Dialogical Discussion Groups

They are spaces of debate and decision-making which are based on egalitarian dialogue among the participants that are being carried out in every participating entity. 
These groups are based on the principles of dialogical learning.

Dialogical learning is a methodology based on the contribution to Social Science by authours such as Habermas* or Freire**. Through his work, Habermas develops the Theory of Communicative Action, according to which people organise human relations on the basis of dialogue and consensus. Freire's contributions however, help overcome inequalities through egalitarian dialogue. There are seven principles of dialogical learning, which are briefly described below:

1) Egalitarian dialogue: contributions are regarded according to arguments of validity and not power, so that everyone stands at the same level and can learn from each other;
2) Cultural intelligence: we all have a series of knowledge, experiences, abilities, etc. that we have acquired through life and let us participate in an egalitarian dialogue;
3) Transformation: everybody can transform and be transformed through reflection and egalitarian dialogue with other people;
4) Instrumental dimension: through dialogic learning we acquire knowledge and abilities based on real needs that let us perform in daily life;
5) Sense creation: when making projects and interests come true we give sense to our existence;
6) Solidarity: through mutual help people enrich our learning and put an end to relations of power;
7) Equality of differences: we all have the same rights, including the right to be different.

Using this methodology, each participating entity creates their own Dialogical Discussion Group, which is made up of adults from both the migrant and host communities, who are interested in participating in the project. These groups are based on the premise that everybody is at the same level, thus all opinions have to be respected. Learning has to be a bi-directional process where both educators and students can teach and learn from one another. In order to ensure this, the Dialogical Discussion Groups have a moderator who may be any one of the participants in the group, who makes sure that everybody is given the opportunity right to speak and that participants' opinions respect Human Rights and are based on arguments of validity and not power.

* Habermas, J. (1987) Teoría de la acción comunicativa. I: Racionalidad de la acción y racionalización social; II: Crítica de la razón funcionalista . Madrid: Taurus.
** Freire, P. (1997) A la sombra de este árbol . Barcelona : Roure.

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