Stay-In-Touch (SIT) is a conversation format that provides a clear and reliable framework for discussing a wide range of topics. It is intended for people who wish to remain in dialogue with one another despite differing viewpoints.
The focus is not on quick expressions of opinion or the assertion of a particular position, but on jointly understanding, examining, and reflecting on content and perspectives.
Background and motivation
In many social, private, and professional contexts, it has become increasingly difficult to engage in conversations that are both factual and open. Discussions break off, become polarized, or take place only within homogeneous groups.
What is often lost in this process is discourse – the shared reflection on a topic within a heterogeneous group, where different experiences, assessments, and opinions are allowed to exist side by side.
Stay-In-Touch emerged from the desire to counter this loss: to create a framework that offers orientation, provides a sense of security, and makes genuine encounters possible again.
What Stay-In-Touch aims to be –
and what it is not
SIT is not a debate format, not an argument, and not a stage for rhetorical dominance. It is not about convincing others or being right.
Instead, SIT offers a structured conversational framework in which a topic is prepared, contextualized, and worked through together. Differing viewpoints are not avoided, but deliberately welcomed and examined.
The focus lies on the quality of the exchange and on both personal and shared insight.
The fundamental approach
Each SIT round is based on a shared topic introduced by a person who prepares it in advance. This topic is linked to a clearly identified source, which serves as a common basis for discussion for all participants.
All other participants submit their own questions beforehand. These questions structure the evening and ensure that different perspectives become visible and are taken into account.
This approach creates a conversation that combines depth with structure and leaves room for genuine listening.
Attitude and responsibility
A central element of Stay-In-Touch is the shared attitude of the participants. Each SIT round begins with a clearly formulated commitment that calls for respect, openness, and a sense of responsibility.
Responsibility for a constructive exchange does not lie with a single moderator, but is shared collectively by all participants.
Where SIT can be applied
The Stay-In-Touch principle is deliberately open and can be applied in a wide variety of contexts.
- Private discussion circles and groups of friends
- Associations and initiatives
- Educational and learning groups
- Faith-based and interest communities
- Professional or societal exchange formats
What matters is not the topic itself, but the willingness of those involved to engage with the shared framework.
How SIT works in practice
The following pages describe how a SIT round is structured in practice, which roles are involved, and how a conversation evening unfolds.
They also introduce the shared SIT commitment, which forms the foundation for the exchange.