We live in a time where division and conflict characterize our everyday lives. But it is precisely in times like these that it is more important than ever to come together, meet, and create dialogue across differences. That is why we held another Ramadan dinner – this time in the banquet hall of Copenhagen City Hall. The evening was a beautiful celebration of our similarities – and not least our differences – with a delicious festive meal that brought together people from different backgrounds and beliefs. In fact, this year's Ramadan dinner can be called a historic event: it is the first time that a town hall in Denmark has hosted a Ramadan dinner. Copenhagen's mayor for employment and integration, Jens-Kristian Lütken, hosted the event together with Özlem Cekic. We are very proud of this. We also believe that it sends a strong signal about the need for tolerance and coexistence. The evening was everything we could have hoped for – and then some. We think the program and the pictures speak for themselves:
Program for the evening Welcome by Özlem Cekic and Jens-Kristian Lütken Stand-up comedy by Ray Samson Poetry reading by Haidar Ansari The buffet is open (food presented by Claus Meyer and Güler Yagci) Speech by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen Musical interlude by Silk Road Orchestra Thank you for tonight
THANK YOU toeveryone who came yesterday – and to everyone who supported the event. A special thank you goes to the Politiken Foundation and the Tuborg Foundation for their financial support of the event.
THANK YOUto all the performers who spent the evening creating a great atmosphere and making us wiser.
THANK YOU toCafé Mors Varme Hænder and Meyers for a thoroughly exquisite meal!
And last but not least: Thank you to Jens-Kristian Lütken, Mayor for Employment and Integration, for having the courage to insist on bridge-building. It has not been without political opposition.
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Best regards, Brobyggerne – Center for Dialogkaffe
Speech at Ramadan dinner at Copenhagen City Hall on March 19, 2025
THE SPOKEN WORD COUNTS
The first time I held a Ramadan dinner in the Danish Parliament in 2010, PET called to ask if extra security was needed, as the participants might cause trouble.
Some people even thought that you were circumcised on your way to dinner!
During the coronavirus pandemic, our virtual dinner was hacked by right-wing extremists, with over 1,000 guests witnessing a child being sexually abused.
There have been many amusing – and some less amusing – attempts over the years to prevent people from eating hummus together.
But when I look back, there is one word that characterizes the resistance to meeting across differences and despite disagreements: legitimization.
The mantra is that if you meet your opposite, you help to "legitimize" the other. Legitimize Islam. Legitimize headscarves. Legitimize Muslims.
I have never understood this kind of logic, even though I recognize that encountering someone who holds opposing views can really challenge one's tolerance. The prerequisite for a well-functioning democracy is that we can talk to each other – despite our differences. Because opponents are also fellow human beings. They are fellow citizens and fellow countrymen. They are neighbors, colleagues, volunteers, and friends.
The essence of the Ramadan dinner is to bring people together so that they can learn more about each other's beliefs, customs, and traditions. It is not an attempt to sneak my religion in through the back door or forcibly convert my guests along the way.
Therefore, I would like to reassure you. We have not put anything in the food. You will leave here exactly as you were and are – but perhaps with new acquaintances in your cell phone's address book.
The ticket to a Ramadan dinner is not consensus, but diversity. That is why we have sent out invitations to a wide range of people. All parties in the Danish Parliament have received invitations. Organizations and individuals who are traditionally more critical of Islam have also been invited.
And it is a great honor for us that so many different people have agreed to meet across differences.
For the same reason, you will not be seated with your partners or friends. You can rest assured that we have had a lot of fun with the seating plan at Brobyggerne. We have made every effort to seat you as diversely as possible. Jewish friends are seated with Muslim friends. Researchers are seated with practitioners. Actors with lawyers. Kurds with Turks. Greenlanders with Americans. I could go on.
But when I look out over the assembly, it is especially the guests sitting at three particular tables that I am particularly happy to see. It is you young people who have chosen to spend an evening in this company. Thank you for giving us adults hope for the future. It's great to have you here.
For us Muslims, Ramadan is a month of diversity, where we meet across boundaries, where there is freedom for difference, and where there is room for everyone – regardless of ethnic, religious, economic, and cultural background.
