Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict
Book and Article Summaries
Beyond Intractability provides short summaries of over 500 key books and articles. This file contains a complete listing of available books and articles. Shorter, categorized lists of books and articles are also available.
A Conversation On Peacemaking With Jimmy Carter National Institute for Dispute Resolution This is the transcription of a 1991 conversation between Jimmy Carter and James Laue. Topics of the discussion include the Camp David negotiations, the Middle East, the Carter Center, and some of Carter's general insights into peacemaking.
A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East David Fromkin Many of the current conflicts in the Middle East are largely a result of the haphazard way in which national boundaries were established after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Fromkin discusses the consequences of poor policies and weak intelligence on the part of the British as they reshaped the Middle East.
A Primer for Policy Analysis Edith Stokey and Richard Zeckhauser Public policy decisions can be viewed as economic decisions seeking maximum utility. That point of view allows analysts to apply economic theory to policy-making decisions. This book introduces such an approach, focusing primarily on difference equations.
Acceptable Risk Baruch Fischhoff, Sarah Lichtenstein, Paul Slovis, Stephen L. Derby, Ralph L. Keeney
After the TRC: Reflections on Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa Wilmot James and Linda van de Vijer Looking back at South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), this collection has two primary goals. First, it aims to provide an assessment of the TRC experience. Second, it asks where South Africa should go from here.
Another Way: Positive response to contemporary violence Adam Curle This book is not new, but its message is still very relevant. Curle argues that much of contemporary violence stems from psychological alienation. Political processes alone cannot end such violence; rather, a "widespread change of heart" is necessary. A model for a peacemaking approach to ending alienation is provided.
Apologia Politica: States and their Apologies by Proxy Girma Negash Negash examines state apology in depth, identifying the components necessary for a successful collective apology. He makes a particular distinction between apologies aimed at "mending" and apologies aimed at "healing."
At War's End : Building Peace After Civil Conflict Roland Paris Although liberal market-oriented democracies tend to be peaceful, the transition to such a system is often violent and destructive. The author argues that this is the result of a lack of institutionalized regulation of economic and political competition. He suggests that such regulation should precede democratization, in a process he calls "Institutionalization Before Liberalization."
Autonomy: Flexible Solutions to Ethnic Conflicts Ruth Lapidoth Autonomy is a means for diffusing political power in order to preserve the unity of a state, while also respecting the diversity of its population. Lapidoth analyzes the concept of autonomy and assesses its usefulness in the resolution of ethnic conflicts.
Beyond Machiavelli: Tools for Coping With Conflict Roger Fisher, Elizabeth Kopelman and Andrea Kupfer Schneider This book seeks to teach the general public how to effectively handle conflict. The authors introduce general conceptual frameworks and specific techniques, which aid individuals in transcending conflict.
Beyond Neutrality Bernard Mayer Beyond Neutrality is a critique of contemporary mediation. Mayer questions some of the basic values of mediation, chief among them neutrality. He argues that neutrality is neither possible nor, at times, preferable.
Beyond Retribution: Seeking Justice in the Shadows of War Rama Mani Establishing justice in post-conflict societies entails three inter-related principles: legal justice, rectifactory justice, and distributive justice. Mani examines each of these in turn.
Beyond the Hotline: How Crisis Control Can Prevent Nuclear War William Ury Ury discusses external factors that affect the internal decision-making process of our political leaders. He is particularly interested in the factors that contribute to "warped decision making," and he develops a system to mitigate such factors which, in the process, help to "prevent or control" the escalation of international crises.
Beyond Violence: Conflict Resolution Process in Northern Ireland Mari Fitzduff Tracing the conflict in Northern Ireland, Fitzduff suggests that multiple approaches to peace are necessary to the transformation of intractable conflict. She argues that change -- in even the most difficult conflicts -- is both possible and cumulative.
Beyond Winning Robert H. Mnoonkin, Scott R. Peppet and Andrew S. Tulumello Creating mutual value in a negotiation process leads to sustainable conflict resolution. Beyond Winning is a step-by-step guide to a problem-solving approach to legal negotiation aimed at creating mutual value.
Blood and Debt: War and the Nation-State in Latin America. Miguel Angel Centeno There is a distinct absence of interstate war in Latin America, despite the relatively oppressive nature of many of its governments. Centeno suggests this is largely the result of weak political institutions which are incapable of managing war and are more concerned with internal threats. The importance of historical circumstance and the fallibility of universally-applied Western development are highlighted.
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community Robert D. Putnam One of the pathbreaking books on social capital (social networks and their norms of reciprocity), this book explores contemporary American trends in social capital. In doing so, it examines social capital as a concept, as well as its importance, causes, and public policy implications.
