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

Polarization
	Laura Chasin suggests that that the degeneration of public discourse poses a threat to democracy.
	William Ury begins explaining his role in trying to prevent a civil war in Venezuela, where the country is extremely polarized between those who support the president and those who oppose him. Like many other countries, it is essentially a conflict between the "haves" and "have nots." Before Ury came in and introduced his notion of "the third side" or people "for the whole," there was no room for neutrals-people were forced to take a side.
	Terrence Lyons talks about the roles that diaspora populations can play both as spoilers and as dialogue participants.
	What's an "extremist?" Roy Lewicki discusses how language can make a conflict better or worse.
	Peter Coleman describes an abortion dialogue in which the parties came to respect each other and protect one another, but they were still very polarized on the abortion issue.

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

A leader who does not hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader. -- Golda Meir

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

International Relations and the Security Network (The Center for Security Studies)

Other Resources from
Beyond Intractability

Development and Conflict Theory
"Development should be understood as a process, not a product. Societies are always changing. Some improve, while others fail. Development theory aims at explaining both processes."

Nobel Peace Prize Winners

Ralph Bunche
Served as an acting mediator in Palestine in 1948 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950.

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
Campus Box 580, Boulder, CO 80309
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