Forum 2000: reflections on the importance of dialogue in today’s world

After already joining in 2024, the DIACOMET team returned to the Forum 2000 Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, and organized a panel discussion on “The Possibility of Dialogue-Based Communication in the Modern Era”, adding to the general theme of the event: “Facing the Odds: Democratic Resilience in Action”.

Our representatives from the Hungarian Europe Society, Vytautas Magnus University, and Delfi discussed the devastating effects of algorithms, intensified communication polarization, and the omnipresence of fake news, disinformation, and factual relativization, which have become everyday phenomena. These distortions in communication have significant impacts on international relations, geopolitical decisions, elections, and democratic processes.

They explored key questions: How is it even possible to maintain democratic, dialogue-based communication in polarized societies? What does ethical communication mean, and how can we promote it? How can we overcome the logic of sectarianism, tribalism, and algorithmic domination?

The session was moderated by Erik Uszkiewicz (Vice-Chair, Hungarian Europe Society, Hungary) with speakers:

– Kristina Juraitė (Professor and Head of the Department of Public Communications, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania),

– Aiste Meidute (Editor and Fact-Checker, Delfi, Lithuania),

– István Hegedűs (Chair, Hungarian Europe Society, Member, International Coalition for Democratic Renewal, Hungary).