Ramadan is a month for reflection. It is a time to pause and consider whether you have hurt anyone along the way. It is a time for solidarity and a call to reach out to those who are less fortunate than yourself.
It is also a time when families and friends come together to deepen their faith, engage in their communities, and remind each other of the importance of compassion.
I think that all of us, regardless of our beliefs, can agree that it is always good to reflect on this.
And we would do well to reflect on the fact that minorities in Denmark actually contribute to creating a dynamic and diverse society. They have lived in Denmark for several generations. They represent countless ethnicities and have roots in many different parts of the world.
Many came in their time to try to create a better future for their children. My father was one of them. He came with the dream of saving money to buy 40 sheep and a house in the village. He worked hard like everyone else to realize his dream.
The first generation worked in factories, in agriculture, and in all the places where there was a shortage of labor. In this way, they helped build our Denmark.
Today, the new generation is active in all areas of society. They respond as police officers when there is unrest on the streets, they extinguish fires in our buildings as firefighters, and they keep us healthy as doctors, nurses, and dental hygienists. They are involved in cancer treatment research. They clean your computer of viruses and they clean our offices, care for our elderly, and raise our children in institutions. They are active in politics, in the media, and in finance. We are part of Denmark, and the vast majority proudly contribute to the community.
Tonight, we see only a small sample of these contributions. I would like to extend a special welcome to the minorities from many walks of life who have gathered here today.
Our Denmark is a country made up of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, Buddhists, Alevis, and atheists. And the purpose of tonight is to celebrate diversity.
Therefore, it is in the spirit of diversity and reflection that I welcome you to this iftar.
On Thursday, April 24, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,Brobyggerne will hold its general meeting at the Red Cross premises at Blegdamsvej 27, 2100 Copenhagen Ø.
We therefore invite all members to attend the general meeting.
To ensure that we have enough coffee for everyone, please register for the general meeting by clicking here, preferably by April 16 at the latest.
Agenda for the general meeting
Election of conductor
Selection of rapporteur
The board's report on the association's activities over the past year is presented.
Approval of accounts
Setting of quota
Proposals received
Election to the board and/or alternates
Choosing an auditor
Possibly
Proposals for consideration under item 6 and nominations for a board position under item 7 must be received by the chair no later than 14 days before the general meeting, cf. § 5.4 of the articles of association. Proposals can be sent to kathrine@brobyggerne.dk. You can read the association's articles of association here.
No later than seven days before the general meeting, we will send out all the material to be discussed at the general meeting via a newsletter. The material will also be available on our website.
Presentation by this year's award winner
We will end the day with an exciting presentation by this year's recipient of the Bent Melchior Award, Sarah Smed. Sarah Smed is the director of the Danish Welfare Museum in Svendborg and a passionate advocate. Read more here.
Approximately half an hour has been set aside for the presentation and half an hour for follow-up questions and dialogue.
Would you rather spend the fall working for an active NGO than sitting in a lecture hall? Are you interested in social issues, and do you see a need for greater democratic participation and better dialogue between population groups? Would you like to gain experience with NGO work in methodology, planning, and project work? Then you might be our new academic intern.
Brobyggerne was established to strengthen dialogue and democratic discourse in Denmark. We initiate projects and develop tools that strengthen dialogue and thus democracy, both among individuals and in organizations and institutions. You can read more about us at www.brobyggerne.dk.
As an intern with us, you will gain experience as an academic employee in a rapidly developing NGO. You will be part of a small but ambitious team consisting of five full-time employees and two student assistants. At the beginning of 2024, we launched Grøn Dialogkaffe (Green Dialogue Coffee), which you will be part of and help to shape and run. The project's target group is students at secondary schools. In addition, there will be various tasks related to Brobyggerne's other projects, such as Fordomsbryderne (Prejudice Breakers) and dialogue projects at primary school level.