Breaking the Impasse: Consensual Approaches to Resolving Public Disputes Lawrence Susskind and Jeffrey Cruikshank Consensus based on negotiated agreements may succeed in effectively resolving public disputes when traditional political approaches fail. Breaking the Impasse provides specific negotiation techniques and strategies to build consensus.
Bridges Not Walls John Stewart, ed. Communication is both a relational and an individual activity, which has a dramatic effect on the nature of conflict. Ways to avoid potentially devastating miscommunications and to engage in effective communication are discussed.
Bridging Cultural Conflicts: A New Approach for a Changing World Michelle LeBaron Michelle LeBaron gives disputants and third parties detailed guidance about the intersection between culture and conflict, and offers ways to better understand and negotiate cultural differences to enable constructive conflict resolution.
Bridging Troubled Waters: Conflict Resolution from the Heart Michelle LeBaron Rational analysis alone cannot resolve intractable conflicts; emotions are involved, too. Using techniques such as stories and metaphor, LeBaron illustrates the relational nature of conflict, as well as the creativity necessary to resolve it.
Building Peace John Paul Lederach This book argues that modern peacebuilding should focus on reconciliation and on rebuilding relationships. Especially important, Lederach argues are "middlemen" who can build relationships not only between groups, but between levels (grassroots, middle, and elite) of their own group. Peacebuilding must progress on all levels of society together, and it is these middlemen and women who can help bring this about, thereby stimulating conflict transformation.
Burying the Past: Making Peace and Doing Justice After Civil Conflict Nigel Biggar, ed. Post-conflict societies often have trouble dealing with their violent pasts. This book addresses the obligations of new governments, which act as the source of forgiveness and justice in the context of societies with a history of atrocities.
Can the Government Govern? John E. Chubb The ability of a government to effectively govern is not static. This book examines changes in the ability of the contemporary American government to govern, focusing on the role that institutions have played in the change.
Chain Reaction Thomas Byrne Edsall and Mary D. Edsall Race relations and taxes are important issues in contemporary western politics. This book examines the rise of the United States' Republican party in the 1980s and the ways in which race relations and taxes precipitated it.
Closing the Books: Transitional Justice in Historical Perspective Jon Elster Transitional justice varies along a scale, with pure legal justice and pure political justice constituting the poles. Closing the Books uses historical examples in an attempt to understand the sources of variation.
Collaborating: Finding Common Ground for Multiparty Problems Barbara Gray The need for and dynamics of collaboration are discussed, as are specific collaborative strategies and the difficulties likely to be encountered when implementing them.
Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations Terry Leap Collective Bargaining (i.e. unions) flattens the power relationship between employer and employee. This book reviews the history of collective bargaining in labor relations and discusses its future.
Comparative Peace Processes in Latin America Arnson, Cynthia J., ed. This collection of essays focuses on identifying the domestic and international factors that have contributed to the success (or failure) of peace processes in Latin America.
Conflict and Defense Kenneth Boulding A general theoretical model of conflict is developed, and the features unique to international, economic, industrial, and ideological conflicts are analyzed from both a sociological and an economic perspective.
Conflict Management: A Communication Skills Approach Deborah Borisoff and David Victor Irrespective of its content, communication can exacerbate conflict. Ways in which communication styles contribute to the escalation or resolution of conflict are discussed.
Conflict Resolution: Theory, Research, Practice James Schellenberg Conflict resolution is an eclectic field with a wide range of theories and practices. This book attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the field, using empirical examples to aid comprehension along the way.
Conflict, Cooperation, and Justice Barbara Benedict Bunker, Jeffery Rubin, and associates This book was written to honor Morton Deutsch by building on this groundbreaking theoretical work in the areas of conflict, cooperation and justice.
Conflict: Practices in Management, Settlement, and Resolution John Burton and Frank Dukes As conflicts vary, so should conflict management. This book describes several approaches to conflict management and matches them to various types of conflict.
Conflict: Readings in Management and Resolution John Burton and Frank Dukes, eds. This is a collection of essays intended to provide an introduction to, and overview of, the field of conflict resolution. The distinction between management (short term) and resolution (long term) is emphasized.
Conflict: Resolution and Provention John Burton Burton invented the term "provention" to avoid the negative connotations of containment associated with the term "prevention." Conflict: Resolution and Provention describes how conflict can be provented and resolved using a problem solving approach.
Conflicts over Resource Ownership: The Use of Public Policy by PrivateInterests Albert M. Church In the United States, resource ownership and control is shared among many private interests; and historical, social, judicial, legislative, and economic institutions manage these interests. This book explores the consequences of the resulting arrangements.
Confronting Past Human Rights Violations: Justice vs. Peace in Times of Transition Chandra Lekha Sriram Because pursuing justice risks destabilization as some actors are threatened with punishment, many argue that justice must be foregone in the interest of peace. Sriram rejects this argument, suggesting instead that the interaction between justice and peace is continuous and that justice need not be completely rejected in order to establish peace.
