The SIT Commitment describes the shared attitude that all participants in a Stay-In-Touch round consciously agree to adopt.
It forms the foundation for a respectful, open, and sustainable exchange – especially when differing opinions, experiences, or perspectives come together.
The meaning of the commitment
The SIT Commitment is not a formal rule, but a personal declaration made by each participant.
By agreeing to the commitment, all participants jointly assume responsibility for the quality of the conversation and for treating one another with respect.
The SIT “Come-with-ment”
At the beginning of each SIT round, every participant agrees to uphold the following core attitudes:
- I accept that the person I am engaging with may hold a different opinion than my own.
- I respect the other person as a whole, even when their opinion does not align with mine.
- I remain open to all participants as individuals in their entirety, regardless of religion, gender, political views, or personal orientation.
- I am willing to listen and to understand what lies behind the viewpoints of others.
- I am willing to jointly examine the positions expressed – including my own – within the group.
- I assume that differences of opinion, misunderstandings, or tensions can be addressed respectfully.
- I acknowledge that personal insight and value can emerge from shared discourse, even if no common or identical positions are reached.
Shared responsibility
Upholding the commitment is the responsibility of the group as a whole. There is no external authority monitoring or evaluating the course of the conversation.
If the commitment is repeatedly or seriously violated, it is up to the group itself to address this and to decide together how to proceed.
The impact of the shared commitment
Jointly agreeing to and carrying the commitment creates a binding framework that fosters trust and provides orientation.
It supports participants in remaining respectful even in challenging conversational situations and helps prevent dialogue from breaking down.
The foundation of every SIT round
The SIT Commitment forms the foundation of every Stay-In-Touch round and is inseparably linked to the conversation format.
Only through this shared attitude does the structured process of a SIT round become a space in which genuine listening, understanding, and shared learning can take place.
The key insights are recorded in the SIT Note, the standardized documentation of a SIT round. This ensures that what has been discussed remains accessible and comprehensible to all participants even after the conversation has ended.
A starter kit containing a short introduction, the SIT Commitment, and the SIT Note can be requested via the contact form .