Det fejrer vi med en omgang fællessang og taler sammen med Margrete Auken og Özlem Cekic, hvor vores generalsekretær lykønsker foreningen ved at sige et par ord om Brobyggernes betydning i Danmark.
Vi kan ikke sige noget om vejret, men vi lover god stemning og noget godt til ganen.
Det foregår den 25. august kl. 16.30-19.30 hos Brobyggerne – Købmagergade 43 1. sal.
Der er gratis adgang, men et begrænset antal pladser, så skynd dig at melde dig til!
Would you like to help strengthen dialogue and democratic discourse in Denmark?
At Brobyggerne – Center for Dialogue Coffee, we work to build bridges between people with different views, values, and ways of life. Through projects, courses, and activities across the country, we strive to create a society where disagreements are resolved through dialogue rather than polarization. Today, we have more than 9,000 members and are based in Copenhagen’s Inner City, where we share our daily lives with other dedicated organizations.
We are currently looking for new colleagues:
📈 Membership Manager
Do you have experience with fundraising, marketing, or membership management? We are looking for a Membership Manager who can help develop and strengthen our membership base through campaigns, member retention, and engaging communication across our platforms. Read more about the position here
✅ Secretary
Are you organized, service-oriented, and good at keeping track of the big picture? As a secretary at Brobyggerne, you’ll play a key role in day-to-day operations, handling administrative tasks, coordination, and practical planning within the secretariat. Read more about the position here
📚 Academic Intern
Are you a student interested in project work, communication, and community engagement? As an intern at Brobyggerne, you’ll be part of our Grøn Dialogkaffe and Fordomsbryderne projects, where you’ll help plan activities, develop projects, and manage communication and social media. Read more about the position here
Application: Please send your resume and cover letter toansogning@brobyggerne.dk and include the position you are applying for in the subject line. The application deadline is June 12 at 1:00 p.m. Expected start date: Week 35.
We are currently conducting interviews.
If you have any questions about the positions, please contact Assistant Manager Sami Kleit at sami@brobyggerne.dk or by phone at 22 26 06 63.
Join us for three free events in Aarhus, Odense, and Copenhagen, where we’ll be celebrating Constitution Day.
We often talk about democracy as a form of government, a system, or a tradition—something stable and taken for granted. But in reality, democracy only thrives if we make use of it—if we dare to take a stand, speak our minds, and stay engaged in the conversation, even when it’s difficult.
On June 3, we will therefore be singing in to welcome democracy in Odense in collaboration with the Music Library, where Members of Parliament Trine Bramsen (S) and Katrine Daugaard (LA) will be performing: Sign up here
On June 4, we’re heading to Aarhus to discuss one of today’s most contentious topics: Danish identity. There, Özlem Cekic and her guests will explore the question of whether Danish identity is a cultural or legal affiliation: Sign up here
On June 8, we’re heading to Copenhagen, where two former ministers of culture, Jytte Hilden (S) and Bertel Haarder (V), will spend an afternoon with Brobyggerne, with time set aside for group singing and reflection. Özlem Cekic will lead the session as we use short presentations, songs, and shared reflection to focus on the question of what it takes for us to keep democracy alive: Sign up here
Democracy requires taking an active stand and personal courage. Democracy is something we do—not just something we have. That is why we must celebrate it.
It will be insightful, it will be thought-provoking, it will be bridge-building.
Did you know that Brobyggerne has its very own podcast: *Den Anden Stol*?
Over the course of five episodes, people on opposite sides of the nature and environment debate will come together for a dialogue about their disagreements and differences. In one of the episodes, for example, you can find out what a politician thinks when they walk past young people on a hunger strike, or what a climate activist thinks of the Green Tripartite?
The concept behind the podcast is simple: Two people with vastly different views and values come together for a conversation, with Özlem serving as the moderator.
The goal is for them to try to see things from the other person’s perspective. In other words, they try to describe what the world looks like to the other person. This is a technique we use in the Bridge Builders’ training, but it is also used in talk therapy.
When it works, it can be reconciling to hear oneself accurately portrayed by someone with whom one disagrees. As a listener, it will be interesting and surprising to hear two parties whose views are far apart take the other’s perspective.
You can listen to *Den Anden Stol* wherever you usually listen to podcasts. You can also listen to it on our website via this link.
The podcast is part of Brobyggerne’s “Grøn Dialogkaffe” project. The project is supported by Forenet Kredit, the 15 June Foundation, and Østifterne.
Speech at Özlem’s 50th birthday reception on May 7, 2026
Dear Özlem – my love!
