Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict
Introduction:
What should one know about a setting in which one is about to
intervene? Mark Gerzon, an accomplished facilitator, talks about the importance of knowing the symbols and
structures that give actors power in the context of a series of retreats
designed for U.S. House Representatives in Washington intended to change the way
Representatives treated each other.
This rough transcript provides a text alternative to audio. We apologize for occasional errors and unintelligible sections (which are marked with ???).
Planning and Assessing the Situation
Mark Gerzon
Private facilitator, Mediator, Trainer, Author and key organizer of the Congressional Civility Retreats
Learn about the symbols and structures that give things power in
Capitol Hill and make sure the retreat process, this third side process, this
conflict resolution process, has those symbols and those structures and those
resources. If you don't have the symbols and the structures and the resources,
you'll get overpowered by the people who do. So if they have staff and committee
and they have money, and rooms, but you don't have staff or committee or money
or rooms you can have an idea about who's time has come, but you're idea has no
place to hang its hat, so make sure you have the tangible resources you need.
The story of the human race is characterized by efforts to get along much more than by violent disputes, although it's the latter that make the history books. Violence is actually exceptional. The human race has survived because of cooperation. -- Gerard Vanderhaar
Featured Links Organizations Making Noteworthy Contributions to Efforts to Promote More Constructive Conflict Association for Conflict Resolution
Other Resources from Beyond Intractability Preventive Diplomacy and International Violence Prevention "The concept and practice of violence prevention have evolved from being focused almost exclusively on the short-term interventions of preventive diplomacy, to a new, more comprehensive approach that can be defined as structural prevention and includes long-term initiatives targeting the root causes of conflict."
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
