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

Escalation-Limiting Language When people are in conflict, they often say things that inflame the conflict more than they intended to. Two project participants, Suzanne Ghais and Roy Lewicki, talk about ways such inadvertent escalation can be avoided by using language carefully.
	Suzanne Ghais talks about ways to help parties to discuss the past without getting caught up cycles of blame.
	What's an "extremist?" Roy Lewicki discusses how language can make a conflict better or worse.
	Calling the other side names contributes to hostility between the sides, as described here by Roy Lewicki in an environmental case.

This rough transcript provides a text alternative to audio. We apologize for occasional errors and unintelligible sections (which are marked with ???).

We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace. -- Gladstone

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

The International Peace and Cooperation Center

Other Resources from
Beyond Intractability

Interview With Mari Fitzduff
A leading peacebuilder from Northern Ireland, Mari talks about her work around the world transforming religious and ethnic conflicts.

Nobel Peace Prize Winners

David Trimble
Former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, and 1998 Nobel Peace Laureate

Beyond Intractability Version IV
Copyright © 2003-2007 The Beyond Intractability Project
Beyond Intractability is a Registered Trademark of the University of Colorado
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
Campus Box 580, Boulder, CO 80309
Phone: (303) 492-1635; Fax: (303) 492-2154; Contact