What is The World Talks?
The World Talks is a dialogue program that will match people from around the world for a 1:1 conversation on June 25th, 2023. To sign up we ask all participants to answer 8 questions about controversial issues facing everyone around the world, such as climate change, migration and gender equality. At the end of the sign-up phase, we will match all participants with someone in a different country who answered the questions differently. On June 25, you and your match can independently arrange a totally private, one-on-one conversation online in English.
Who is running The World Talks?
The World Talks is part of My Country Talks, an initiative started by the German media outlet Zeit Online. In an age of fragmented discourse, the goal is to bring strangers together to discuss different views on common issues. Since 2018 My Country Talks has engaged over 250,000 people in over 30 countries for political dialogue programs.
How will my partner be chosen?
You will be paired with someone with a different political view, in another country. The My Country Talks software automatically matches you based on the way you answer the registration survey, and based on the location you give when you sign up.
It may take some time to find you the perfect match, so we ask you to be patient. In rare cases, there will not be a good match for you based on either your opinion or your location. When that happens you will be offered a partner who might agree with you but is based in another country, or someone in your own country who has different opinions.
What happens after we are matched?
You will receive an email with your conversation partner's information. If you both agree to meet each other, we will exchange your email addresses so you can get in touch. Once you have your partner's contact information it's up to you both to decide when and how to have your meeting. My Country Talks and The World Talks media partner network do not take any responsiblity or liability for your meeting.
What should we talk about?
Unless you arrange otherwise, you and your partner will have an unmoderated and private conversation. This can seem intimidating, but don’t feel pressured. The goal is simply to create an open conversation between two people who would probably never meet otherwise.
Beyond getting to know your conversation partner, we encourage you to go over the survey question and just listen to what they have to say. We have also published Ten Rules for a Good Debate
to help you have a respectful and enjoyable discussion.
How do we set up our call?
You are free to use any digital service you like, either video conference or just an old-fashioned phone call. If you are having technical difficulties or need help setting up a call, you can refer directly to your service provider.
For help, read our tips for a great video call.
What if I don’t feel comfortable with my match?
The World Talks is an experiment. We know that signing up to meet a stranger can be daunting, which is why we require both conversation partners to consent to meet each other after being matched. We will only exchange your personal data with your partner if you both agree to meet. For a number of reasons, your match may also not agree to meet with you after you have confirmed to meet them. In this case, we hope you participate again next time.
Who stores my data, and what happens to it?
When you sign up, your personal data as well as the answers to the survey questions, are processed and stored by My Country Talks. If you agree during registration, some of your personal data my be be forwarded to the media partner network (see above) for reporting purposes. After The World Talks ends, your information will be permanently erased from all databases. Some of your information may be used to report on trends from the event, but only as a small part of a large, anonymous aggregate. We never store personal or identifiable data given by participants. You can learn more by reading our full privacy policy.
