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By SNF Dialogues
The aim, above all, is to open the conversation to everyone.
With offerings throughout the week, the SNF Dialogues Initiative returns to SNF Nostos in 2026 to explore, experiment, and cultivate—as always—creative public dialogue that transcends geographic, social, and cultural boundaries. The aim, above all, is to open the conversation to everyone.
From experimenting with formats like a “fishbowl” conversation held in collaboration with the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University, to spotlighting the “Dialoguers” (the experts who have taken part in past SNF Dialogues discussions and form an integral part of its community), the SNF Dialogues will play a central role in this year’s SNF Nostos Conference.
From Monday to Thursday, a four-part talk series unfolds, featuring distinguished speakers from past SNF Dialogues who share their knowledge, perspectives, and experiences. Following these Dialoguer-led talks, on Friday the SNF Dialogues will explore a new discussion format.
Monday
On Monday, Gerasimos Papanastasatos takes the stage to explore how modern consumer culture blurs the line between fleeting desires and real needs, keeping us in a constant cycle of dissatisfaction. The talk examines how this mindset shapes our choices, relationships, and well-being, and why questioning it is essential to living more consciously.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, things take a funny turn as Katerina Vrana, a renowned comedian, brings humor into focus while reflecting on health. She ultimately asks the question: Are there limits to what we can laugh about? And is humor the best medicine?
Wednesday
On Wednesday, Alex Krasodomski-Jones looks at how evolving communication technologies from letters to artificial intelligence have transformed not only how we share information, but what it means. The discussion probes the widening gap between information and understanding, asking why greater connectivity so often leads to greater confusion.
Thursday
On Thursday, the series concludes with Phoebe Koundouri, Chief Scientist of the 2027 United Nations Global Sustainable Development Report, who addresses the future of our environment amid an escalating global polycrisis. Bringing together challenges such as climate change, inequality, and resource insecurity, the talk highlights the need for integrated, data-driven solutions to build sustainable and resilient systems.
Friday
Following these Dialoguer-led talks, the SNF Dialogues will explore a new discussion format. On Friday, aka the Core of the Conference Day, they are partnering with the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University to present a large-scale, interactive, and intergenerational fishbowl conversation on the concept of ethos, introduced by SNF Dialogues Initiative Executive Director Anna Kynthia Bousdoukou. Is ethos still relevant today? Does it shape how we build and participate in society? Featuring, among others, members of the Nostos Youth Advisory Committee, this dialogue invites the audience to actively engage in imagining the future.
More activations will be announced soon.
The SNF Dialogues initiative was launched by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) in 2017. What began as a series of monthly discussions has evolved into a dynamic multimedia platform, featuring opinion pieces, videos, podcasts, and research across a wide range of topics, connecting expert insight with public discourse. SNF Dialogues is curated and moderated by Anna Kynthia Bousdoukou and is held through the journalism nonprofit iMEdD (incubator for Media Education and Development).
