Demokratie durch Dialog
In the organizer's words:
When Discussions Get Out of Hand
What should you do when someone in a discussion throws ten claims at you all at once? When the topic keeps changing, facts are twisted, arguments are ridiculed, or others are personally attacked?
Whether on social media, at school, in college, at work, or among friends: discussions can quickly become exhausting—especially when they’re no longer about a genuine exchange of ideas.
In our workshop “Democracy Through Dialogue,” we’ll explore together the tactics and strategies used to influence or deliberately disrupt discussions—and, most importantly: What can I do if this happens to me?
What’s it about?
Gish gallop, “whataboutism,” straw man arguments, or personal attacks: There are often recurring patterns behind difficult discussions. If you recognize them, you can deal with them more effectively.
In the workshop, you’ll learn to
- how to recognize typical manipulation and diversion tactics,
- understand why some discussions suddenly take a turn for the worse,
- respond calmly and clearly instead of getting lost in endless debates,
- set boundaries and steer conversations back to the facts,
- and try out various counterstrategies right away.
The point isn’t to have the perfect counterargument ready for every situation. What’s much more important is the question: How can I decide for myself when and how to engage in a discussion—while remaining confident?
Hands-On Practice Instead of Lecture-Style Teaching
The workshop is interactive: We’ll work with examples from everyday life and social media, try out strategies, discuss them with each other, and test what actually works through small exercises.
You don’t need any prior knowledge—just a willingness to get involved, try things out, and think together about how to have good discussions.
Following the workshop, we invite you to our courtyard party from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. —to get to know each other, exchange ideas, and wrap up the day together.
Workshop Facilitator
Gernot Wolfram is a publicist, journalist, and professor of media and cultural management. His work focuses, among other things, on social communication, cultural participation, and the question of how we can maintain dialogue with one another even when discussing controversial topics.
Registration
Would you like to join us? Then apply by September 6, 2026, with a short statement of interest (max. 1/2 page) including your contact information and age, in which you tell us why you’d like to participate in the workshop.
Please send your application via email to Ute Böhr at ub@eab-berlin.eu
Space is limited.
Price information:
Would you like to participate? Then apply by September 6, 2026, with a short letter of motivation (max. 1/2 page) that includes your contact information and age, in which you tell us why you’d like to participate in the workshop.
Accessibility information
We don't have any accessibility information for this event.
You can find everything about accessibility at Rausgegangen here.
Location
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