Thank you for letting me come and say a few words.
I got to know you when you had just been elected to the Folketing for the Socialist People’s Party.
In his speech earlier this evening, Mogens Lykketoft referred to the seriousness, honesty, and transparency you embodied when, in 2012, the SF had to support certain political decisions in which I myself did not actively participate.
I was just down in Brazil with my daughter, following everything from afar and making a few phone calls.
And one, two, four—before you knew it, the SRSF government had implemented significant tax cuts, which you took a bit of a swipe at. You said so out loud, very loudly in fact.
And of course, it’s a nightmare for a party leader to have people like that—people who stand up for what they believe in and stick to their guns. On the other hand, it’s also a testament to the incredible personal integrity you possess, and I’d like to commend you for that.
You’ve carried that integrity with you.
Even though you haven’t been in the Folketing quite as long as Mogens Lykketoft and I have, you’ve made a lasting impact.
For example, when you walk into the conference room and see this painting of notable women in Danish politics, in which you are, of course, portrayed.
That makes a lot of sense.
In many ways, I actually think it makes even more sense now that you’ve left Christiansborg. Because you’ve taken your integrity with you, and you’ve made it your life’s mission to build bridges where others dig trenches.
And if there’s one thing the world and Denmark needs, it’s bridge-builders—people who insist on dialogue and conversation. That’s what you’ve done, and you’ve been incredibly successful at it.
It may have started primarily with immigration policy, where I think you and I share the view that many nuances are being lost; it’s becoming too black-and-white.
We need to have a dialogue where we don’t judge people solely on the basis of their skin color or religion, but where we see the person behind it all.
You’ve done that, but you’ve also taken it a step further: My most recent experience with you was during the election campaign, when the focus was on the Danish Realm and Greenland.
You have brought the methods you have developed—and which I believe you sensed were also needed at Christiansborg—out into society. We really need that, and for that, we all owe you a huge thank you.
So I have the utmost respect for you, and I’m incredibly proud to have been invited and asked to say a few words. It makes me happy.
I'm older than you, and it probably took me a little longer than it did you to realize that black-and-white thinking doesn't work.
The world is full of color, and dialogue is needed.
I probably won't ever actually subscribe to that "dialogue coffee," because I prefer "dialogue wine," but that's just my personal opinion.
It is disturbing how politicians use their social media accounts as platforms for prejudiced memes: We see this, for example, with the Red-Green Alliance when they refer to the upper class as the “whining class,” with the Social Liberals when they caricature party leaders as Letterboxd reviewers, or when the Danish People’s Party compares the foreign minister to a camel.
As part of the Prejudice Breakers, which is part of the Bridge Builders – Center for Dialogue Coffee, we view it as a democratic problem that this election campaign has largely turned into a contest to mock one another as much as possible.
The politicians’ rhetoric rubs off on the public, and we young people in particular get the impression that politics and debate are about reducing people to a single stance and failing to see the person behind it. It is an aggressive form of humor that divides and creates more distance than it brings people together.
As prejudice-busters, part of our work involves visiting the people we hold prejudices against and, through our encounters with them, refining our perspective.
For example, we have visited Lars Løkke Rasmussen, a Quran-burner, Jair Melchior, and the Vestegnen Police District. Here, among other things, we learned how important the temporal aspect is. For what stands out most after these visits is that it takes time to meet a person and to break away from the prejudices we hold.
That is why it may seem strange that politicians use the election campaign to stoke as many prejudices as possible in as short a time as possible. It can take years to break down prejudices, but apparently only a month to create them—a month in which anything goes.
We speak from experience when we say how difficult it is—and how long it actually takes—to approach a new person as open-mindedly as possible. We ourselves come from vastly different backgrounds: We are Muslims, we are atheists, we are Christians, we are from Taastrupgaard, and we are from Østerbro. In meeting one another, we learned that we have more in common than meets the eye—work, school, and family—but only because we approached this meeting with curiosity. A curiosity we bring with us when, for example, we meet people like the author, practicing Muslim, and gay man Elias Sadaq for a Ramadan dinner: Who is the person behind the labels?
