Contextualizing 'Intercultural Dialogue' and the 'Case Study'

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The oft-cited definition of intercultural dialogue as “a process that comprises an open and respectful exchange or interaction between individuals, groups and organizations with different cultural backgrounds or world views” (Council of Europe 2008, 10) is often perceived as the starting point for thinking about the communication that takes place when people—whether individually, or as members of groups and organizations—from similar and different horizons meet. While this description underlines the significant aspects of building and maintaining dialogue such as exchange, openness, and respect, as well as difference, it does not fully reflect the complexity of dialogue as a process within its own context. For example, what potential does intercultural dialogue offer vis-a-vis disagreement and conflict? How might it lead to resolution, reconciliation, and reconstruction of human engagement and relationships? And how do the complex dynamics and interplay of history, culture, power, and agency influence intercultural dialogic processes? We offer a collection of case studies that invite possibilities for theoretical, methodological, and practical ways of reconceptualizing and reconsidering the process of “dialogue” to offer a fresh point of entry into intercultural communication.