Dialogue & Citizen Diplomacy
At Ashteret, we believe that dialogue between the different cultures in the Middle East and Europe, between peoples and narratives, cannot be left solely to official institutions, let alone to extremist discourse.
We advocate for an intercultural dialogue rooted in knowledge, free speech, and exchange among all constituent cultures of the Middle East.
In a context marked by misunderstandings, identity tensions, and competing narratives on history, religion, or geopolitics, it is urgent to reinvent spaces for dialogue between Europe and the Middle East, and to do so differently.
Ashteret specifically supports:
- Narrative reconciliation, through interwoven stories: Highlighting forgotten or marginalized narratives that show past solidarities between Jews, Christians, Muslims, or secular individuals; amplifying Arab voices opposed to extremism, and European voices seeking justice and nuance.
- Intellectual mediation in cultural or religious conflicts: For example, by organizing debates or publications that bring together the perspectives of European, Arabic-speaking European, or Arab intellectuals on sensitive topics (secularism, memory, colonial legacies, religious reforms…).
- The renewal of the Middle East, no longer based on rigid postures or outdated security-focused and historical approaches, but on mutual recognition, the dignity of narratives, historical lucidity, and respect for the complexities of each society.
Our actions include public dialogues, interfaith/interconvictional meetings, joint seminars, and transnational editorial projects that connect critical thinkers, artists, educators, or activists from each shore.
The objective: to contribute to lasting peace through collective intelligence, by rebuilding trust and cultural bridges where symbolic (and real) walls are too often erected.