From 15 to 17 April, the Latvian Academy of Culture hosted the international Changemaker Ambassador Programme organized by the European University Alliance ACE²-EU, bringing together more than 40 students and academic staff from nine European universities. The programme was implemented in collaboration with the foundation “DOTS” and innovation mentor Liene Kupča, with the aim of strengthening participants’ skills in facilitating change and promoting meaningful dialogue as an essential tool in contemporary society.
During the three-day intensive training programme, participants learned the fundamentals of systems thinking and design thinking, and practiced applying dialogue methods to build constructive conversations. On the second and third days, participants explored and tested the Dialogue Circle method in depth – a structured approach to conversation based on the TimeOut method developed by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.
Dialogue Circles are a specifically designed form of conversation that fosters mutual listening, respect, and openness to different perspectives. Unlike discussions, which are often driven by the need to prove one’s point, dialogue creates a safe space where participants can share experiences, better understand others, and jointly explore new insights. This approach not only helps deepen understanding of the issues at hand but also develops the ability to articulate one’s own perspective and collaborate with others.
Together with dialogue facilitators from the “DOTS” foundation, participants had the opportunity to take on different roles in practice – both as dialogue hosts and as equal contributors to the conversation. Through Dialogue Circles, they shared their experiences and perspectives on topics such as change, freedom, and friendship, while developing the ability to listen attentively, truly hear others, and engage in respectful, open dialogue.
Within this programme, its methodology and approach were piloted to further develop future programme cycles, which will be implemented across all alliance universities in the coming years. These programmes will provide training for students and staff within the alliance, fostering social change leadership at the alliance level and equipping participants with knowledge of innovative approaches to addressing societal challenges.
More about the activities of ACE2-EU: https://www.ace2eu.eu/
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project 101177596.