(Dis)agree

What happens when a city can’t seem to agree? Brussels has 19 municipalities, two official languages, and 1.26 million residents. A 2024 survey identified 104 languages spoken there. On our streets, in our offices, in our kitchens, and on our screens, disagreements have become harder to ignore.

Brussels is divided. It has a long tradition of building bridges across its divisions. A café in Saint-Josse, a workshop by the canal, and a meeting room in the European Quarter all serve the same purpose: they help people who don’t see eye to eye spend the day together.

Science advances through disagreement, just as good design, honest journalism, effective teams, and any city that’s a great place to live do. (Dis)agree explores how polarization affects our relationships, our societies, and our ability to act together—and what we can do when we disagree.

The evening is divided into four parts. The first explores what makes disagreement so difficult: the brain, emotions, identity, trust, and algorithms. The second moves on to real-life situations in families, businesses, neighborhoods, and institutions. The third part asks whether we should even try to reach agreement. The fourth part shows what people are already building without agreement: new forms of cooperation, public spaces, organizations, and citizen-led projects designed to allow disagreements to coexist.

Some talks will challenge the ideas presented by others before them. You’ll hear several answers and leave with your own.