The meeting was announced by the Executive Board at the end of last year. Pro-Palestinian students demanded that UM condemn the Israeli actions in Gaza. The Executive Board wrote in a statement that it understood the appeal to take a position, but first and foremost wanted to provide space “for an open and safe dialogue” to “give room to sharing thoughts and forming opinions”.
Not a debate
A maximum of forty people can attend the meeting, which expressly must not be referred to as a debate and where the press is not allowed to be present. The meeting will be held behind closed doors in connection with the privacy of the participants and to “guarantee safety,” says Rob van Duijn from Studium Generale, which is organising the evening together with UM’s Diversity & Inclusivity Office.
Both students and employees from UM may register for the so-called ‘dialogue table’, which will be moderated by programme maker Evanne Nowak. When this message went online, 39 of the 40 available spaces were gone.
Small group
Participants have been asked to put their thoughts about the continuing conflict on paper, to share these with others, and to listen to their stories. “It is not a discussion or debate about possible solutions, but about listening to each other,” said Van Duijn. “This way, we may succeed in bringing people together through dialogue – also people who do not have a distinct opinion about the conflict yet.”
Whether there actually is a difference of opinion among the participants – a condition for a dialogue –Van Duijn cannot say. “They are not asked about their opinions during the registering procedure.”
He agrees that it is only a small group, “but you have to start somewhere. As Studium Generale, we are also looking into the possibility of holding more public meetings on the subject”.