Your tasks:
We want your tasks to reflect your interests and skills, but you will be working with, among other things:
Assist in planning and implementing project activities, e.g., courses and theme weeks
Contribute to project development and/or start-up of new sub-projects
Documentation of project activities and evaluation
Production of content for Brobyggerne's social media and website
Ad hoc tasks in the association – in everyday life, we help each other across the board in the office
We are looking for someone who:
Are enrolled in a relevant higher education program from which you have methodological qualifications
Either have experience with social media communication or want to learn about it
Looking for an internship where you can take responsibility and have an impact on your work
Terms and conditions for the internship:
The internship is 30-37 hours per week, starting on August 15 and continuing until the end of the semester. We will, of course, take into account your need to attend classes and write your internship report. Please note that the dates and length of the internship period are indicative and subject to change.
The internship meets the requirements for an ECTS-accredited internship.
Brobyggerne is an activist and visionary organization with over 10,000 members, where each individual contribution is of great importance to our association and working community. We love to discuss highly topical issues and laugh together, even when we are busy. We are based in central Copenhagen and share facilities with other cross-cultural organizations.
Application
Application deadline is June 1, 2025. We are conducting interviews on an ongoing basis, so please send your application right away. Send a short cover letter and CV to ansogning@brobyggerne.dk. Write "Project Intern" in the subject field.
If you have any questions, please contact Project Manager Kathrine Predstrup at kathrine@brobyggerne.dk or , tel. 2234 6838.
Every time we meet another person, our unconscious prejudices kick in. Based on our first impressions—a nose ring, a scarf, a hoodie, or a skullcap—we immediately invent a story about the person we are facing. But each of us has many layers and many stories.
That is why Brobyggerne and Jens-Kristian Lütken, Copenhagen's mayor for employment and integration, are jointly organizing a Ramadan dinner on March 19, where we invite people from different backgrounds, faith, education, and age to a festive event where there will be ample opportunity—across differences—to talk together and listen to each other's diverse stories.
The Banquet Hall at Copenhagen City Hall will be the setting for an evening of entertainment, much-needed dialogue, and, last but not least, a delicious festive meal.
The annual Ramadan dinner is intended for Muslims, Jews, Christians, and anyone else who wishes to come together in dialogue. In addition to a festive meal prepared by Claus Meyer in collaboration with Café Mors Varme Hænder, the evening will feature entertainment and speeches. Café Mors Varme Hænder is a commercial association supported by the social housing master plan in Tingbjerg and Husum.
Among those invited are civil society actors, politicians, and representatives from various religious communities, as well as artists and young people from Copenhagen.
The Ramadan dinner is a celebration of our similarities as well as our differences. Especially in turbulent and polarized times, it can be difficult to keep the dialogue alive. In the heat of battle, we risk losing sight of the other and reducing our fellow human beings to their opinions. The Ramadan dinner is a concrete step in the opposite direction. Our approach is that "where there is food, there is peace."
Program for the evening
5:30 p.m. Welcome by Özlem Cekic and Jens-Kristian Lütken
5:45 p.m. Stand-up comedy by Ray Samson
6:15 p.m. Poetry reading by Haidar Ansari
6:30 p.m. The buffet is open (the food will be presented by Claus Meyer and Güler Yagci)
19.10 Speech by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen
7:25 p.m. Musical performance by the Silk Road Orchestra
8:00 p.m. Thank you for tonight.
A BIG THANK YOU goes to the Politiken Foundation and the Tuborg Foundation for their financial support for Ramadan Dinner 2025. THANK YOU to Meyers and Mors Varme Hænder for providing their manpower & THANK YOU to everyone who agreed to take the stage and make the evening unforgettable.
Would you like to join Özlem Cekic and Jair Melchior as they kick off their lecture tour? It will take place on February 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Rysensteen Gymnasium in Copenhagen.
The occasion is the launch of their conversation book 'Despite Differences and Disagreements' (På trods af forskelle og uenigheder), which will be published by Gyldendal on February 4.
While unrest and conflicts between different ethnicities and religions threaten to divide society, friends Özlem Cekic and Jair Melchior insist on conversation – on dialogue. Together, they have made it their joint project to build bridges between people who represent seemingly irreconcilable positions.
This project has been severely challenged by the war in Gaza. The conflict has direct links to Denmark, where it has left serious marks on public discourse – and on our relationships with each other.
The book and lecture tell the story of two bridge builders who know what it means to have things rumbling and roaring around you. It is also the story of two friends who have experienced seeing everything that separates them. And then it is the story of how to find the way forward – despite differences and disagreements.
