«If Arafat and Netanyahu had participated in the Dialogue Groups it would not have been a conflict in the Middle East anymore» (Israeli participant, 1997) 

The ISFiT Dialogue Groups were first established in 1997 as an initiative to peace building in practice by the International Student Festival in Trondheim. Since then the Dialogue Groups have gathered students from the conflict areas of South Africa, Northern Ireland, Guatemala, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Kosovo, Kashmir, Israel/Palestine, Sri Lanka, Balkan, USA/Iran, Russia/Chechnya, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Sudan and Great Lakes-region (Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda).  

What is the ISFiT Dialogue Groups?

The Dialogue Groups is an initiative by the International Student Festival in Trondheim  (ISFiT) to peace building in practice. The Dialog Groups invite students from different sides of conflicts to meet on neutral grounds for sharing of experiences and dialogue. 

The Dialogue Groups kicks off 10 days before ISFiT with a seminar at Røros. The participants and facilitators meet and spend a few days in Oslo, before traveling to Røros where they will live together for week at a cabin. 

Then, together with 450 other participants from all over the world the dialogue groups participante the world’s largest thematic festival and attend the main festival events, ceremonies, thematic meetings and cultural program. While in Trondheim the Dialogue Groups function as one of the festivals workshops and continue the work they started in Røros. 
 

Why are the ISFiT Dialogue Groups important?

In a conflict situation communication and interaction across religious/ethnic/cultural lines is limited or even non existent. The ISFiT Dialogue Groups lay the ground for young people who live in conflict areas to meet as equals on neutral ground. Through the seminar the participants get to know each other as individuals and fellow human beings, rather than an opponent or representatives of the enemy. Trust, mutual respect and the ability to listen to the other participants must be established before someone can have constructive dialogues on difficult and emotional topics. 
 

How do the dialogue groups really work? 

In total 24 participants - four representatives from each side of three different conflict areas – are invited to spend the week before ISFiT at a cabin outside of Trondheim. The following week the participants take part in the festival in Trondheim and continue the seminar as one of the festival workshops. 

Through different communications exercises, role-play and social activities the participants and the facilitators explore the consequences of the conflict and the opportunities for the future. Dialogue, communication, identity, leadership and project development will be important topics throughout the seminar. 
 

Who are the facilitators? 

The Dialogue leaders and facilitators are Norwegian students who have received intensive theoretical and practical training in using dialogue as a tool for constructive communication and conflict management. The role of the facilitators is to organize the seminar, create a framework for tructive communication and facilitate the dialogue process. External trainers and speakers will also contribute to the seminar. 
 

What happens when the dialogue groups return to their home countries?

The ISFiT Dialogue Groups emphasize the opportunity and capacity of participants to continue to work together and start up projects in their home communities. It is our experience that friendships and organizational partnerships will be formed during the seminar in Norway. The ISFiT Dialogue Groups strongly promote and support projects and seminars initiated by former participants. Similar seminars have been organized by participants from Chechnya, Iran and Ethiopia. Recently two dialogue seminars were successfully implemented in Kampala, Uganda by participants from ISFiT Dialogue Groups 2007. 
 

The ISFiT Dialogue Groups 2009

This year students from Jerusalem, Cyprus and Georgia/Abkhazia have been invited to take part in the Dialogue Groups. For the participants of the Dialogue Groups thtís years festival title;

«Building a future», becomes especially important. 

ISFiT Dialogue Groups 2009 will be held from the 9th of February to the 1th of March.