Constructive Conflict Management: Asia-Pacific Cases Fred E. Jandt and Paul B. Pedersen (eds.) This book presents case studies developed for a 1994 conference, which covered a variety of conflict types and resolution approaches. It sought to develop models of dispute resolution for the Asia-Pacific region that demonstrate the interrelationships between culture, conflict, and dispute resolution.
Constructive Conflicts: From Escalation to Resolution Louis Kriesberg Kriesberg seeks ways to limit the destruction associated with many conflicts. To do this, he draws both on empirical studies of how people have waged conflicts constructively or destructively, and and on contemporary conflict theory. He then develops a new comprehensive theory of conflict, focusing on the ways in which conflicts become destructive or constructive and what can be done to influence this outcome.
Cooperating for Peace: The Global Agenda for the 1990s and Beyond Gareth Evans Cooperating for Peace: The Global Agenda for the 1990s and Beyond analyzes contemporary security problems facing the international community and suggests a strategy for responding to such problems, emphasizing prevention, peacebuilding, and cooperative security.
Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice David Galula Counterinsurgency is, in essence, a political battle for legitimacy in the eyes of the public. Though written by a French military officer in 1964, this book remains one of the most respected and referenced texts on counterinsurgency warfare.
Culture and Negotiation Guy Oliver Faure and Jeffrey Z. Rubin (eds.) Culture and cultural differences can complicate negotiation efforts. The role of culture in international water resource disputes is examined.
Culture of Complaint: A Passionate Look into the Ailing Heart of America Robert Hughes Culture of Complaint analyses contemporary American culture and its affect on politics, academics, and art. In particular, it is concerned with the cultural imperative to complain and the limiting nature of political correctness.
Dealing with an Angry Public Lawrence Susskind and Patrick Field An angry public can undermine macro-level objectives of the state or large corporations. This book suggests a "mutual gains" approach, based on multiparty multi-issue negotiation, as the preferred technique to effectively handle the collective emotions of the public.
Dialogue, Conflict Resolution, and Change: Arab-Jewish Encounters in Israel Mohammed Abu-Nimer After an in-depth analysis of six Arab-Jewish encounter programs, the author concludes that such programs are not inherently positive in their effects. He further argues that these particular programs act as mechanisms of social control, replicating asymmetric power relationships using educational institutions.
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen Stone, Patton and Heen explore what makes some conversations difficult, why people avoid having difficult conversations, and why people often manage difficult conversations poorly. They also discuss when to âlet goâ of difficult issues and offer techniques for approaching difficult conversations positively, transforming them into âlearning conversations."
Dilemmas of Justice in Eastern Europe's Democratic Transitions Noel Calhoun Using the cases of East Germany, Poland, and Russia, Calhoun examines the role of liberal democratic ideas in shaping how countries confront past violations of human rights. Calhoun argues that liberal democratic ideology tends to produce truth and justice strategies, rather than violent retribution or collective amnesia.
Dispute Resolution Stephen Goldberg, Frank Sander and Nancy Rogers Dispute Resolution is a comprehensive introduction to dispute resolution processes. Negotiation, mediation, and arbitration and their applications are discussed, particularly within a legal context.
Ending Civil Wars: The Implementation of Peace Agreements Stephen John Stedman, Donald Rothchild, and Elizabeth M. Cousens In order for a peace agreement to lead to a sustainable peace, it must be effectively implemented. In Ending Civil Wars, the implementation process is explored and two keys to successful implementation are identified: understanding the uniqueness of each context and tailoring the implementation process to realistic expectations of international commitments.
Entrapment in Escalating Conflicts: A Social Psychological Analysis Joel Brockner and Jeffrey Rubin "Entrapment" is a social psychological process that leads individuals to escalate their commitment to a previously chosen -- though failing -- course of action in order to justify their prior investments. Entrapment can result from both external influences and internal processes. This book explains the problem and suggests ways in which it can be avoided.
Ethnic Conflict and International Relations Stephan Ryan Local political systems can either exacerbate ethnic rivalries or help to subdue them. Likewise, international politics can either intensify hostilities or help to calm them. This book examines political systems and policies (both locally and internationally) to determine which policies are better or worse at resolving ethnic tensions.
Exploring Nonviolent Alternatives Gene Sharp Nonviolent action withholds the assistance and cooperation necessary to exercise control over a population. Sharp discusses the techniques of nonviolent action and their implications for national defense.
Final Acts: A Guide to Preserving the Records of Truth Commissions Trudy Huskamp Peterson If a truth commission is to effectively serve the purpose of overcoming denial and providing an authoritative history, it must remain accessible well into the future. This means preserving physical records and making them readily accessible. These two activities are the focus of Final Acts.
