Ideological polarization, which is naturally part of the democratic process, has become a serious problem in Brazil, where divergence has become distrust and conflict. To face this challenge, a new initiative entitled “O Brasil Fala” promises to promote dialogue between Brazilians with divergent opinions, contributing to reducing polarization and strengthening social cohesion.

Led by the Sivis Institute, in collaboration with the German organization My Country Talks and researchers from Stanford University, “O Brasil Fala” aims to connect 10,000 Brazilians in 1:1 conversations about controversial topics, using a secure online platform. The objective is to spread the power of dialogue to generate tolerance and trust among people who think differently.

RenovaBR, a collaborator in the initiative, shares the commitment to strengthening democratic culture in Brazil. Promoting dialogue is one of the fundamental principles of RenovaBR, which believes that this practice is essential for political renewal and the construction of a more united and democratic country.

Those interested in participating must register on the website mycountrytalks.org/events/o-brasil-fala and answer a brief questionnaire on topics related to politics, economics and society. An algorithm will then match two participants with differing opinions, who will meet virtually at a pre-scheduled time. The conversations will be private and without moderation, starting with the presentation of the profile of each interlocutor and the points of disagreement between them.

The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer survey classified Brazil as the seventh most polarized country among 28 evaluated, close to becoming “severely polarized”. This feeling is shared by the population: a survey by Genial/Quest in February 2023 revealed that 83% of Brazilians consider the nation to be more divided than in the past.

Results and Expectations

In the second stage of the initiative, in-depth interviews will be carried out with participants to generate stories about their experiences and learnings. Brasil Fala is the national version of My Country Talks, launched in Germany in 2017 and expanded to more than one hundred countries, involving around 300 thousand participants. Sara Cooper, head of product at My Country Talks, highlights that more than 90% of participants reported wanting to participate again, 80% were happy with the conversation and 60% would maintain contact with their dialogue partner.

Registration to participate in the “O Brasil Fala” dialogues is open until July 20th on the website mycountrytalks.org/events/o-brasil-fala.

About the Organizers

Sivis Institute: A non-partisan, non-profit civil society organization, Sivis works to ingrain democratic values in the hearts of Brazilians, producing knowledge with scientific rigor and implementing solutions to strengthen Brazilian democratic culture.

My Country Talks: A German organization dedicated to connecting societies around the world to discuss divisive topics, promoting empathy and common values that strengthen democracy.