A new initiative of the SNOOOP investigating site proposes to break the bubbles and dare to wear a dialogue with someone from the opposite pole of the political spectrum. “Romania speaks” takes place on November 1 and 2.
What if you would meet for a coffee with someone who thinks totally different? But instead of trying to convince him that you are right, you would try to know him better, listen and put in his place. Nearly one year of the most tense choices in the recent history of Romania, Snoop and Hotnews invite you to do this experiment. Don't worry, we will help you find your political pair.
- “Romania speaks ” It is an adaptation in Romania of the My Country Talks program, initially developed in Germany, in 2017, by the online publication. Our partners in this project are antena3.ro, golazo.ro and hotnews.ro.
Why do we do this
In recent decades, the Romanian society has faced increasing difficulties in carrying authentic dialogues about its political, economic and social challenges. We live in a period when polarization and apathy become serious obstacles in communication with those who think differently. The pandemic, the Ukraine war, the wave of misinformation and the last electoral cycles have further deepened the faults in society.
That is why, almost a year from some of the most controversial elections in the recent history of Romania, we intend to reconfigure the spaces dedicated to the constructive political dialogue. How? Through a broad mobilization of ordinary citizens-those who, as a rule, do not have a public platform, a stand or a microphone to express their views.
We launch the initiative “Romania speaks ” Convinced that democracy is not reduced to a set of institutions, as we learn at school. It also means a series of habits: knowing the themes that concern the common good, the ability to put us in the place of the other and to reflect on their own ideas and opinions. Without this “democratic culture”, formal institutions cannot work effectively, because they depend on our ability to build a common space with those who think differently.
Democracy is not reduced to the vote from four or five, but it is practiced daily, in our daily interactions. And it all starts, always, with a conversation.
You would fit the experience “Romania speaks ”?
Yes, if you are over 18, you live in Romania and:
- You are curious to meet someone with whom you usually have no opportunity to speak;
- You want to carry a calm discussion, without the intention of convincing, but only to share your own experience and listen to the perspective of the other;
- You want to contribute to reducing the polarization and division in our society, along with thousands of other people in Romania and in the world who believe that only together can we move on.
This conversation is not a debate -competence, where someone “wins” through arguments. We want to be a win-win experience. That is why, before the event, you will receive a short guide for a productive conversation, in which both participants have to win, respecting each other and discovering new ways to look at the world.
How can you participate?
Step 1: Answer honestly The questionnaire Romania speaks.
Step 2: We will look for you a conversation partner. Someone who has answered differently to at least some of the 7 questions with DA or no, but also living at a reasonable distance from you. The match is done by software, which acts as a dating application, but for ideas.
Step 3: If you and your partner identified for you want to wear a dialog, then we will send you the contact details and you can set the time and place of a meeting for the weekend November 1-2. We recommend that you meet in a public space: maybe a cafe, a restaurant, a park or a public garden. You can also set a distance meeting through video call.
Step 4: Before the meeting, read the Guide offered by Snoop, meant to support you in wearing a relaxed conversation on topics that often divide us into two hard to reconcile camps.
Step 5: On November 1, go to the meeting and enjoy the experiment. Make a selfie with your interlocutor and send it to [email protected], along with a few words about how your experience was.
Do you want to know what happens when two strangers with radically opposite views meet?
Over the past eight years, people from over 100 countries have taken part in an event organized under the aegis of My Country Talks. Over 90,000 pairs with divergent political positions were related to the MCT algorithm. What do the results say so far?
80% of the participants were satisfied with the facilitated discussion
60% remained in touch with their dialogue partner
90% Among the participants said they would register again to another edition
In 77% Among the cases the affective polarization has decreased (negative feelings towards those perceived as part of the other camp)
(Sources for figures: Stanford and Harvard Blattner-Koener Impact Study, July 2023 and my country talks for more than 200,000 participants)
“Even a conversation of only two hours between people with completely different political opinions is sufficient to weaken polarization. Meetings (no from Germany) have contributed to eliminating prejudices against those who think differently and, after conversations, participants considered that people with different opinions are, on average, less incompetent, less malicious and less stupid.” -explains Armin Falk, a professor of economics at the University of Bonn, in an interview for the goddess.
Who are the project partners
“Romania speaks” comes to life only through collaboration. In a polarized society and in a fragmented media market, we believe that the real dialogue becomes possible when very different people and organizations unite their forces.
For the first edition, Snoop.ro has three media partners with various visions and audiences: Antena3.ro, HotNews.ro and the sports publication Golazo.ro. Together, we want to reach people from as many communities as possible and create spaces in which their voices will be heard.
The project is carried out with support and expertise from the Zeit online publication in Germany, which also provided us the My Country Talk platform.
Help us break as many bubbles as possible
If you believe in what we propose with “Romania speaks”, help us reach as many people as possible. Tell the project to your family, friends and colleagues. Maybe especially to those you know you do not agree on political topics. We want to be heard as many voices as possible. If you give this text on social media, use #ROMANIABeste. Thank you.
