๐๐๐ฒ ๐- ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐
๐๐จ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐.
As a member of both delegate agenda group and Expertโs Panel, I experienced and observed deliberative listening, an extraordinary process in which delegates engage in an intentional practice of setting aside prejudgments to fully focus on and understand each other by creating a welcoming space for honest communication and deeper connection. Delegates were able to transform discussions from simple exchanges of ideas and arguments into meaningful dialogues that foster mutual respect, collaboration, and informed and shared decision-making.
I learned in practice that meaningful collective decisions depend less on grand speeches and grandstanding and more on a disciplined, often quiet, craft of listening. At the Conference, groups did not merely exchange opinions; they synthesized individual insights into โwe-findingsโ by comparing and synergizing different perspectives, often revealing unexpected connections.
I learned in practice those โwe-dialoguesโ are the real currency of healthy public discourse, debate, discussion and conversation.
At the beginning of the Conference, delegates were urged by the Dialogue Commission to be more rational and less emotional in their discussions. Indeed, that was what was conspicuously visible at every table. No raised voices, no display of impatience, no expressions of indifference. Only shared analysis and conclusions reached by reasoned compromise.
Too often, in public debates and discussions, there is a tendency for conversations and discussions to be punctuated by interruptions, spectacle, posturing and even anger. Delegates at the Conference to the last person I observed across dozens of conference tables showed no signs of interruptions, hostility or disapproval. Indeed, delegates encouraged each other with respect and civility to engage, allowing deep thought to surface. They used respectful language even when they disagreed. Even when there were disagreements, the focus was squarely on the issues, not on personalities.
In situations where there are potentially many divisive issues that run deep, the deliberate act of listening can prove decisive in changing outcomes. When people feel that their perspectives were honestly considered and woven into a shared dialogue, genuine cooperation and collaboration becomes possible. The โwe-dialogueโ process avoids the destructive transactional politics of winners and losers and replaces it with not only shared ownership of the process but also shared success and victory.
So, what lessons did I learn today as a participant/delegate and subject matter expert?
The first lesson is that it is vital to create dialogue environments that genuinely promote dialogue over monologue.
Second, listening to others should be both a rule and a virtue in national dialogues. The less interruptions, the more reflections. The simple fact of using respectful language in a soft way to communicate oneโs ideas by itself contributes significantly to build understanding and consensus and facilitate problem-solving to happen.
Third, if our politics in Ethiopia is is to move beyond disruptive political performance toward durable problem-solving, we need to create more spaces and habits like those exercised at the Dialogue Conference.
๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ. ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ญ, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฒ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ -๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ.
๐๐๐’๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐!
Originally posted on X:
https://x.com/AlMariam1/status/2080013429738242374
๐๐๐ฒ ๐- ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐
๐๐จ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐.
As a member of both delegate agenda group and Expertโs Panel, I experienced and observed deliberative listening, an extraordinary process in which delegates engage in an intentional practice of setting aside prejudgments to fully focus on and understand each other by creating a welcoming space for honest communication and deeper connection. Delegates were able to transform discussions from simple exchanges of ideas and arguments into meaningful dialogues that foster mutual respect, collaboration, and informed and shared decision-making.
I learned in practice that meaningful collective decisions depend less on grand speeches and grandstanding and more on a disciplined, often quiet, craft of listening. At the Conference, groups did not merely exchange opinions; they synthesized individual insights into โwe-findingsโ by comparing and synergizing different perspectives, often revealing unexpected connections.
I learned in practice those โwe-dialoguesโ are the real currency of healthy public discourse, debate, discussion and conversation.
At the beginning of the Conference, delegates were urged by the Dialogue Commission to be more rational and less emotional in their discussions. Indeed, that was what was conspicuously visible at every table. No raised voices, no display of impatience, no expressions of indifference. Only shared analysis and conclusions reached by reasoned compromise.
Too often, in public debates and discussions, there is a tendency for conversations and discussions to be punctuated by interruptions, spectacle, posturing and even anger. Delegates at the Conference to the last person I observed across dozens of conference tables showed no signs of interruptions, hostility or disapproval. Indeed, delegates encouraged each other with respect and civility to engage, allowing deep thought to surface. They used respectful language even when they disagreed. Even when there were disagreements, the focus was squarely on the issues, not on personalities.
In situations where there are potentially many divisive issues that run deep, the deliberate act of listening can prove decisive in changing outcomes. When people feel that their perspectives were honestly considered and woven into a shared dialogue, genuine cooperation and collaboration becomes possible. The โwe-dialogueโ process avoids the destructive transactional politics of winners and losers and replaces it with not only shared ownership of the process but also shared success and victory.
So, what lessons did I learn today as a participant/delegate and subject matter expert?
The first lesson is that it is vital to create dialogue environments that genuinely promote dialogue over monologue.
Second, listening to others should be both a rule and a virtue in national dialogues. The less interruptions, the more reflections. The simple fact of using respectful language in a soft way to communicate oneโs ideas by itself contributes significantly to build understanding and consensus and facilitate problem-solving to happen.
Third, if our politics in Ethiopia is is to move beyond disruptive political performance toward durable problem-solving, we need to create more spaces and habits like those exercised at the Dialogue Conference.
๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ. ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ญ, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฒ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ -๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ.
๐๐๐’๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐!
Originally posted on X:
https://x.com/AlMariam1/status/2080013429738242374
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