zuhören draussen – listening outside is a sociocultural project in public spaces
about
us
zuhören draussen – listening outside is an initiative that connects citizens by listening to them in public spaces. Across all social classes, milieus, cultures and generations. With over 300 volunteers in 15 German cities, we are a civil society, non-profit organization based in Düsseldorf that takes a stand against loneliness and social division.
We give our time and an open ear to people who are seeking interaction and social contact. We do so independently of churches or political parties, with a friendly attitude and guaranteed confidentiality. We make time for encounters and are open to the stories, big and small, that people share with us. As volunteer listeners trained by experts, we are not motivated by commercial or religious interests. Instead, with zuhören draussen – listening outside, we are inspired by the idea of building bridges to combat exclusion, hatred, loneliness and division, and to nurture more exchange and more connection for a culture of dialogue.
our
vision
As zuhören draussen – listening outside, we dream of a society in which loneliness and social division are overcome and mindful listening creates a respectful and empathetic culture of conversation in public spaces. We are convinced that encounters with people who come from completely different backgrounds and who are outside our bubbles can promote social cohesion.
We believe that:
- People have a deep longing for genuine connection and belonging.
- The skill of listening contributes to greater openness and trust in our society.
- Diversity of opinion promotes a strong democracy.
That is why we are committed to making mindful listening a tangible experience—as the basis for an empathetic culture of conversation. Listening is the gateway to better coexistence, tolerance, and building trust. And it is the superpower of our democracy: against division, exclusion, and the escalation of conflicts.
our
mission
To achieve our vision, we are working on:
- Developing and offering low-threshold formats around good listening for different target groups: listening benches, listening rooms, and listening campaigns in public spaces.
- Working to establish listening as a skill by teaching it as valuable know-how. The goal is to train people to listen empathically in order to promote open and understanding communication—with a comprehensive training concept.
- Establishing listening as a movement for social cohesion—in public spaces and through effective partnerships.
- Delivering feedback to political and civil society leaders. The insights gained from our Zuhör.Aktionen (listening actions) are evaluated and fed back to political and civil society decision-makers.
- Highlighting alternatives for the culture of discussion in leading media – through our media work and partnerships.
Together, we create spaces where connections are formed, diversity is lived, and listening forms the basis for a better future.
What we do
Listening Training program
In July 2025, zuhören draussen – listening outside became the first listening initiative worldwide to be awarded the new Seal of Quality from the International Listening Association (ILA). The ILA is an interdisciplinary, global network of scientists dedicated to promoting effective listening through practice, research, and teaching. The seal recognizes our commitment to ethical, inclusive, and effective listening. We are particularly pleased that we have met the criteria for receiving the seal of quality—for example, in the training of volunteers, ethical standards, supervision, and active listening promotion.
How to get involved – Volunteer!
We dream of a society with less loneliness and social division. We believe that mindful listening creates a respectful and empathetic culture of conversation.
We want to build bridges against exclusion, hatred, loneliness, and division.
Is this your vision too? Do you want to play an active role as a listener? Then you’ve come to the right place!
Listening.Benches
Our listening.benches in public spaces invite people to strike up conversations with each other. They create spontaneous encounters and offer everyone a place where they can be listened to openly and respectfully. There are 16 listening.benches in Düsseldorf, spread across various districts, which were established in cooperation with local initiatives, stakeholders, and associations from the respective district councils. We are constantly growing: thanks to our initiative, there are now listening benches in 15 other German cities.
The Listening.App
Starting in Spring 2026, all project participants will have access to the listening.app. All city coordinators will be able to enter their listening.app appointments into an editorial system themselves, and the appointments will then be reflected in the app and on the website. Volunteers will be able to register for appointments independently via the listening.app and will be automatically reminded. City coordinators will also be able to manage their volunteers via the CRM of the listening.app, send reminders and notifications, and request evaluations of listening.appointments. Anyone interested in the cities will be able to register for listening.appointments and arrange to listen to others.