Theoretical input: The key actors in sustained dialogue There are several key actors in the sustained-dialogue process, each of whom plays a distinct yet important role in the process. These actors include the following: • Initiators: These make up the team of community members and/or outsiders who see the need for, and together initiate the idea of, a dialogue within communities; • Conveners: These are respected people and/or organisations (non-governmental organisations [NGOs], local authorities, traditional leaders, government departments, church leaders or school authorities) that ‘host’ or call people to a dialogue; • The moderator/co-moderator: The facilitator of the dialogue process often works as part of a team of co-moderators who, together, lead the process; • The dialogue participants: These are people who agree to engage in dialogue and who are either directly or indirectly involved in the conflict and have an influence on key stakeholder groups in the community; and • Government authorities: These bodies provide the framework within which different stakeholders operate and are therefore normally included as a way of ensuring the legitimacy of the process. INITIATING DIALOGUE (Discussion, role play and mini lecture) The purpose of this session is to provide participants with an overview of the tasks that are necessary to initiate a dialogue process in respect of community healing. Objective To introduce participants to the four key areas of activity (‘the flower petals’). Introducing the key areas of activity In order to ensure that participants fully understand and accept the four key areas of activity, this section should be introduced through an interactive exercise that provides the participants with an opportunity to use their own knowledge and experience, as well as the information provided in the previous sections, to explore and identify the required tasks. This can then be followed by a short presentation by the facilitator on the key activities. Exercise / ‘The key activities for initiating a sustained dialogue’ STEP 1: The participants can be divided into groups of four and then asked to do the following: • List the tasks that you think will be required to initiate a sustained dialogue? STEP 2: Once the groups have prepared their lists, these inputs will be gathered and listed in four quadrants, representing the four key activities for initiating a dialogue. STEP 3: The facilitator can then use these inputs to assist him/her in introducing the participants to the four key activities, as shown overleaf. 42 Community Healing: A training manual for Zimbabwe