My Country Talks is an international platform for political dialogue.

On the third anniversary of the Brexit referendum, the Mirror, the Daily Express and dozens of regional newspapers from all over the UK called on Brits to meet with a neighbor. With “Britain Talks”, they wanted to bring people back into conversation.

Three days before the Danish elections, Danish public broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR) hosted the event Denmark Talks for the first time. In keeping with the motto “Uennige Sammen” (Disagreeing Together), the event called on Danes to meet up with a neighbor who holds different views for a discussion on issues that are relevant to both of them.

After a successful pilot test in February 2019, Norway Talks was hosted jointly by the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK, the weekly paper Morgenbladet, the daily paper Dagens Næringsliv and the trade union paper Fagbladet. For Hele Norge snakker (All of Norway Talks), the four news outlets reached out to a wide audience in their effort to get as many people talking to each other as possible.

Two weeks before the European elections, 16 European media partners and numerous supporters jointly called on Europeans to meet and discuss beyond national borders. On May 11, thousands of Europeans met for a political one-on-one conversation in person or online.

After the successful first edition of Italy Talks in early summer 2018, two Italian newspapers were organizing a new round of L’Italia si parla. Media partners La Repubblica and HuffPost brought together Italians from all corners of the country at an event that took place in conjunction with Europe Talks.

In a joint call, the newspapers and online magazines De Standaard, Knack, Stampmedia and Bruzz Media were asking Belgians from all over the country to sit down for a talk. Het grote gelijk (The Big Right) was taking place in parallel with Europe Talks, giving readers the choice to meet either a Belgian or a European from outside the country.

Suomi puhuu: In Finland, the large daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat called for participation in Finland Talks. Helsingin Sanomat is also joining in Eurooppa puhuu (Europe Talks), turning spring 2019 into a nationwide debate about national identity and the future of Europe.

In autumn 2018, six Swiss media partners hosted the first edition of Switzerland Talks in both the German- and the French-speaking parts of the country. 1,400 people met to discuss topics that are dividing the country: Should Switzerland have a closer relationship with the EU? Should homosexual couples be allowed to adopt children?

In October 2018, 2,800 Austrians met up with a neighbor to discuss their political beliefs: Is the Austrian government doing a good job for the future of the country? Does society expect mothers to stay at home rather than pursue a career? Launched by DER STANDARD, Austria’s biggest newspaper, the event ignited discussions across the whole country and reverberated well beyond the capital city Vienna.

8,400 people met across Germany on September 23, 2018 to engage in a face-to-face discussion. On the same day, an event took place under the patronage of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin.

In late spring 2018, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica called on Italians to participate in the pilot version of Italy Talks. Around 80 participants with opposing political views gathered in Bologna and discussed topics ranging from climate change to the integration of refugees.

On June 18, 2017, ZEIT ONLINE organized the first ever My Country Talks event. 12,000 people signed up for the experiment, hoping to meet a neighbour with a different political view.