For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future Herman E. Daly & John B. Cobb Jr. with contributions by Clifford W. Cobb Daly and Cobb challenge two assumptions of contemporary economic theory: the assumption that human wants are insatiable, and the assumption of the veracity of diminishing marginal utility. They go on to offer suggestions for how to de-emphasize market-based economics and re-emphasize the community.
Forceful Persuasion: Coercive Diplomacy as an Alternative to War Alexander George In coercive diplomacy, one backs one's demands with a credible and potent threat of punishment. George identifies key factors that influence the success of such tactics. He argues that while potentially less costly than military action, coercive diplomacy is only rarely a "high-confidence strategy."
Frame Reflection: Toward the Resolution of Intractable Policy Controversies Donald A. Schon and Martin Rein Reflecting on -- and thus questioning -- basic assumptions and values may lead to uncertainty. It has been argued that such uncertainty impairs the ability to act, and as such has no place in policy practice. Frame Reflection rejects this argument, pointing out that reflection could aid in shifting incongruent positions towards congruence and thus intractable conflicts towards resolution.
From Confrontation to Cooperation: Resolving Ethnic and Regional Conflict Jay Rothman Ethnicity is at the base of some of the most protracted contemporary conflicts (such as Israel-Palestine). This book attempts to provide the tools necessary to find integrative solutions to adversarial ethnic conflicts.
From Voting to Violence: Democratization and Nationalist Conflict Jack Snyder In countries making the transition to democracy, electoral competition can lead to extremist appeals and ultimately violence. Snyder reviews two possible explanations for this phenomenon.
Game, Set, Match: Winning the Negotiations Game Henry S. Kramer Kramer provides a practical guide to teach readers how to "win" negotiations -- to achieve their own goals through the negotiation process.
Getting Disputes Resolved Willian Ury, Jeanne Brett, and Stephen Goldberg A basic conceptual framework for dispute systems design is presented, along with a variety of lessons and examples for practitioners and a detailed case study.
Getting Past No: Negotiating With Difficult People William Ury Ury presents a five-step strategy for negotiating with an uncooperative, intransigent opponent and reminds us that the goal of negotiations is not to dominate or destroy the other side, but to win them over as partners in a shared problem-solving process.
Getting to Peace: Transforming Conflict at Home,at Work, and in the World William Ury Ury argues that peaceful coexistence is the norm rather than the exception, and presents the "third side perspective." The "third side perspective" takes the broader community into account and strives for solutions to conflicts that satisfy both the disputants and the wider community.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In Roger Fisher and William Ury In this seminal text, Ury and Fisher present four principles for effective negotiation, including: separating people from the problem, focusing on interests rather than positions, generating a variety of options before settling on an agreement, and insisting that the agreement be based on objective criteria. Three common obstacles to negotiation and ways to overcome them are also discussed.
Grasping the Nettle: Analyzing Cases of Intractable Conflict Chester A. Crocker, Fen Osler Hampson, and Pamela Aall, eds. Factors that contribute to conflict intractability, different types of intractable conflict, and ways to resolve intractable conflict are discussed.
Handbook of Conflict Resolution: The Analytical Problem-Solving Approach Christopher Mitchell and Michael Banks An analytical problem-solving approach considers conflict to be a resolvable problem, rather than an inevitable result of human interaction. This book acts as a procedural guide to the analytical problem-solving approach which focuses on identifying and supplying funadmental human needs.
Hidden Conflict in Organizations: Uncovering the Behind-the-Scenes Disputes Deborah M. Kolb and Jean M. Bartunek, eds. Hidden Conflicts in Organizations examines the informal processes of conflict resolution that take place within the structure of organizations, but outside the normative models of conflict resolution.
Human Security Report 2005: War and Peace in the 21st Century Human Security Centre This is the result of a University of British Columbia research project, which examined patterns of armed conflict, human rights abuses, and genocide around the world. It concludes that all forms of political violence (except terrorism) have been in dramatic decline since the end of the Cold War, largely as a result of intentional interventions by the UN.
Informal Justice Roger Matthews, ed. Informal Justice evaluates the promise and shortcomings of informal justice systems and explores the relationship between informal justice, formal justice, state power, and social control.
International Conflict Resolution After the Cold War Paul C. Stern and Daniel Druckman, eds. Compiled by the Committee on International Conflict Resolution (CICR), this book is an effort to advance the practice and theory of conflict resolution. It argues that changes in the geopolitical context since the end of the Cold War call for modification and refinement of past knowledge.
International Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice Edward Azar and John Burton, eds This book argues that violent conflict is not inevitable, and it presents the basic concepts of a problem-solving approach to conflict.
