Launching the Solidarity Dialogues: Keeping an Open Heart and Mind in the Face of Division

Founder and Executive Director of PLEDJ, Amal Elsana Alh’jooj, opening the launch event.

On May 22, 2024, over 80 people gathered to attend the panel discussion in celebration of the launch of the Solidarity Dialogues initiative. This transformative, community-led project, designed and led by PLEDJ (Promoting Leadership for Empowerment, Development and Justice), prepares 20 front-line community leaders across Greater Montreal to facilitate dialogue for groups in conflict. 

The focus is on navigating the complexities of polarization while building trust and developing empathy amongst individuals who stand otherwise divided by deep-rooted conflicts. The initiative will span a year and culminate in 12 dialogue sessions for over 140 members of the Greater Montreal community, led by the participating leaders. This will serve as a pilot program to be replicated across Canadian cities. 

Set against a backdrop of heightened tensions and divisions in Montreal as a result  of the Israel-Palestine Conflict—evident through increased fear and censorship on campuses, rising hate crimes, and strained inter-community relations—this project addresses  the critical need for safe spaces where nuanced conversations between diverse groups of people can strengthen social harmony and support free civil discourse, which is currently at risk due to ongoing polarization. It is just the beginning for the Solidarity Dialogues, as community-building initiatives will continue to be needed while trauma and pain from ongoing global conflicts linger and others inevitably emerge. The hope is to create communities that are better equipped to handle difficult conversations and navigate anger, fear, and confusion constructively.

Now more than ever, we need to commit to the wellbeing of our communities, to understanding one another, and to finding common ground - even if it’s just a shared hope for a peaceful future and social harmony. It is not enough to merely discuss ideas of solidarity; we must collectively find ways to put them into practice so we can promote justice and build safe and peaceful communities. 

The Solidarity Dialogues is a PLEDJ initiative, delivered in partnership with the Peace Network for Social Harmony. To learn more about the Solidarity Dialogues program, follow this link. PLEDJ also expresses our appreciation for the generous support of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation for the program. Additionally, PLEDJ thanks the Power Corporation of Canada, Donner Foundation, and Trottier Family Foundation for their support.

The Panel Discussion

We were honored to have the following changemakers join the panel discussion: Dale Dione, Indigenous community leader and specialist in restorative justice; Rabbi Lisa Grushcow, Senior Rabbi at Temple Emmanu-El-Beth Shalom, author, and past President of the Montreal Board of Rabbis with a long history of interfaith bridge-building; Imam Hassan Guillet, founding member of the “Table interreligieuse de concertation du Québec,” which builds bridges between communities of faith in Quebec; and Patrice Brodeur, Associate Professor at the Université de Montréal with extensive experience in interfaith dialogue. Moderating the conversation was esteemed Radio-Canada journalist, Sophie Langlois. Coming from diverse expertise and backgrounds, the panelists gathered to exchange their ideas on how we can transform our shared spaces into ones of unity and understanding.

L-R: Imam Hassan Guillet, Dale Dione (Picture 1) | L-R: Patrice Brodeur, Lisa Grushcow, Imam Hassan Guillet (Picture 2)

Sophie Langlois posed compelling questions, such as what can be alternatives to punishment, which can be equally damaging, and how can leaders be braver in creating spaces for dialogue? Themes that emerged among the panelists' conversation included that of responsibility, thinking in the sense of the ‘we’ rather than just ‘I,’ and truly listening and hearing one another.

Sophie Langlois, Radio-Canada journalist and moderator of the panel discussion.

Each speaker pointed out in their own way that we each have a responsibility to the community. Not only to the community of the present but also to its past and future. We all have a need for interconnection, and when this interconnection gets broken, through environmental issues or war and conflict, for instance, it is our responsibility as people to rebuild that connection and strengthen whatever connects us.

Dale Dione drew upon her experiences implementing restorative justice in Indigenous communities. She reminded us that a key element of this process is creating space for each party to safely express themselves and have their pain be heard. She emphasized listening as not merely waiting to respond but listening to genuinely hear what the other is trying to express. As Rabbi Lisa Grushcow pointed out, to truly listen we need not only the willingness to be in the room but also the ability to stay in the room when things get uncomfortable.

When it comes to leaders creating spaces for dialogue, Patrice Brodeur pointed out that we can broaden the concept of the leader. Each of us is at the center of some circle of influence in our lives and no matter the size, it’s important to remember that we can take personal leadership in expressing solidarity and developing compassion for one another even if we disagree.

Amal Elsana Alh’jooj, founder of PLEDJ, had opened the event with the question of how do we turn our pain into hope. There is much rawness and pain among our communities at this moment. However, the response to dehumanization isn’t more dehumanization. As Imam Hassan Guillet cautioned us, this cultivates a culture of violence and revenge. It is crucial that we continue to see humanity in one another and not participate in the bullying that is already prevalent among our political leaders and societies. Imam Guillet described how when you look for things in common with people, you’ll always find something. When it comes to dialogue around ideas we may not agree on, we have to start with what we do agree with.

As Brian Bronfman, founder of the Peace Network for Social Harmony, pointed out in his opening remarks, what gathered all the participants at the event that morning was their shared belief in unity, trust, and compassion. We share a love for the city of Montreal and we each want to contribute to making it a place of social harmony. Montreal’s traditional Kanien’kéha name is Tiohtià:ke, meaning “where the boats and rivers meet.” The name of this unceded territory mirrors that of Amal’s Palestinian traditions and her Bedouin home village, Lakiya, in the Naqab desert. Her first home was also referred to as a meeting place because of a well that would bring together people from various tribes and communities. This parallel serves as a beautiful reminder of the intrinsic human desire to connect and build bridges. The Solidarity Dialogues will provide a meaningful opportunity to do so.

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