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

Introduction: Carolyn Stephenson, a University of Hawai'i peace researcher who had a Fullbright Grant to work in Cyprus, had lot of of trouble doing Track II work there because the Track I work was on a different timeline. Here she discusses the important of parallel time lines.

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Parallel Time Lines Between Track I and Track II Diplomacy
Carolyn Stephenson
Professor of Population Studies, College of Social Sciences, University of Hawai'i

Interviewed by
Julian Portilla
2003

I suppose that the main thing that I've learned on Track II is this question of making sure that you have parallel time lines between Track I and Track II diplomacy.

If there's a mis-fit in time then something that has gotten momentum on one, hasn't gotten momentum on the other and that can be in either direction. It can be as I've talked about with the Track I negotiations stopping the Track II negotiations or it can be the Track I leading to the Track II or the Track II negotiations developing a momentum in the mid-1990s in Cyprus, tremendous Track II both from outside and from inside on a wide variety of subjects which then became so threatening to the efforts to keep the two parts of Cyprus apart that everything was shut down. Before it did that, it led to immense improvement in relations on a ground level. So the timing and the synchronizations of Track I and Track II is absolutely critical.

The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. -- Steve Biko

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