International Sanctions: Between Words and Wars in the Global System Peter Wallensteen and Carina Staibano, eds. This book, edited by Peter Wallensteen and Carina Staibano, examines the new challenges posed by the use of international sanctions in the context of increased post-Cold War UN activism and the appearance of new international actors. The refinement of the concept through the introduction of targeted sanctions -- rather than comprehensive ones -– has opened the way to new questions about their effectiveness, prerequisites, application, and conceptualization -- all of which are discussed in this book.
Internationalized Criminal Courts and Tribunals: Sierra Leone, East Timor, Kosovo, and Cambodia Cesare Romano, Andrâe Nollkaemper, and Jann K. Kleffner Internationalized courts emerge when the international community wants to take action, but not to the degree of setting up full-fledged tribunals. Using empirical examples, this book examines international courts, identifying their strengths and weaknesses.
Interpersonal Conflict Joyce Hocker and William Wilmot Factors contributing to interpersonal conflict are explored with a focus on communication behavior.
Intractable Conflicts and their Transformation Louis Kriesberg, Terrell Northrup and Stuart Thorson, eds. Seemingly inherent and essential aspects of a conflict might be context-specific. Thus, intractable conflicts may resist resolution, but under differing contextual circumstances might be resolved with relative ease. This collection of essays examines the sources of intractability and suggests ways to prevent and transform intractable conflicts.
Land Reform and Democratic Development Roy L. Prosterman and Jeffrey M. Riedinger Land reform is argued to be a necessary condition for democratic development. The authors analyze four models for such development: the family-farm model, the collective model, the populist model, and the incomes model (non-agricultural), concluding that the family-farm model is the preferred path to development.
Making Enemies: Humiliation and International Conflict Evelin Lindner This book highlights the critical role of humiliation in escalating and perpetuating destructive conflicts, arguing that humiliation is the "nuclear bomb of emotions." Ways to avoid it, and recover from it are also discussed.
Managing Global Chaos: Sources of and Responses to International Conflict Chester A. Crocker and Fen Osler Hampson with Pamela Aall Managing Global Chaos examines sources of post-Cold War international and intrastate conflict and the ability of the latter to spill over its boundaries and take on global significance. Ways to manage these conflicts are discussed, with a focus on the foreign policy of the United States.
Managing Interpersonal Conflict William A. Donohue and Robert Kolt This book aims to provide readers with a better understanding of their routine interpersonal conflicts. Donohue deals extensively with the negotiation process, as well as with third-party dispute resolution.
Mediating Dangerously: The Frontiers of Conflict Resolution Kenneth Cloke Revealing "one's authentic self" during mediation not only aids in solving the immediate conflict, but also begins a mutual learning process that reduces future conflict. Such a revelation, though beneficial, is often perceived to be "dangerous" and is hampered by both inner psychological limitations and external social structures. This book explores these limitations and suggests ways to transcend them.
Mediating Environmental Conflicts J. Walton Blackburn and Willa Marie Bruce, eds. The nature of environmental conflict is explored, and various approaches to its mediation examined.
Mediating Interpersonal Conflicts Mark S. Umbreit Umbreit examines contemporary uses of mediation to resolve interpersonal conflicts, and explores the healing potential of mediation.
Mediation of Environmental Disputes: A Source Book Scott Mernitz Mediation of environmental disputes is discussed from the perspective of several disciplines, including social psychology, law, and economics.
Mediation, Citizen Empowerment and Transformational Politics Edward W. Schwerin Transformational politics seeks to empower individuals and communities in an effort to facilitate positive structural change. Schwerin attempts to clarify the concept of empowerment, and begins to develop a theory of empowerment as a paradigm for broad social movements.
Methods of Nonviolent Action Gene Sharp Nonviolent action puts violent opponents in a "double-bind." If they fail to oppress the nonviolent actors, then their position is undermined. On the other hand, if they do take oppressive action, then sympathy for the nonviolent actors is increased. This book details various nonviolent methods under the general categories of protests, non-cooperation, and intervention techniques.
Moral Conflict W. Barnett Pearce and Stephen W. Littlejohn Conflicts based on deep moral differences may be aggravated when traditional conflict resolution techniques are used. To avoid this, Littlejohn and Pearce develop new communication patterns, which they collectively term "transcendent discourse." Transcendent discourse can help to literally transcend moral differences.
My Neighbor, My Enemy: Justice and Community in the Aftermath of Ethnic Cleansing. Stover, Eric, and Harvey M. Weinstein, eds. Although there is widespread support for various mechanisms designed to address past human rights abuses, there is little empirical data as to the actual impacts of these mechanisms. Using the examples of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, this book concludes that these types of tools have little positive effect on reconciliation, and suggests an "ecological" model of social reconstruction instead.
