Democratic dialogue: a handbook for practitioners

What is dialogue, how does it work and how can it make a difference in the pursuit of peace, development and democratic governance?

This handbook presents options and methods to carry out a successful dialogue process and analyses lessons learned to narrow the gap between theory and practice. It is addressed to people actively or potentially engaged in doing dialogue work - organising, sponsoring, promoting, or facilitating dialogue processes within their institutions and societies.

The guide is thoroughly grounded in the experience of dialogue practitioners from around the world. It offers a comprehensive overview of the use of dialogue processes to address societal challenges in an inclusive, democratic way that engages a broad range of actors in bringing about positive change.

The handbook also demonstrates that dialogue is not a panacea and that its success depends on careful preparations. In two appendices, the authors also provide a comparative overview of more than 30 cases and a guide to the rich array of dialogue processes and process tools that practitioners can consider for use.

This handbook is a collaborative effort of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).