Dialogue…
- assumes the good intentions of those involved
- is an honest attempt to understand each other
- aims at genuine reconciliation, not papering over the cracks
- involves genuine humility and listening
- seeks common mutual enrichment
- is an exchange of gifts, not a negotiation
- allows each tradition to explain itself
- identifies past distortions, over-emphases and under-emphases
- is aware of the influences of history, sociology and psychology
- accepts the other person for him or herself, not as an imperfect duplicate of yourself
Dialogue needs…
- a comfortable, safe, secure, relaxed environment
- a sensitivity from the larger and more powerful to the smaller and weaker
Dialogue avoids…
- misrepresentation and stereotyping
- violent and offensive language and expressions
- comparing the ideals of one with the practices of another
Dialogue means…
- loyalty to the past (Tradition)
- commitment to the present (Mission)
- hope for the future (Vision)
Photo credit: © Valter Hugo Muniz WCC