Costs & Benefits

Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict

Costs & Benefits

	Costs and Benefits of Intractable Conflict The costs of conflict can be very high: death, destruction, humiliation, anger, fear, illness, depression, absenteeism... the list goes on and on. However, conflict, if conducted constructively, can also have benefits.
	Costs of Conflict It can easily be argued that the twentieth century was the deadliest in all of human history. These essays discuss the human, economic, social, and political costs of intractable conflict.
	Benefits of Conflict Conflict is change. Without it, attitudes, behavior, and relationships stay the same, regardless of whether they are fair. Although conflict is often understood as something negative, this essay explores its many benefits.

In separateness lies the world's great misery; in compassion lies the world's true strength. -- Buddha

Featured Links
Organizations Making Noteworthy Contributions to Efforts to Promote More Constructive Conflict

OECD Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC)

Other Resources from
Beyond Intractability

A User's Guide for Third Siders
The Third Side concept was developed by William Ury. Third Siders are people who try to see both sides of a conflict and encourage cooperative solutions, fair fights, and decision making that advocates solutions which meet everyone's interests and needs as much as possible.

Nobel Peace Prize Winners

United Nations Peacekeeping Forces
1988 Nobel Peace Laureate

Beyond Intractability Version IV
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Project Acknowledgements

The Beyond Intractability Knowledge Base Project
Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess, Co-Directors and Editors
c/o Conflict Information Consortium (Formerly Conflict Research Consortium), University of Colorado
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