Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict
Moral or Value Conflicts
Conflicts over values, morals, or worldviews can be exceptionally difficult to resolve, as these beliefs are very deeply-rooted and seldom, if ever, ammenable to negotiation. Several respondents talked about the difficulty presented by this kind of conflict, while others talked about constructive ways of approaching such non-negotiable issues.
The Challenge of Deep-Rooted Moral Differences
Jayne Docherty suggests that resolving conflicts among parties with fundamentally different world views is extremely difficult.
Richard Rubenstein suggests that religious identity plays a special role in both the expression of conflict and its resolution.
Jayne Docherty suggests in order to deal with extremism one must understand its underlying causes and the mechanisms that support it.
Richard Rubenstein talks about common misconceptions associated with terrorism.
Responding to Deep-Rooted Moral Differences
Morton Deutsch explains how listening to the other can actually allow people to see that "non-negotiable" differences can actually be resolved in a mutually satisfactory way.
To mediate or not to mediate: that is the question, says Marcia Cambell, when approaching worldview or value conflicts.
Morton Deutsch, a founding father of the conflict resolution field, discusses how parties can come to negotiate "non-negotiable issues."
This rough transcript provides a text alternative to audio. We apologize for occasional errors and unintelligible sections (which are marked with ???).
An act of love, a voluntary taking on oneself of some of the pain of the world, increases the courage and love and hope of all. -- Dorothy Day
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
Emily Green Balch Former International President of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and 1946 Nobel Peace Laureate
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
