elements of a successful dialogue, as well as a guide that tells moderators where they are in the process, where they need to go and what tools they will need in order to get there. Stage 1: Deciding to engage Prior to convening a dialogue group, initiators will work to: • Identify a set of well-respected individuals within a community who commit to engage in a dialogue process; and • Agree with participants on the purpose and ground rules of the dialogue. Initiators work together to convene a meeting of stakeholders in the community for the purpose of dialogue. Success occurs during this stage when initiators can identify a set of common interests and assist potential participants to understand the uniqueness of the sustained-dialogue process. The beginning of this stage sees initiators agree that something must be done to change the situation in their community, and ends when a group of dialogue participants agrees to meet. Stage 2: Mapping and naming problems and relationships Once convened, the dialogue group will attempt to: • Identify problems and relationships among the participants at the table in order to examine how these impact on the community’s real interests; • Share personal experiences with regard to relationships; and • Choose two or three key problems to probe more deeply in the next stage. Participants convening for the initial dialogue often begin by listing major problems facing their community and the relationships driving these problems. This stage begins to identify the major issues to be analysed as part of the sustained-dialogue process. It is a crucial first step in beginning to transform relationships within the group, as it allows participants to give vent to their own frustrations, pains and experiences. Stage 2 sets the tone for the rest of the process by establishing the terms on which the dialogue will proceed. By the end of this stage, participants should know which major problems exist and which need further exploration. A level of trust should also be emerging that will enable them to work together in later stages. Stage 3: Setting a direction for change With the key issues on the table, the dialogue group: • Will explain why the problems identified matter to the participants; and • Will probe each problem in depth to reveal the underlying relationships that drive the problems. This stage of sustained dialogue begins when the participants agree on the major problems that they need to address which will improve living conditions within the community. In Stage 3, participants begin to focus on understanding the underlying causes and dynamics driving the issues in their communities. Participants begin to see problems through the experiences of others, thus leading to a collective understanding and appreciation. Participants also begin to move towards agreeing on strategies to address the problems. Stage 4: Building scenarios Having analysed the dynamics of the community conflict, participants will turn to designing solutions. In order to do this, they will: • Identify the main obstacles to change within the community; • List the steps required to overcome those obstacles; • Determine who can take those steps; 40 Community Healing: A training manual for Zimbabwe