Briefing
The Südwestrundfunk (Südwestrundfunk) is organising an instalment of the dialogue format “An Hour of Conversation” on 4 November 2026 at the Vallendar Town Hall. It starts at 19:30 and is part of the SWR Zukunftstage The organisers and the Bonn Institute for Journalism and Constructive Dialogue are inviting people from the region to spend an hour discussing topics such as housing, community life, mobility and generational issues at facilitated round tables. Admission is free, but places are limited. According to the organisers, registration was open until 3 November, and the group is limited to around 70 participants.
The Bonn Institute’s concept works like a structured dialogue game: clear roles, timed speaking slots and a facilitator are intended to ensure that everyone present gets an equal amount of speaking time and has the chance to practise listening. One of the project managers involved, Mehregan Behrouz, explains that the rules help defuse emotionally charged discussions and bring different perspectives to light. Facilitators with journalistic training sit at the tables but deliberately take a back seat, so that the conversations belong to the participants.
The organiser does not make audio or video recordings during the discussions. Informal follow-up conversations take place afterwards, and participants can pass topics on to journalists at the venue. The format has already been tried out elsewhere and covered by newsrooms and the German Press Agency. The initiatives aim to strengthen the culture of discussion and encourage direct exchange between the public and newsrooms.
The VallendarThe event is designed as an open gathering: no prior knowledge is needed. The Bonn Institute provides practical information and contact details; Vallendar Town Hall lists the event in its calendar. The hosts emphasise that the aim is not to win a debate, but to listen genuinely and learn about other points of view.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).