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NASHIK-MAHARASHTRA, JANUARY 20, 2015: A symposium was organized at Divyadaan, Nashik by the MPh (Master of Philosophy) students on January 17, 2015. The theme was, ‘DIALOGUE: Bridging Interpersonal Differences.’ The programme took the participants through the history, meaning and relevance of Dialogue. The keynote address presented by Bro. Pawanjit Singh introduced the concept of Dialogue, dealing with its historical background. This was followed by three talks, ‘Crisis in Dialogue’, ‘What and Why of Dialogue’ and ‘The Way Ahead with Dialogue’ presented by Brothers Jerry VM, Romanius Barwa and Sebastian Kamsuan, respectively.
Differences, prejudices, feeling of alienation, monologue and the interference of systems were the topics that pointed to what constituted a crisis in dialogue. The second talk dealt with the meaning, definition, and the difference between dialogue and various forms of communication. The speaker clarified the terms such as Dialogical and Dialectical Dialogue and stressed on the kind of attitude one needs to adopt in order to enter into authentic dialogue.
The relevance of Dialogue was extensively dealt with in the last talk. The need to develop mutual trust, and the spirit of openness as a precondition to entering into sincere dialogue were the main concepts treated in the talk. Philosophers of note such as Martin Buber, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Raimundo Panikkar and Paulo Freire featured in the talks. At the end, the floor was open for discussion and clarifications.
The theme proved to be of great significance, since Dialogue has inevitably emerged as an overarching medium of understanding in today’s world. All in all, the symposium turned out to be a learning experience for all, organizers and participants alike.