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'Dialogue' means: an interactive conversation, or in a more up to date wording: two-way communication. A dialogue requires at least two partners to alternately listen and talk. If only one party talks, what we have is a monologue, instead of a dialogue. So a dialogue also implies an element of reciprocity, of mutual respect and recognition of what is beyond oneself. While 'dialogue' means: an attentive interplay with your surroundings, 'monologue' means a know-all suppression. It is worrying to observe how monologue - nationally as well as globally - is becoming an increasingly obvious feature, both in our politico-economic system and in our relationship with nature. Thus the ecological crisis and the democratic deficit appear to be two sides of the same coin.
Why is dialogue so difficult and dangerous? What is it we fear about diversity, about the different judgement? And why is asking questions more difficult than knowing all the answers?
We have chosen to present a number of different angles, in order to encourage a broad and open-minded dialogue about some fundamental issues associated with ecology and enlightenment of the general public. In many contexts the Danish tradition of public enlightenment has been deprived of its dialogical element, and has thus degenerated into mere information, and 'ecology' has become a term merely denoting 'something to do with the environment' - something we are free to relate to or not. However, since ecology is about fundamental conditions for life on earth, its scope reaches into all spheres of life. Basically, there is no such thing as choosing to not be interested, or leaving it to experts and eco-NGO's. That would be tantamount to having them breathe for us. Ecology is about interaction and communication, between organisms and between people. And it draws on a man-nature dialogue.
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