Give the silent center a voice

'First listen, then interpret and only then act.' That is the motto of Aart Paardekooper. His mission? Connecting governments and residents. Not only listening to the “usual suspects”, but also seeking the silent middle. On Tuesday 20 May 2025, Babbage is organizing the event 'The Power of Participation & Communication', especially for communication professionals within the (semi) government. An inspiring day, where we zoom in on participation in all its facets. Read more about the plenary session with Aart here.

Plenary Session – Give the Silent Middle a Voice

The tip of the iceberg. That is what we see at customer contact centers, in the media and on social media. People with a strong opinion. But for a balanced picture, you want to know what the entire environment looks like. How do you get to the silent middle? How do you ask the right questions to get those opinions out? Aart takes you through involving the silent middle with the right questions. And we are going to get started on that!

Do you want to learn to ask the right questions during research? And prior to monitoring and analysis? In this plenary session, you will learn to ask questions from a residents' perspective together with Aart. This way, you will also let the silent middle be heard.

About the speaker

Aart Paardekooper indicates what lives in the community, guides teams in the 'Communicating with focus' methodology and is a communication strategist. He is the founder and director of Pro Public Publieksonderzoek. His mission is to connect governments and residents. He likes to work together on a responsive government. He researches the image of governments and administrators, makes online analyses and researches the 'silent middle'.

Don't want to miss this session by Aart? Then come to The Power of Participation & Communication on Tuesday 20 May 2025!

Program The Power of Participation & Communication