Rysensteen High School, Tuesday, January 28, 4:00–6:30 p.m.
The climate crisis calls for action – but also for dialogue, with the battle lines firmly drawn on the issue of the green transition. While politicians are entering into historic agreements on nature and agricultural transition, climate activists are staging hunger strikes in protest.
Join us when Brobyggerne invites you to Green Dialogue Coffee under the heading "Hunger Strike and Green Tripartite: Is there hope for green dialogue?" in the hope of strengthening dialogue, nuancing the debate, and counteracting polarization on the issue of agriculture and the green transition. The evening will feature expert presentations, panel discussions, and dialogue exercises in the hall.
4:00 p.m. Welcome by Özlem Cekic, Secretary General of Brobyggerne
4:10 PM Presentation by Jesper Theilgaard, author and meteorologist
4:30 p.m. Conversation between Jeppe Bruus, Minister for Green Tripartite Cooperation, and Selma De Montgomery, activist in the Green Youth Movement
5:00 p.m. Dialogue at the tables
5:30 p.m. Conversation with Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil (S), Member of Parliament, and Nikoline Borgermann, PhD in biochemistry and participant in Nødbremsen.
For many, Christmas is the time of year when they can relax in a safe environment and loving company.
For at least as many, however, it is also a time that tests both patience and tolerance.
Regardless of which category you belong to, Christmas is a reminder that the need for bridge-building is alive and well.
"The gift that builds bridges" was incredibly popular last year, so we are offering it again this year: We believe it fits into the uplifting category: a donation to Brobyggerne (Bridge Builders) so that we can continue our work for conversational democracy.
We will send you a digital thank-you card featuring a unique painting by Camilla Blachmann, created in support of our work. Read more here.
If you need to fill the space under the Christmas tree, I can also tell you that you can get a lot of good and educational moments out of the Bridge Builder game.
In March 2024, we launched our project, Green Dialogue Coffee. Over the next three years, we will use the project to strengthen the dialogue on the green transition and counteract polarization in the debate.
We have successfully held Green Dialogue Coffee events in Nyborg, Bjerringbro, and Aalborg.
Here, we brought together local actors from civil society, business, politics, and youth organizations to nuance the debate on local climate and environmental issues.
We are kicking off the new year with a round of Green Dialogue Coffee at Rysensteen Gymnasium in Copenhagen under the headingHunger Strike and Green Party: Is there hope for green dialogue? The program is being updated regularly, but you can already look forward to meeting activist Selma De Montgomery, politician Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, and PhD Nikoline Borgermann. As usual, I will be moderating the panel discussion.
It will take place on January 28, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Read more and register here – it's free! We hope to see you there.
Are you coming to the US lecture in Aarhus?
You probably already know this. I was in the US on a dialogue tour leading up to the fateful election that ended in a big victory for Trump.
During the trip, I tried to gain a better understanding of the polarization in the US and what we can learn from it here at home. I met with Trump and Harris voters, Latinos, women's rights activists, campaigners, dialogue experts, religious bridge builders, Danish-Americans, passionate advocates fighting fake news, university lecturers, and many others.
I have compiled all the stories and pictures into a lecture – and you are invited.
The event will take placeonJanuary 7, 2025, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Dokk1 in Aarhus.
I hope to see many of our friends and supporting members from Jutland! Buy your ticket here.
This is now the third time that we are commemorating Bent Melchior, the first chairman of Brobyggerne, by presenting an award in his name. It must be said that Bent's message of bridge building has become no less relevant when we look at the state of the world today.
It has only been a few days since I returned from my dialogue coffee trip to the US. As we all know, Donald Trump won the presidential election with the unequivocal support of a majority of Americans. It gives pause for thought that a campaign based so heavily on divisive messages and demonization of others could be so successful.
It has confirmed my belief that we must make an extra effort to hold on to what binds us together, rather than focusing on what divides us.
The award honors a passionate individual who, with perseverance and patience, makes an effort to step out onto the bridge and meet the other person – with openness, curiosity, and a critical stance.
This year's award winner is Sarah Smed, who is the museum director at the Danish Welfare Museum in Svendborg and an unparalleled driving force.
