Goals

DialoguePerspective‘s mission is to meaningfully contribute to European understanding and collaboration, to the strengthening and defense of European civil society, and to the shaping of a pluralistic and democratic Europe grounded in the principle of solidarity.

Fundamental Goals

  1. To create a European, globally-acting and robust network of future European leaders, with the goal of training them to become competent shapers of European discourses at the intersection of religions/worldviews, academia, politics, culture, business, and social responsibility.
  2. To further develop a constructive, societally-oriented dialogue between religious and worldview-based communities in Europe with the goal of strengthening these diverse European communities across national boundaries, creating new European alliances, kindling a feeling of mutual protection and solidarity between individual religious and worldview communities, and to translate this feeling to a shared European responsibility to take action for one another.
  3. To create a robust European network of renowned academic, civil society, political, religious/worldview, and corporate partner institutions and organizations in European partner countries to facilitate the transfer of DialoguePerspectives’ insights and methods with the goal of actively strengthening European cooperation.
  4. To actively participate in shaping current and future European discourses at the intersections between religions/worldviews, academia, politics, and societal responsibility using practical, outcome-oriented, and pluralistic dialogue processes and formats.

Religious/Worldview Pluralism at the Center of Societal Political Relevance

Europe is a site of diversity, a space of possibilities and of societal collaboration. Europe is characterised by a religious/worldview pluralism that has long since overtaken societal cohesion in the sense of a uniform national or religious homogeneity. Europe is, however, also characterised by political fragmentation and polarisation, rising nationalism and the rejection of other ways of life. Pluralization does not only mean the multiplication and differentiation of identities, but also the strengthening of religious/worldview communities. In Europe’s diverse communities, questions of integration have long fallen out of discussion. Rather, critical self-confidence is being tested, societal inclusion demanded, and participation in public discourse encouraged.

Reflecting on Political and Societal Frameworks– Actively Shaping Discourses – Sustainably Impacting Society

In these discourses, questions are raised about the individual and social significance of religions and worldviews, especially in connection with socio-politically important issues. To reflect upon these discourses, to analyse through our work the various political and societal conditions present in Europe and the challenges they entail for the diverse communities, to actively position ourselves and shape society together – these have been fundamental goals of DialoguePerspectives since the beginning. The role that religions and worldviews can play in the shaping of European society is a process of negotiation that must reflect societal plurality and include those who do not identify with any religion. We always clearly understand interfaith/worldview dialogue in this sense as political practice. The participants develop shared goals for fostering societal stability, resilience, and strength in European societies.

Space for Encounters, Exchange, and Joint Work

By establishing a new format of interreligious-worldview dialogue, DialoguePerspectives creates a space for encounters, exchange, and joint work between European students shape by various religious orientations and worldviews, representing a broad spectrum of academic disciplines.

Foundational Questions for our Joint Work

Foundational Conceptual Assumptions

 

˝The DialoguePerspective programme has created a unique platform for discourse and debate on a wide range of topics that have significance for the EU currently and in its future. DialoguePerspectives offers the opportunity to share, learn and explore as a community, questions that are relevant to our identity and the diversity of Europe. I highly recommend the programme.

Santhi, DialoguePerspectives participant