The Dialogue Foundation aims to help society—at all levels—deal with the extreme polarization that affects us all daily. Television programs and social media exude lack of civility and vitriolic attacks; members of private, public, and governmental organizations struggle to work together; and finding common ground in any political discourse or international negotiation seems an impossible task.
As the need to work collaboratively for common betterment skyrockets, just bringing parties in conflict into a discussion often appears to be wishful thinking —even when everyone stands to lose without mutual commitment to addressing the situation. Whether it is striving to resolve a dispute between co-workers or finding solutions to major challenges that threaten survival itself, we must, and can, do better. This includes supporting and mentoring a younger generation of dispute resolvers as well as harnessing technology for greater and lasting impact.
What We Do
Our Mission
Various organizations are working tirelessly to change the way conflicts are managed, but more is needed. At the intergovernmental level, for example, the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes among its goals to ensure “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.” However, such a bold agenda can only succeed if we learn to manage conflicts around the world as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Private organizations have also begun to embrace and address the challenge of pervasive conflict by investing resources to comply with Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) standards. Part of this effort includes how organizations treat not only their employees, but also their customers and suppliers. It also considers how each part of an organization interacts with the other. Admirable as they are, the ESG standards are limited in scope, and material changes can occur only if people engage constructively with each other.
The Dialogue Foundation gathers world-class, multilingual practitioners and scholars who know how to solve challenging problems in constructive and innovative ways. They can propose high-impact dispute resolution policies as well as convene litigants and revive stalled discussions. Dialogue Foundation professionals also engage in educational advocacy by providing valuable resources to individuals and smaller organizations.