Özlem Cekic is the first Muslim elected to the Danish Parliament.  She is also a well renowned author, speaker, advisor, and a voice in various debates on Danish politics and human rights. She has published a book “Tak for kaffe” on the concept of dialogue coffee and did in 2018 a TED-talk on the topic.  

Being the first Muslim elected to the Danish Parliament and later being a voice in various debates on Danish politics and human rights, Özlem’s email inbox is always full of hate mails. This contribution to the Nordic Family Therapy Congress is about how Özlem started her concept of “Dialogue Coffee” and what characterizes her approach of sitting face-to-face with the people who hate her. In a world where we see greater and greater polarization, the experience of being hated could easily lead us to try to avoid those people who are so different from ourselves. Of course, this avoidance will only make the gap between us bigger and do the opposite of solving our problems. Therefore, Özlem tries to go in the opposite direction.

The concept of “Dialogue Coffee” demands of us that we all are willing to look at ourselves and our own prejudices. How each and every one of us must take a personal responsibility to close the gap between us across big divides. Even though you do not feel yourself as part of the problem, you can always be a part of the solution.

Özlem Cekic has published a book “Tak for kaffe” on the concept of dialogue coffee and did in 2018 a TED-talk on the topic.