—these days, a lot of people are dealing with depression. Life's on the fast track, and it's taking a toll on our mental well-being. Why? Well, it's more or less like this: the constant rush, trying to fit into society's expectations, and the whole social media scene can make anyone feel alone and not good enough. On top of that, there's this stigma around mental health that makes people keep their struggles to themselves. Now, can just talking about it make a difference? Absolutely, and a big one at that. See, depression makes you feel like you're stuck in your own bubble, dealing with stuff nobody else can get. But when you open up and have a real conversation, it's like popping that bubble. Dialogue helps you express all those messy feelings—fears, doubts, and everything in between. It's like taking this huge, tangled-up mess in your head and turning it into something you can actually talk about. And that's a big deal. But her...

I come from a very talkative family. A family where, for example, Sunday lunch with coffee and dessert is followed by hours of conversation about current topics. We are loud, and fast, sometimes it takes a real effort to get the word... - we all love to talk a lot.😊 And although in my work I can easily give the word to others and I can listen to them attentively, privately I am a real "chatterbox," as my aunt (also a pure-bred "chatterbox"), teasingly says to me every now and then. When I dive into extensive explanations, I forget about time, the words come by themselves, and I can barely keep up with my thoughts, as I want to express them all. It's no wonder that having coffee with my best friend (an even bigger "chatterbox" than me) always takes 2 to 3 hours😊 There’s so much we have to tell to each other… Recently I’ve come across Marc Goulston's article » How to know if you talk too much «, where it says that we, “chatterboxes” like to talk an...

Alright, folks, imagine you're at a bustling café in Athens, where the Greek coffee's so strong it could start a dance-off in your mouth. I'm there, surrounded by a gang of friends, and the dialogue is as lively as a stand-up comedy gig. Maria, who has a wit sharper than Zeus's thunderbolts, looks at us and says, 'Life, my friends, is like an improv show. You never know what's coming next, but that's what makes it so hilariously unpredictable!' Yiorgos, our group's resident stand-up philosopher, chimes in, 'Maria's right. It's in these everyday dialogues that we discover life's absurdity, like when I tried that day after my dentist appointment to order a "frappé" and ended up asking for a pet. The café owner's still laughing.' We're rolling with laughter, sharing tales of office antics, like Maria's legendary printer paper chase (a true Olympic event), and Yiorgos' epic 'reply all' email disaster....

Imagine a typical morning in the vibrant streets of the big city, where sometimes even grocery shopping becomes an entertaining spectacle. As I strolled through a lively street market on a sunny morning, last week, I couldn't help but become an amused bystander in a comedy of manners between two seasoned locals, Yiorgos and Maria, whom I knew a little. Yiorgos, a spry gentleman with a twinkle in his eye, grabbed his shopping cart like it was a race car and declared, 'Maria, my dear, let me show you the art of cart navigation. It's all about precision and style.' Maria, a wise and quick-witted lady, retorted with a grin, 'Oh, Yiorgos, precision is all good, but it's the cart's soul that matters. You need to feel the cart's desires and whims.' Yiorgos, laughing heartily, responded, 'Maria, I've seen tomatoes with fewer curves than your cart moves!' Maria, not to be outdone, shot back, 'Well, Yiorgos, your cart may be speedy, but mine ha...

One evening recently, I found myself on a familiar beachside promenade while visiting friends in small coastal city. What actually made this evening special was the unexpected dialogue between two elderly gentlemen, Yiannis and Michalis, who had been friends for decades. I knew them for decades but not too well. So, while passing by them I tried to overheard them. They occupied a weathered bench overlooking the serene sea, sharing stories from the past as it seemed to me, and indulging in a spirited debate. Yiannis, a twinkle in his eye, mused, 'Michalis, have you ever wondered why we chase happiness, when it's right here in moments like this?' Michalis, his face etched with wisdom, replied, 'Ah, Yiannis, it's in the chase that we find purpose. Happiness is the quest, not just the destination.' Their dialogue touched upon life's fundamental questions—happiness, the passage of time, and the meaning of a life well-lived. It was a conversation steeped in philos...

In the heart of a picturesque Greek olive grove during a balmy summer afternoon, someday I found myself surrounded by the rustling leaves and the faint hum of cicadas while having a long walk. As I strolled through the ancient trees, I stumbled upon two elderly farmers engaged in a captivating dialogue. One farmer, Yiorgos, passionately argued, 'The old ways, Panos, they're tried and true. These trees have seen generations grow under their shade. We owe it to our ancestors to keep their traditions alive.' Panos, a bit younger, responded, 'Yiorgos, times change. We need to adapt, to embrace technology. We can preserve tradition, but we must also embrace innovation and seek profit.' Their dialogue was a blend of wisdom and tradition, where they exchanged insights on the art of cultivating the perfect olive. It was a testament to the ongoing debate between preserving tradition and adapting to new technologies in Greek agriculture.  Have you witnessed similar dialogues ...

"Imagine a scorching summer day in Greece, where the sun kisses the Aegean Sea, and the aroma of grilled seafood fills the air. It was summer, last year, when seeking refuge from the heat, I wandered into a cozy seaside taverna. Little did I know, I was about to become an unintentional participant in a spirited debate about the art of enjoying ouzo, the well-known cherished Greek tradition. At the neighboring table, two locals, Nikos and Maria, engaged in a lively dialogue about this beloved anise-flavored spirit. Nikos insisted that the true essence of ouzo emerges when sipped alongside a carefully curated selection of meze, while Maria contended that the pristine view of the sunset transforms the drinking experience into pure magic. As Nikos raised his glass, he declared, 'You see, Maria, it's the meze that unlocks the ouzo's soul, revealing its depth of flavor.' Maria, gesturing to the setting sun, replied, 'I am sorry Nikos, but the sunset adds a magical to...