Negotiating Across Cultures: Communication Obstacles in International Diplomacy Raymond Cohen Culture has a significant effect on diplomatic negotiations, shaping their content, process, and style. Cohen examines the effect of cultural differences in cross-cultural negotiations, pointing out the importance of understanding and appreciating these differences.
Negotiation Roy J. Lewicki, David M. Saunders, and John W. Minton
Negotiation Theory and Practice J. William Breslin and Jeffrey Rubin, eds. This book discusses contemporary negotiation theory and practice, including the importance of context, implementation, and the role of third parties.
Negotiation: Strategies for Mutual Gain Lavinia Hall, ed. A basic framework for effective negotiation is presented, and the application of this framework in organizations is discussed. The effects of individual characteristics on the negotiation process are also examined.
New Agendas for Peace Research: Conflict and Security Reexamined Elise Boulding, Ed. Traditionally, "security" refers to security against military threat, and international conflict was a result of threats to that security. This book challenges this view, exploring the expansion of security into other realms, and the evolving sources of international conflict.
New Directions in Mediation: Communication Research and Perspectives Joseph Folger and Tricia Jones, eds For mediation to be successful, communication between the parties must be successful. This book provides an overview of contemporary research on the theory and practice of communication in conflict.
Our Community: Dealing with Conflict in Our Congregation Susan M. Lang Intended for leaders in religious congregations or communities, this book is a handbook on how to deal with organizational, value-oriented and interpersonal conflicts in a religious (specifically Christian) context.
Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis Jimmy Carter According to the author, fundamentalist ideology is systematically changing political policy and theological philosophy in a destructive manner. He is particularly concerned with the fundamentalism of "Neoconservatives" in the United States and fears their policies are threatening basic political and religious values.
Overcoming Apartheid: Can Truth Reconcile a Divided Nation? James L. Gibson The truth and reconciliation process has had mixed results thus far. While such processes have had little positive effect in many instances, Gibson suggests that in South Africa the TRC was able to moderate views of race, thereby aiding reconciliation.
Overcoming Intolerance in South Africa: Experiments in Democratic Persuasion James L. Gibson and Amanda Gouws Political tolerance is important for the survival of a democratic state. Unfortunately, tolerance is often in short supply during the transition to democracy. Gibson explores the interaction between political tolerance and democracy in South Africa.
Peace-Building: A Field Guide Luc Reychler and Thania Paffenholz Peace-Building draws on lessons learned from some of the most troubled regions of the world. It offers practical advice for practitioners on how to prepare for, work in, and survive peacebuilding missions.
Peace Skills: Leaders' Guide Alice Frazer Evans and Robert A. Evans with Ronald S. Kraybill This book is a guide for community leaders in conflict transformation workshops. Practical skills are presented with a strong emphasis on religious texts.
Peace Skills: Manual for Community Mediators Ronald S. Kraybill, Robert A. Evans and Alice Frazer Evans Mediation at the community level can help reduce and prevent conflict, but mediators must possess basic mediation skills in order to be effective. Such skills are presented in Peace Skills, along with exercises to aid a mediation training workshop.
Peace, Culture, and Society: Transnational Research and Dialogue Elise Boulding, Clovis Brigagao, and Kevin Clements, eds. In addition to negotiation over conflicting interests, sustainable global peace will require a "culture of peace." Emphasizing the need for transnational dialogue, this book examines the cultural basis for peace, including the concept of common security and the development of cultural structures of cooperation.
Peacemaking in International Conflict: Methods and Techniques I. William Zartman and J. Lewis Rasmussen, eds. The end of the Cold War has changed the nature of international conflicts, creating new challenges for peacemaking. This book explores the new global context, as well as peacemaking techniques that fit into it.
Political Forgiveness: Lessons from South Africa Russell Daye Political forgiveness is often a necessary precondition for transcending the negative effects of a conflict. Daye discusses political forgiveness and develops a framework for success, and then applies this framework to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Political Theory and Public Policy Robert E. Goodin While public policy in the United States has economic undertones, it is also directly related to political theory. This book examines political theory and its foundations in moral theory to explain public policy formation in the US.
Politics by Other Means: The Declining Importance of Elections in America Benjamin Ginsberg and Martin Shefter In the United States, "institutional combat" has largely supplanted democratic elections as the critical factor in the political process. This book carefully analyzes and critiques that phenomenon.
Post-Conflict Justice, International and Comparative Criminal Law Series M. Cherif Bassiouni, ed. Holding parties accountable for past human rights violations is a difficult and complicated process. Bassiouni helps to simplify this process by providing a number of guidelines to help achieve accountability and eliminate impunity.
