My City Talks

“My City Talks” hosts events for people with contrasting political views to come together in conversation. They are able to share their beliefs on a personal level, encouraging greater understanding across political lines. This helps to build a sense of community and to strenghten civil society. We bring people together beyond their own filter bubbles to encourage them to share provocative opinions in constructive debate outside of social media, and to create new spaces for political exchange and empower democratic participation.
Participants are invited to get involved via online articles from our media partners as well as the websites of participating cities and other local partners. They are asked to answer controversial political yes/no questions, and their answers serve as the basis to match people with the biggest differences of opinion using our matching algorithm. Taking any Covid restrictions into account, the pairs meet either in a public place or for a video conversation as part of an event. “My City Talks” also sees itself as a gateway to civic engagement: It all starts with one conversation, which hopefully encourages further participation.