We therefore believe that the overall tone of the election campaign has become a cautionary tale of how we speak to one another. A good example is the tone of the immigration debate: For instance, when Mads Strange of the Liberal Alliance criticizes the fact that Muslims are free to broadcast loud calls to prayer, even though it appears there is no concrete basis for this. It took him four minutes to make the video, which garnered over half a million views. Four minutes to spread a prejudice to over half a million people. Mads Strange argues that this is far easier than talking to people in person. But perhaps we should focus on quality rather than quantity? It’s time we took open-minded and curious conversation seriously. It’s naive to believe that the rhetoric of the election campaign doesn’t affect everyday life afterward.
by Alberte Amundsen, Elias Kadim, Fatmanur Demir, Marius Holtze, the Prejudice Breakers, the Bridge Builders – Center for Dialogkaffe
Come join us, all you Bridge Builders, and sing in democracy!
We’re celebrating democracy in style with two events during Constitution Week—in Odense and in Copenhagen. Because democracy isn’t just something we have. It’s something we do.
We often talk about democracy as a form of government, a system, or a tradition—something stable and taken for granted. But in reality, democracy only thrives if we make use of it—if we dare to take a stand, speak our minds, and stay engaged in the conversation, even when it’s difficult.
Come and SING FOR DEMOCRACY whenMP Trine Bramsen (S)andMPKatrine Daugaard (LA) performin collaboration with the Music Library in Odense on June 3.
On June 8 in Copenhagen, two former ministers of culture, Jytte Hilden (S) and Bertel Haarder (V), will join us for an afternoon dedicated to communal singing and reflection.Özlem Cekic, Secretary General of Brobyggerne, will lead the event. Through short presentations, songs, and shared reflection, we will focus on a central question:
Democracy requires taking an active stand and personal courage. Democracy is something we do—not just something we have. So what does it take for us, as human beings, to keep democracy alive?
We look forward to an afternoon of fellowship, reflection, beautiful singing, and plenty of conversation about the democratic responsibility we all share.
Odense: Wednesday, June 3, 4:30–5:30 p.m. The Music Library, Østre Stationsvej 15, ground floor, 5000 Odense C. Sign up here.
Copenhagen: Monday, June 8, 4:00–5:30 p.m. KVUC, Vognmagergade 8, 1120 Copenhagen.Sign up here.
The doors open 15 minutes before the program starts. Registration is open, so please sign up now so we know how much coffee to brew.
The Workers' Museum (Rømersgade 22, 1362 Copenhagen K) 7–9 p.m. Ticket price: DKK 125.
What does it mean to be subjected to torture, and not least to survive torture?
We will try to learn more about this on Thursday, January 15, 2026. In collaboration with the IRCT (International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims), we are holding an event to shed light on the phenomenon of war at a deeper level than news headlines. Behind and in the midst of every war and conflict are people who make decisions and people who must live with the consequences of those decisions.
The event is our attempt to put a face to decision-makers and hand over – supplemented by experts in the field.
The hope is that we can become wiser about the political considerations surrounding war—but in particular, that we can become wiser about the reality in which so many of our fellow human beings live.
Because even though wars change form, the consequences remain the same; it is still real people who are left behind with the very real consequences of war on both body and soul.
In addition to presentations by torture survivors and experts, the evening will feature a conversation with former foreign ministers Mogens Lykketoft and Martin Lidegaard, Paula Larrins.
How can we talk constructively with each other about climate, the environment, and nature when we have different and sometimes conflicting attitudes and interests?
With the Green Dialogue Coffee project, we have in recent years created dialogue meetings on nature, climate, and environmental issues across the country. Now we are taking the next step and launching a new online learning universe that will make these experiences available to even more people.
The new online universe has been developed as an interactive learning space where users can explore some of the most controversial green disagreements in Denmark. The focus here is on nuances, dilemmas, and different perspectives rather than quick answers and sharp fronts.
A key element is an interactive map of Denmark featuring cases from almost every part of the country. The map is based on specific conflicts and disagreements about nature, climate, and the environment, such as wolves, bottom trawling, wild boar fencing, and CO2 storage, where each case provides insight into the values and interests that clash.
The universe also contains dialogue exercises, reflection questions, videos, and articles that can be used by educators, young people, organizations, and other curious minds. The content has been developed with a focus on learning, active participation, and democratic education, and can be used both individually and collectively.
The universe will be continuously expanded with new content so that the platform always reflects the needs, experiences, and dilemmas we encounter in our work with Green Dialogue Coffee around Denmark.
With the new online universe, we want to give more people access to the dialogue tools we have developed and tested through Green Dialogue Coffee, thereby contributing to a more nuanced and less polarized conversation about the green transition.
We invite you to explore the platform, try out the exercises, and share the universe with others who also want to strengthen the dialogue on the green agenda.
You can explore the universe and learn more about Green Dialogue Coffee at this link.