Postconflict Development: Meeting New Challenges Gerd Junne and Willemijn Verkoren, eds. After a conflict ends, crucial factors in preventing a return to war include the extent to which economic and social development has succeeded and whether there is a fair distribution of resources. Challenges to successful development are discussed, and potential solutions to these challenges are suggested.
Power and Struggle Gene Sharp Though the control of political power is often associated with violent coercion, there are effective alternatives. Nonviolent political alternatives are discussed and illustrated by historical examples.
Power Sharing and International Mediation in Ethnic Conflicts Timothy D. Sisk The creation of sovereign states for every ethnic group currently demanding self-determination is impractical, if not impossible. Instead, demands for autonomy must be met within power-sharing political systems. Various power-sharing systems are discussed, along with the general nature of ethnic conflict and the preferred role of the international community.
Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in the United States: Inequality, Group Conflict, and Power Joseph F. Healey To a certain extent, dominant-minority inequality exists in virtually all aspects of public life. This book explores the historical background of such inequality and provides conceptual frameworks from which to better understand its implications.
Radical Evil on Trial Carlos Santiago Nino Using Argentina as an example, Nino examines how the punishment of human rights violators affects the establishment of new democracies. He concludes that in some cases, such punishment can do more harm than good, and that international norms of justice should be more clearly established.
Religion, The Missing Dimension of Statecraft Douglas Johnston and Cynthia Sampson, eds. The sharp distinction between politics and religion in the United States often makes American diplomats blind to the potentially positive influence of religion in peace negotiations. This book argues that political and religious actors can make use of each other's strengths to more completely realize the potential of peacemaking.
Resolving Conflicts at Work: A Complete Guide for Everyone on the Job Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith Conflicts in the workplace have the potential to both teach individuals and transform organizations. Resolving Conflicts at Work seeks to assist people in turning workplace conflicts into positive learning experiences.
Resolving Environmental Regulatory Disputes Lawrence Susskind, Lawrence Bacow and Michael Wheeler, eds. Resolving Environmental Regulatory Disputes uses a plethora of case studies in its analysis of the use of voluntary, informal negotiations aimed at resolving environmental disputes. It concludes that such negotiations may produce more beneficial outcomes than litigated settlements.
Resolving Identity-Based Conflict: In Nations, Organizations, andCommunities Jay Rothman Identity-based conflicts engage strong passions, which can lead to either great destruction or relationship transformation. Rothman develops a framework (ARIA) for transforming identity conflicts into productive relationships.
Resolving Social Conflicts Kurt Lewin Lewin discusses the central role of group psychology in shaping individuals' perceptions, feelings, and actions. Becoming aware of your own group (and the influence it has on you) can aid attempts to resolve or prevent conflicts based on identity and perception.
Rethinking the Culture-Negotiation Link in NegotiationTheory and Practice Robert Janosik The relationship between culture and negotiation is the focus of much contemporary research. Janosik argues that culture is understood differently by different authors, consequently affecting the way this link is thought about. He identifies four distinct approaches to understanding the impact of culture on negotiation.
Revitalizing Political Psychology: The Legacy of Harold D. Lasswell William Ascher and Barbara Hirshfelder-Ascher The basic principles of Lasswell's work are introduced, including the displacement hypothesis, the triple appeal principle and the self-system. Such concepts help us to understand the psychodynamic roots of seemingly illogical actions and direct our attention to the underlying cause of such actions.
Ritual and Symbol in Peacebuilding Lisa Schirch According to the author, ritual and symbols are important (though often ignored) tools for the contemporary peacebuilder. Rituals involve symbolic communication in a unique social space, and have the ability to transcend identities and worldviews. As such, ritual is a useful tool in the transformation of conflicts that are based on cultural differences.
Security Sector Reform and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding Ehrart, Hans-Georg and Albrecht Schnabel A secure environment is necessary for political, economic, and cultural well-being. In post-conflict societies, a secure environment often requires the reformation of the security sector. This book discusses the proper role of local and external actors in pursuing such reform.
Social Capital David Halpern Harpern interprets contemporary global trends in social capital as a transformation, rather than as the general decline identified by many theorists. Using a broad definition, he tracks this "transformation," theorizes as to its implications, and suggests a variety of ways in which government intervention can aid positive social capital transformations.
Social Conflict: Escalation, Stalemate and Settlement Dean G. Pruitt and Jeffrey Z. Rubin Conflict has both positive and negative consequences. Social Conflict explores how to make conflict a beneficial social phenomenon by describing the sources of conflict, identifying five basic conflict strategies, and exploring the processes of conflict escalation and resolution.
Stable Peace Kenneth Boulding Being at peace does not preclude all conflict, but it does by definition require an absence of war. Additionally, for a peace to be stable, the probability of war must be so small as to play no significant role in people's plans. This book examines how such a peace can come about.
