Conversations in Polarized Societies “The Mo:Lab Dialogue Principle”

Conversations in Polarized Societies
The Mo:Lab Dialogue Principle

The workshop presents dialogue strategies for antagonistic conversations and difficult situations and is based on the experiences of Mo Asumang, Germany’s first Afro-German TV-presenter, who received a death threat delivered to her in song from the neo-Nazi band White Aryan Rebels. Instead of hiding, Mo managed to transform her fear into humanity and activism and started a dialogue with those who create polarization in our society.

We will demonstrate Mo’s approach in authentic dialogue situations and reference her documentary film The Aryans, in which she holds conversations with Neo-Nazis and members of the KKK. The participants are invited to adapt Mo’s communication strategies for their own challenging conversation contexts through interactive exercises which were developed in cooperation with communication coach Frank Labitzke.

The workshop will be held at the Davis Center on Friday, 20th September 2024 from 2:30-4:30 PM. It will be led in English by Mo Asumang (director, bestselling author, producer, founder of the Mo:Lab and Harris Visiting Professor at Dartmouth College) and Heidi Denzel (German Studies, Visiting Professor at Dartmouth College), a certified trainer and researcher of the Mo:Lab Principle.

Participants are asked to join us before the workshop for a free public showing of the film –The Aryans – on Thursday, 19th September at Paresky Auditorium at 7:30PM. Subtitles in English.

Sponsored by the Center of Global Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, the Department of German and Russian, the Department of Africana Studies, Davis Center, Oakley Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Gaudino Fund, Global Studies Program.

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