Defining National Dialogue

To date, many open questions and ambiguities remain with regard to the concept of National Dialogue. Much of the existing knowledge is case-specific and anecdotal. This Handbook pulls together different strands of practice that emerged in response to political developments in different parts of the world, ranging from Africa, to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Latin America. Most recently, the turbulent developments in the MENA region, often referred to as the Arab Spring, reflected a profound questioning of the legitimacy of governing institutions by an increasingly emancipated population. This pressure from below has pushed narratives of…