Society for transformative conversations

Last changed: 06 May 2024
Writing quill, illustration.

SLU Future Food is involved in the project Society for transformative conversations. The aim is no less than to contribute to a more democratic communication by developing methods that can be used in society. Improving our ability to really listen to one another and to grasp the perspectives of others are at the very core of the project, as a way to a more sustainable society.

Keri Facer, who is professor of Educational and Social Futures at the University of Bristol, as well as current holder of the August T Larsson visiting professorship at SLU, is leading the project together with Åsa Berggren, professor of Ecology at SLU.

Much of society today, including academia, is characterized by competition. Many of us concentrate on communicating our own messages rather than investing time and effort into listening to and considering other people’s contributions to discussions.

But true democracy also entails engaging in the stories and experiences not so often considered. Not listening to those without strong voices, may also lead to lost opportunities.

This transdisciplinary project looks for ways to spark transformative conversations; those where the participants’ curiosity and vulnerability open up for the unexpected and new insights that thrive on openness, trust and respect. In our work we are looking to develop a scientifically-based method for a new form of discussions.

The project involves people inside and outside of SLU to understand how transformative conversations occur and how we may best harvest the ideas that emerge. A small workshop with transformative conversations in 2023 will be followed by another and much bigger one in late 2024.

Project dates: 2023 - 2026

Target groups: Open to everyone that wants to participate

Funding: A T Larsson guest researcher programme, SLU Future Food

Contact: For any further information about this project, please contact asa.berggren@slu.se or Keri.Facer@bristol.ac.uk.