As part of our work as humanists to build a tolerant society, we try to build bridges between people and communities – educating both sides and building links in support of a peaceful, plural society. This mainly refers to discussions between humanists and religious communities, but these best practices can also be used to guide discussions within the humanist community.

By ‘dialogue’ we mean engagement between people with different approaches to life to build mutual understanding, identify common ground and, where it makes sense, engage in shared action.

We do not mean failing to challenge ideas and activities we believe to be harmful, or failing to recognise areas of disagreement. Mutual understanding means understanding differences as well as common ground.

Debate, unlike dialogue, is adversarial, with each side trying to persuade an audience to adopt one rival view and ultimately to win. We participate in many debates but recognise that they are not the only way to engage.