The social climate appears to be one of the most influential factors for opportunities in the development and success of structural changes in Upper Lusatia. The way people interact with each other not only affects developmental processes in the region but also serves as the foundation for the life decisions of young individuals, such as choosing a place to live where they feel comfortable and where the best chances for self-realization exist. As a result, many citizens are concerned about the current social climate and are willing to actively contribute to its improvement.

The Working Group Dialog Zittau

AG Dialog Zittau is an association of people in southern Upper Lusatia. Their mission is to engage in dialogue among conflicting groups within the city, with the goal of strengthening the community in Zittau. Instead of merely talking about each other and creating distance, they aim to initiate mutual communication through organizing joint events, ultimately enhancing mutual cohesion. As participants of the working group stated, "We all wish for a good future for our city. It is up to us to actively contribute to shaping it!" By organizing various events, they seek to facilitate direct, respectful, and considerate exchanges of opinions among people.

AG Dialog was founded in September 2019 when the growing polarization of the Zittau urban community was the topic of an event organized by the Partnership for Democracy. Ten people spontaneously came together, wanting to collaborate on bringing the residents of Zittau, often with different beliefs and backgrounds, to engage in meaningful conversations.

"Our fundamental belief is that diverse opinions are a part of a democratic society, but there is a need for spaces where people can listen to each other, discuss, and exchange arguments. Through organizing events, we aim to create a space for dialogue in which people from Zittau can engage in respectful conversations and discuss various opinions while exploring their underlying causes. Additionally, we aim to provide opportunities for people, despite their differing opinions and backgrounds, to actively contribute to creating a friendly sense of community in Zittau."

The 3mag editorial team met with some active members of AG Dialog Zittau to talk about their experiences with this meaningful and important project.

Thomas Hoffman:

I am someone who wants to build bridges. That includes finding ways to bridge the gaps in our society and start talking to each other. AG Dialog's actions are a positive example of this. The first AG Dialog event on July 1, 2020, at Volkshaus, was attended by over a hundred people, some of whom had very different opinions. At first, we were skeptical about the outcome of such an event because people were quite upset about the measures taken in the previous weeks. However, we experienced how mutual conversations and active listening noticeably changed the atmosphere – from personal talks to discussion groups and finally a large final group. Everyone could express their concerns, and they were heard. It's important to focus on the culture of discussion and treat each other with respect. The high participation continued until we had to transition from in-person meetings to online platforms in December 2020. Under the title "Behind the Pandemic," we invited people from healthcare, administration, and business to a dialogue. Unfortunately, we accidentally restricted access, explaining the consistent 100 participants.

A very good experience for me were the discussions in March and April about the "idle" situation of children and young people in everyday life during the pandemic, as well as the prospects despite the pandemic. Our guest, Prof. Dr. Gerald Hüther, fundamentally but constructively questioned our educational system. Unfortunately, these discussions could only take place online, which is not the same as being face-to-face.

We increasingly considered it a challenge to prevent our dialogue from ending up in a bubble of like-minded people. The discussions became more difficult due to Monday demonstrations and growing emotional and ideological polarization. In June, we started an experiment to initiate constructive discussions on citizen-oriented (city) politics through an online round table titled "From a Walk in the Park to City Council Discussions." Once again, it became evident that the online format hindered a relaxed discussion atmosphere.

At the "Summer in the City" event on July 10, 2021, we not only enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere in the city but also finally had a chance to talk in person during our activities at the "Fleischbänken." We distributed lovely reconciliation postcards with phrases like "I apologize," "Let's talk some more," etc., and bookmarks with compliments. We aimed to encourage people to find a way to each other and bridge the gaps that divide them. The creation of an image gallery of "scoundrels - pigs" was designed to motivate overcoming such inner struggles. Moreover, passersby had the opportunity to write their wishes for Zittau on a poster, which was presented at the end with accompanying music. All these activities combined with constructive discussions received positive feedback. All these impulses and ideas were very important to me.

Tensions and challenges will continue to accompany us. Therefore, we need conversations and reconciliation to enable cohesion. This is why I am committed to continuing the work of AG Dialog and bringing people together. As a Christian, I believe that real peace is possible. And there are more challenges waiting for all of us. That's exactly why offerings like AG Dialog must exist. It's crucial that we listen to each other and can freely and openly discuss our differing opinions, objectively and without attacking each other. After all, we live here together and must coexist.

Anne Knüvener:

The primary goal of AG Dialog was to initiate communication with people in the city. With the Monday demonstrations, however, everything developed in a way that mutual dialogue became impossible, and, on the contrary, we didn't want to further highlight this trend. We couldn't imagine going on stage together anymore. Nevertheless, of course, we still want to be in contact and remain in dialogue because it's very important. So, we decided to organize joint activities and thus stay in touch. That's when the idea for the harvest project emerged. This means that we harvest fruits together, and anyone who wants to can participate. It should be fruit that would otherwise rot. Together, we process this fruit and give it as a small gift at various occasions, and, of course, everyone can also take something home. The idea is that by doing things together, we can also collectively find a new basis at a new level. And in doing so, respect each other as human beings, beyond all political biases that exist. And perhaps, later, we will be able to talk about politics together again.