As former Bent Melchior Prize winner (2022) Henrik Vestergaard Stokholm said in his motivational speech:
“She has thrown herself into the fight for the weak and put herself on the line. She has insisted that we all must face the monster and recognize that everyone has a responsibility for the vulnerable and disadvantaged. That we can do much better. That we must treat vulnerable people with dignity, respect, and compassion, and give a voice to the forgotten and the timid. Not just in speeches like this, but every day when we encounter vulnerable people on our path.”
“I had to pinch myself to realize that I (!) am the recipient of this honorable award, named after such an important person – and from an association, an initiative, a way of thinking that inspires me so much – wow!”
This is how Sarah Smed began her acceptance speech, and as you can see in the photo below, there was no doubt that we were dealing with a surprised recipient of this year's Bent Melchior Award.
However, her speech, which you can read here , also offered what I think is a welcome and much-needed rebuke:
“Because when all is said and done, I have learned that ‘the others’, ‘the vulnerable’ – they are part of ‘us’. It can be so damn uncomfortable to think that it could happen to us too. That exclusion. […] So couldn't we instead make an effort to talk about 'us', about 'we' and much less about 'the others' and 'the vulnerable'? Because words leave their mark. And I believe that one of the cornerstones of a more dignified welfare effort is laid when we as a society become aware of the words we use. About their power. And about how they are experienced and felt by those at whom they are directed."
Special thanks to:
Moltke's Palace for providing such a distinguished venue for the event.
Frellsen for the cream puffs and coffee bags for our guests.
Our anonymous donors, who once again this year have been a great support to our work in planning and executing the awards ceremony.
The artists and panel participants for enriching us all with moving stories and reminding us of the importance of valuing those who are vulnerable.
My good friend, designer Søren Le Schmidt, for my beautiful dress.
Photographer Erling Brodersen for taking the beautiful pictures.
Bent Melchior always said: "If you feel that something needs to be done, don't say, 'Someone else will have to do it. ' You have to do it yourself! You have to make a difference." We couldn't have made that difference without your support. So thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
And if you are looking for some "Bent Melchior Prize atmosphere" at home, I may have something for you too. In our webshop, you can purchase one (or all) of our beautiful bridge-builder posters. If you're looking for something to immerse yourself in, you can buy Anders Jerichow's book Brobyggere (Bridge Builders). Özlem Cekic and Bent Melchior.
If you are looking for a Christmas gift, I can also say that the Bridge Builder game offers many enjoyable and educational moments.And speaking of enjoyable and educational moments, we think that a ticket to one (or all) of the Ethical Evenings in January would be a great gift to put under the Christmas tree.
Finally, I would like to thank you, dear reader, for faithfully following our work. It means more than you know that we have a platform through which we can communicate and which interacts with us to such a high degree.
Over the past two weeks, our Secretary General, Özlem Cekic, has been remarkably absentandpresent at the same time.
Even though she has been thousands of miles away from Denmark, she has had plenty to keep her busy. In the final stages of the US election campaign, she has visited West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore. At the time of writing, on this fateful US election day, she is right where all the action is: Washington, DC.
Perhaps you have been following Özlem's Facebook page and other social media and have read about her meeting with Shelby in Charleston, West Virginia, who works for Trump's campaign in the city. Or about the dialogue-coffees Özlem has hosted for Danish-Americans in various states. Perhaps you have read her comment in Politiken about the conditions for free abortion in the US – and what we can learn from this here at home.
Özlem has met Trump and Harris voters, Latinos, women's rights activists, Trump campaigners, dialogue experts, religious bridge builders, Danish-Americans, passionate advocates fighting fake news, university lecturers, and many others. Here, she has gained insight into how polarized American society is and what we can learn from this in Denmark.
Özlem has compiled all the stories and pictures into a lecture –and you are invited.
Copenhagen Date: Nov. 18, 2024, 7-9 p.m. Location: KVUC, Vognmagergade 8, 1120, Copenhagen Click here to buy tickets.
Aarhus Date: January 7, 2025, 7-9 p.m. Location: Dokk1, Hack Kampmanns Plads 2, 8000 Aarhus Click here to buy tickets.
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