Reset Dialogues on Civilizations

Reset-Dialogues on Civilizations (ResetDoC) is an organization based in Rome focusing on cross-cultural and international relations, cultural and religious pluralism, the advancement of human rights and the evolution of democracy in conditions of cultural diversity. The goal of the organization is to promote cross-cultural understanding and cooperation and to counter the opposing trends of racism, ethnic nationalism and religious fanaticism – through research, seminars, conferences and publications. The distinguishing feature of ResetDoC meetings is their ability to bring together prominent senior scholars from widely different cultures and perspectives in an atmosphere of respectful, open dialogue. These meetings provide a unique environment for important thinkers who might have read each other’s works but never had a chance to meet and build real relationships away from press and politics and other local pressures.

Believing that the respectful back-and-forth of real conversation is a powerful source of understanding and new insights, the NOMIS Foundation provides funding for a number of ResetDoC’s activities, including: the Istanbul Seminars, an international forum on political theory, which has been creating bridges of dialogue between East and West since 2008; and the Venice-Delhi Seminars, which explore the relationship between democracy and pluralism. NOMIS also supports research projects focusing on democracies that have been experiencing ethno-religious tension and conflict since 2010 and several other research projects that explore topics such as evolving democracies, religion and violence, and migration.

The ResetDoC Scientific Committee is chaired by Seyla Benhabib.