The Laboratory for Global Dialogue is a non-profit organization whose main focus is a global communication project, the Dialogue Project. The project has created unique opportunities for people around the world to have face to face conversation since 2002.

About the Dialogue Project

The Dialogue Project is an exciting new way of communicating. It allows people who live far from each other to have face to face conversations utilizing Internet video and/or a videophone via satellite. The Dialogue Project is “in real time,” “interactive” and “everywhere in the world.”

It sounds simple that you talk directly with each other, face to face, however, it provides a powerful communication tool, which mass media cannot achieve. People from vast geographical distances, in different countries with different cultures and religions, can connect with each other, person to person. This face to face communication can foster understanding and a new sense of community among participants of the project wherever they are in the world.

The Dialogue Project has utilized new technology to make it possible for anyone to access this communication tool. We have utilized the Internet wherever possible to achieve low cost and multiple dialogues. When we cannot access the Internet, we utilize a satellite phone to connect. We also are planning to have a new web site to link people who participate in the project. In addition, it will allow non-participants to observe and join in the dialogue.

In sum, using Internet video and/or a videophone, participants of the Dialogue Project can speak face to face with each other, from anywhere around the world. This very basic but new form of communication media will change the way people from different culture view each other.

Method

• Equipment: computer with Internet video capability and/or satellite phone
• Participants: mainly elementary ~ college students
• Subject: depends on location, it may vary from peace to the environment. We usually have pre-study hours before the dialogue so that participants can learn basic idea about the country and the subject.
• After the project: exchange letters/ donations, etc

Past Dialogues

• Afghanistan – Japan: June 2002 (high school)/ October 2005 (high school)
• Iraq – Japan: February 2003 (high school)
• The Maldives – Japan: November 2005 (college)/ March 2006 (college)
• Laos – Japan: March 2007 (elementary school)
• Bolivia – Japan: 2009 (junior high school, Japanese language school,adult)
• Peru – Japan: August 2009 (elementary)
• Bangladesh – Japan: January 2010 (Working woman)

Contact

• E-mail:
  taiwalabs [at] gmail.com

• Tel:
  81-70-5015-7180
  
  Naomi Ogawa
  The Laboratory for Global Dialogue