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

Process Frames
Competitive vs. Cooperative Approaches to Conflict
	Morton Deutsch explains one of his basic principles of conflict resolution: how to get people to approach a conflict cooperatively rather than competitively.
Framing Differences
	Suzanne Ghais suggests that language plays a role in the way parties approach mediation.
	Leo Smyth talks about how framing influences conflict assessment.
	Susan Dearborn talks about how metaphors can hinder productive discussion.
	Roy Lewicki describes the different ways parties to environmental conflict framed the situation, and how these frames influenced what happened.
Cultural Differences
	S.Y. Bowland talks about African American's lack of trust in the American justice system and its processes.
	Jayne Docherty of Eastern Mennonite University points to varying types of rationality to explain differences in the way parties frame conflict.
	Brazilian economist Olympio Barbanti talks about shortcomings of US conflict resolution models in the developing world.
	Leo Smyth recommends that mediators avoid imposing their preconceived notions about the goals of intervention.
	Sanda Kaufman observes that Westerners expect very quick results when it comes to conflicts and their resolution.
	Elise Boulding on getting in the disputants' frame of mind.
	Jayne Docherty of Eastern Mennonite University recommends that interveners engage in self-analysis exercises in order to better understand their own worldviews.
	S.Y. Bowland tells a story of confusion about what mediators do and what they do not do.

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

The people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of their act as violence; rather they though of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness. The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever committed. -- Gil Bailie

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

US Agency for International Development

Other Resources from
Beyond Intractability

CRInfo

Nobel Peace Prize Winners

Albert John Lutuli
Former President of the African National Congress in South Africa, and 1960 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