How do you build bridges – as an organization and as a person?

Come and join us for an inspiring mini-conference on the work and experiences of the Bridge Builders!

We are celebrating the conclusion of an exciting research collaboration between Brobyggerne and Aalborg University, which has been following us closely since May 2024 and investigating how our work makes a difference.

Hear about the methods we use to build bridges between people, how we make a difference, and the challenges and opportunities we face when working to strengthen dialogue—even where disagreements and differences are greatest.

Date: June 3, 4-6 p.m.
Location: Aalborg University, A.C. Meyersvænge 15, 2450 Copenhagen SV

You can look forward to presentations from Secretary General Özlem Cekic, Associate Professor and Project Manager Camilla Dindler, and several of our passionate prejudice breakers. And as always, as a guest, you will not just be a spectator—you will also be an active part of the day.

We will round off with summer refreshments and hope to see you—and many other bridge builders—for an afternoon of insights, dialogue, and community.

Sign up for free!

Henrik Vestergaard Stokholm, principal at Niels Steensens Gymnasium and board member of Brobyggerne, has published the book "It's not young people who are the problem, it's society – A principal's appeal!"

Henrik's book can safely be called a manifesto. In it, he argues that it is not young people who are the problem, but rather the framework that we adults have created for them. A world characterized by high expectations, pressure, and constant digital presence, as well as a school system whose management has been taken over by the Ministry of Finance's accounting models.

Henrik became known as the 'Principal from Nyborg Gymnasium' after he insisted on allowing two expelled Somali girls to remain at the school while their cases were being processed. He insists on looking after his students, but nevertheless faces considerable criticism and violent threats. He believes that we all have a place in the community, despite our individual challenges.

Join the conversation on May 27 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost DKK 100.

Buy your ticket here!

For 130 years, Danish companies have been extracting unique minerals from Greenland's subsoil. If you ask Trump's security advisor why the US is so keen to acquire Greenland, the answer is: "It's about critical minerals."

Greenland faces a crucial choice: Should the country's rich natural resources—rare earth elements and fossil fuels—be exploited to generate economic growth and free Greenland from Denmark's block grants? Should fishing and tourism be ramped up? Or should it fight to preserve Greenland's unique nature, climate, and traditional way of life—even if that means less growth and prosperity?

At Green Dialogue Coffee on May 8, we will examine the balance between economic growth and nature in relation to Greenland and the green transition. We will delve into the nuances and dilemmas and try to make an effort to see the world from different perspectives—even when they sometimes conflict with each other.

Come and be part of the dialogue for an evening featuring expert presentations, panel discussions, musical interludes, and dialogue exercises in the auditorium.

Program
5:00 p.m. Welcome by Özlem Cekic, Secretary General of Brobyggerne
5:10 p.m. Presentation by Anne Merrild, Professor and Head of Department, Department of Sustainability and Planning, AAU
5:30 p.m. Panel discussion: Mining
Aaja Chemnitz, Member of Parliament, Inuit Ataqatigiit
Parnuna Egede Dahl, Special Advisor, Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat
18:00 Dialogue exercise
18:10 Panel discussion: Tourism
Jacob Fjalland, Director of Innovation, WWF World Wildlife Fund
Søren Rasmussen, Owner, Albatros Travel
Malik Hegelund Olsen, Chairman of the Board, Air Greenland
18:40 Musical interlude by Inuanima
19:00 Thank you for tonight

Read more here and sign up for free!

Green Dialogue Coffee is supported by the June 15 Fund, Forenet Kredit, and Østifterne.

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.

Become part of the community – support Brobyggerne!

Do you think our work for dialogue and community is important?

Become a supporting member for just $1.20 a month and help build stronger communities. If you can, you can also choose to support us with a higher amount.

Are you already a member?

So help us spread the word—maybe you know someone who would like to join us!

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

1. Election of conductor
2. Selection of rapporteur
3. The board's report on the association's activities over the past year is presented.
4. Approval of accounts
5. Setting of quota
6. Proposals received
7. Election to the board and/or alternates
8. Choosing an auditor
9. 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.

We look forward to seeing you!

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.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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.