Upcoming:
Two-day Dialogue Facilitation Training
7 & 8 March 2026 in Tallinn
Would you like to help people engage in dialogue? Do you want to learn how to facilitate a dialogue that allows you to discuss fundamental questions and difficult issues? Would you like to learn how to organise and lead a dialogue? Then we invite you to participate in this two-day training on facilitating dialogue.
During two days you will developing your basic skills to organise and facilitate group dialogues. With these skills you can contribute to a more open and interactive culture of communication and participation in Estonia. You will also help building trust among people and in organisations, by creating safe settings for conversation.
Group dialogue is a conversation format that empowers participation to discuss complex issues, without having to take standpoints. A dialogue is a form of collective and creative thinking about subjects that concern all participants. Dialogues allow people to talk about these issues, both from a personal and from a conceptual perspective.
Focus of the training:
- Understanding the background and values of dialogue
- Preparing and choosing the appropriate form of dialogue
- Selecting and inviting people for dialogue
- Opening, running and concluding a dialogue
- Strategies for reading and steering group dynamics
Aspects which are included:
- The benefits of dialogue for individuals, communities and organisations.
- Key differences between dialogue, discussion and debate.
- Different types of dialogue: small group, medium group & public dialogue.
- Facilitating a dialogue from start to finish and working with conversation rules. – Invite everyone to speak and build a constructive conversation.
- Help groups to talk about difficult or sensitive issues.
Output:
1) We are starting a pool of dialogue facilitators at the Estonian Dialogue Academy. This pool is there to help both with our own projects as with projects we run in collaboration with partners. After the training you can join this pool.
2) In spring 2026 we are helping to organise and run English language dialogue circles in Estonia, as part of the international Borderland Dialogues. After the training you can support this project. More info here.
3) You can implement these skills in your own work, your organisation and community. You will be able to join future in depth trainings as well.
Practicalities:
- Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 March 2026
- Working language is English
- At our office, Telliskivi 60a, Tallinn, 4th floor
- With intake form to briefly explain personal learning goals
- The minimum number of participants for this training is 7, maximum is 12.
Trainer:
Bart Cosijn is a trainer, teacher and facilitator. He is the founder and CEO of the Estonian Dialogue Academy. He has been training facilitation and moderation skills since 2011. He has given facilitation trainings for cultural institutes, universities, journalistic outlets and public organisations. As a trainer Bart worked in Europe, the US and Japan.
In 2019 he published the booklet ‘On the Art of Moderating’. He is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines, writing about the importance of dialogue, empathic leadership, and deliberative democracy. Before moving to Estonia, Bart worked for 15 years in the Netherlands and abroad as a participation specialist, facilitator and moderator.