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

Ground Rules Ground rules often allow constructive communication to take place when it had not been possible before.
/td>
	Laura Chasin recommends that the first phases of dialogue proceed in a highly structured fashion.
	Laura Chasin recommends that dialogue groups adopt concrete ground rules.
	Robert Stains talks about how he establishes groundrules for dialogue in very tense situations.
	Nancy Ferrell talks about re-establishing channels of communication during family mediation.
	Laura Chasin talks about how fostering an environment conducive to constructive conversation is central to the healing process.
	Nancy Ferrell says one job of a facilitator is to model good process so the clients eventually can handle things themselves.
	Community Relations Service Mediator Silke Hansen describes how it helps to level the playing field by helping community groups prepare for mediation.
	Community Relations Service Mediator Silke Hansen describes how she gets parties to sit down together before potentially violent demonstrations to work out the "rules of engagement." That usually prevents trouble before it starts.

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

Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. -- Thomas Edison

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

peace research institute frankfurt

Other Resources from
Beyond Intractability

Taming Intractable Conflicts
The trick for the mediator is identifying what conflicts it pays to become involved in, how to go about it, and when. Crocker et al. explore some limitations and pitfalls for mediators and go on to suggest how they may most effectively contribute at different stages of the conflict.

Nobel Peace Prize Winners

Amnesty International
Winner of the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize.

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