Sustained Dialogue Institute

10/14/2026

Sustained Dialogue Process in Somalia

For nearly 20 years, two communities in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region were caught in recurring violent conflict. Today they share grazing land again, and every Friday they trade side by side at a reopened market.

The turning point was a Sustained Dialogue process facilitated by the Berghof Foundation with local district administrations. Sixty community members took part, including elders, youth, women and religious leaders. "By focusing on shared environmental pressures as an entry point, the process helped rebuild trust after decades of conflict."

The real test came when a dispute turned violent. Committee members stepped in, treated it as an individual legal matter rather than a reason for collective revenge, and stopped a familiar cycle of retaliation before it started.

"The reopening of a weekly market is one of the clearest signs of renewed trust. Insecurity and mistrust had brought trade between the communities to a halt, but the market now serves again as an economic hub for the wider area.
Every Friday, people exchange livestock, crops and other goods in a space both communities consider safe. These regular interactions create practical interdependence and make the benefits of cooperation visible."

The story is a reminder that peace is built through patient, locally led & sustained work.

Read the full story here:

Through a Sustained Dialogue process, we brought together communities in Somalia that had been divided by violent conflict.

09/08/2026

AAC&U’s Institute for Democracy & Higher Education and the Sustained Dialogue Institute combined forces to help educators navigate chilling, threatening, uncertain, and politicized pressure in their teaching, research, and work on campuses. Contact us for free, confidential support. aacu.org/helpdesk

08/19/2026

As a new academic year begins across our campuses, we're still carrying the energy from the Sustained Dialogue Summer Leaders' Summit last month.

💫 One participant said he discussed current issues more in that single weekend than in his entire academic year.

🎉 A student who tends to be an introvert told us she felt genuinely comfortable expressing herself.

🎆 An extrovert who loves to talk spent the weekend working on the harder skills: listening, facilitating, reading a room.

🧩 Students and advisors left with concrete ideas to bring dialogue back to their own campuses.

Thanks to everyone who showed up this summer. Looking forward to our work together this year!

Special thanks to the co-hosts and team members who made this gathering possible: GW Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service, and SDI's team: Rhonda Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Wuerz, Elena Martínez Torres, Abigail Freedman, and Kelly Motley.

02/19/2026

In a powerful conversation with Ezra Klein, conflict resolution facilitator and author of The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker reflects on her formative experience with Sustained Dialogue at the University of Virginia, and why the United States needs to gather across differences more than ever.

When Parker and her peers launched SD circles at the University of Virginia in 2001, they learned something crucial. The most transformative groups weren't just diverse; they brought together students with clear, specific differences: College Republicans and LGBTQ+ students, Jewish American and Arab American students.

"We had incredible conversations. We went into territory we barely ever get to go into." [...] "Everyone knew exactly why they were in the room. That clarity created the container for genuine depth."

Parker's insight is urgent: "If Americans don't gather more and across differences, we'll slide further into authoritarianism. The antidote is connection."

We need spaces where people can practice building relationships across cultural, political and generational differences; the kind of relationships that a strong democracy requires. This is the work Sustained Dialogue has honed in colleges, communities and workplaces over the last 20+ years.

Watch the excerpt below, in which Priya reflects on those UVA circles and her training with former diplomat and founder of the Sustained Dialogue Institute, Dr. Harold Saunders.

What role can Sustained Dialogue play in your community?

hashtag hashtag hashtag Sustained Dialogue Institute

Full interview and transcript: Is Your Social Life Missing Something? This Conversation Is for You. Published on Feb. 3, 2026
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-priya-parker.html

02/19/2026

Facilitation Training Options 2026-2027 and Free Monthly Info Sessions! Full virtual training calendar: https://luma.com/sustaineddialogue

Productive conversations don't happen by accident; they are intentionally designed, structured, and facilitated.

The Leading Productive Community Conversations training series equips you with the tools to lead dialogue that actually moves people and communities from knowing each other to doing something meaningful together. You'll walk away with two powerful skill sets:

💡 Learn how to design and lead dialogue sessions that are grounded in relationships and equity. Whether you're managing a team or convening a community, you'll leave with a practical framework for creating conversations that matter.

💡 Go deeper with the Sustained Dialogue process, a proven methodology developed by former diplomat Dr. Harold Saunders. Designed for willing participants navigating entrenched conflict, this approach builds trust, strengthens relationships, and moves groups toward real, lasting action.

Who is this for? Community organizers, facilitators, mediators, city council members, team leaders, educators, and anyone who wants to turn difficult conversations into meaningful change.

Want to know what Sustained Dialogue is and how to use it in your workplace, campus, or community? Join a free info session! Next call 👉 Monday 23rd, 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern. https://luma.com/dziu022x