20,000 Dialogues is a nationwide initiative that uses films as a catalyst for discussions about Muslims and Islam. The objective of 20,000 Dialogues is to build a greater understanding of Muslims through films, while promoting pluralism, interfaith dialogue, and civic engagement. 20,000 Dialogues uses award-winning films from Unity Productions Foundation (UPF), and provides the materials and resources people need to participate in dialogues, and turn that dialogue into action.
20,000 Dialogues knows that films get people talking. They also know that watching a film and discussing it is a common yet powerful experience that helps people share ideas, hear new perspectives, and build relationships across faiths and cultures. This is what makes participating in a 20,000 Dialogues event such a unique and rewarding experience.
To hold a dialogue, the host must first sign-up the 20,000 Dialogues website and select the UPF film that their group will watch. Once submitted, the host receives the DVD of the film they’ve chosen free of charge. 20,000 Dialogues provides the host with all of the resources necessary for the dialogue including promotion materials, icebreaker techniques, orientations, group/individual exercises, individual film discussion guides, and evaluation forms. All of the resources are free and available on their website for download. The program is designed to facilitate two types of dialogues: living room dialogues, and community dialogues. In both cases, in order for the dialogue to be affective, it is important that the group participating in the dialogue be religiously diverse, and must include a Muslim.
Living room dialogues involve a small group of people (minimum five people) who gather in a living room, coffee shop, library, or other comfortable space to watch a UPF film and discuss it. In a living room dialogue, the host must agree to pass out pre-dialogue and post-dialogue evaluation forms. The evaluation forms help the viewers identify any preconceived misconceptions they might have prior viewing the film, and evaluate their dialogue experience.
Community dialogues are hosted by an organization or institution such as a university, a citizens group, or religious group. 20,000 Dialogues supports community dialogues by providing the host organization with customized “train-the-trainer” orientations as well as promotional materials.
20,000 Dialogues was launched in August 2007. Since September 2009, over 400 local organizations and 30 national partners have hosted or participated in community and living room dialogues. In total, over 30,000 people have participated in dialogues thus far. Over 80% of those participants have rated the 20,000 Dialogues experience as “excellent” or “very good” and report in their evaluations that the post-film dialogue helped promote interfaith understanding and respect.
UPF is a non-profit educational foundation that produces high-quality films and documentaries that help foster peace and understanding. UPF’s goal is to be a catalyst for ending the “Clash of Civilizations”. They envision a future where Islam and Muslims are understood and an accepted part of the modern social fabric.
Bellow are some examples of the types of films offered by UPF for 20,000 Dialogues events:
Recent Articles
Recent Blog Posts