Abstract

The article highlights the importance of intercultural dialogue and the challenges posed to it by the relations of power. Based on the analysis of the crisis of “International Society for Universal Dialogue”, it shows that when a learned organization fails to live up to the democratic principles and carry out its declared purpose ‒ and instead falls prey to an internal power struggle ‒ then it disgraces the whole idea of dialogue. Analysis shows the gap between the pretensions of “universal dialogue” and the undemocratic monologic attitude of the parochial group controlling ISUD. Other organizations should learn the lessons from that so that they will be able to protect themselves from being seized by those who are interested in power and money. It is necessary to distinguish genuine dialogue from its fake, demagogical imitations and to defend dialogue as the norm of relationships among individuals with different cultural backgrounds.