Strategic Nonviolent Conflict Peter Ackerman and Christopher Kruegler A practitioner's choice of strategies is key to the success of nonviolent actions. Useful strategies, and the principles that guide them, are introduced here in an effort to explore the potential uses of nonviolent action in contemporary contexts.
Taming Intractable Conflicts: Mediation in the Hardest Cases Chester A. Crocker, Fen Osler Hampson, and Pamela Aall Taming Intractable Conflicts seeks to develop a strategic approach to the mediation of intractable conflicts. This approach attempts to identify the type of conflicts in which intervention is likely to be successful, how to intervene effectively and how to time the intervention properly.
The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence, and Reconciliation R. Scott Appleby While some religious actors choose a path of violence, many more have developed peace-related practices and concepts. Appleby examines why this may be, and to what extent "nonviolent religious militants" can contribute to peacebuilding.
The Consensus Building Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Reaching Agreement Lawrence Susskind, Sarah McKearnan and Jennifer Thomas-Larmer, eds. The Consensus Building Handbook is a 1100 page state-of-the-art reference book, focusing on the phases, types and of consensus building, along with detailed descritions of strategies and tactics for each stage and approach. It also contains an extensive selection of case studies.
The Decision Process: Seven Categories of Functional Analysis Harold D. Lasswell The internal decision-making process is discussed from a social psychological point of view. Laswell divides the process into seven separate categories and discusses examples of each.
The Dilemmas of Mediation Practice: A Study of Ethical Dilemmas and Policy Implications Robert A. Baruch Bush Despite the increasing popularity of mediation, there are currently no standard ethical guidelines for mediators. However, before such guidelines can be developed, more must be known about the ethical dilemmas encountered by third parties. This book adds to such knowledge by developing a typology of mediators' ethical dilemmas derived from discussions with contemporary mediators.
The Dynamics of Conflict Resolution: A Practitioner's Guide Bernard Mayer To be successful, conflict resolution requires more than just a mechanical application of procedures and techniques; it also necessitates a way of thinking about conflict that is conducive to resolution. Mayer offers a way to think about conflict which includes the promotion of democracy and social justice.
The Dynamics of Nonviolent Action Gene Sharp Nonviolent action exposes the violence of an opponent's repression in a sort of political jiu-jitsu. Sharp elaborates on this process, describing how to deal with repression, gain solidarity, and deal with the inherent risks of nonviolent action.
The Effects of Violence on Peace Processes John Darby Violence often derails peace processes, particularly in their early stages. Darby argues that violence is not likely to disrupt a peace process if those willing to deal are supported, opportunists are included in the process, zealots are isolated, and the security sector is reformed.
The Functions of Social Conflict Lewis Coser Group formation is a result of both association and dissociation; as such, both conflict and cooperation serve a social function. Coser focuses on the former, discussing the ways in which conflict shapes groups and, by extension, individuals.
The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice Morton Deutsch and Peter T. Coleman, eds. This book offers a comprehensive, contemporary overview of the field of conflict resolution, emphasizing constructive management of conflicts and the search for win-win solutions.
The Handbook of Family Dispute Resolution Allison Taylor This book is intended as a guide for people in the family mediation and ADR fields, describing both conflict and some techniques to resolve it.
The Healing of Nations: The Promise and Limits of Political Forgiveness Mark Amstutz The restoration of communal bonds and the promotion of national reconciliation can only occur when individuals and groups are willing to forgive offenders, at least on the political level. Political forgiveness techniques -- such as truth commissions -- are analyzed using empirical examples.
The Image: Knowledge in Life and Society Kenneth Boulding Boulding suggests a new metaphor for thinking about the nature of knowledge: knowledge as image. In doing so, he hopes to improve our understanding of individual behavior and social dynamics.
The Legacy of Human Rights Violations in the Southern Cone: Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay Luis Roniger and Mario Szanjder Focusing on the Southern Cone of South America, this book is a comparative study of the way past human rights violations have been dealt with. It concludes that a collective memory of past violations has not been established in the Southern Cone.
The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking Kay Pranis The Native American tradition of storytelling in circles brings people together as equals for honest exchanges, and it is consistent with the modern desire to be democratic and inclusive. The potential of these circles to be used as tools for peacemaking is discussed.
The Management of Conflict Marc Howard Ross Conflict is closely related to both structural interests and psycho-cultural interpretations. Thus, successful conflict management must be able to identify and deal with both structural inequalities and attitudes shaped by culture. This book discusses how to develop such a model for conflict management.
The Mindsets Factor in Ethnic Conflict: A Cross-Cultural Agenda Glen Fisher A given conflict is often approached with wildly different and sometimes incongruent mindsets. In order to overcome these differences, it is necessary to first understand the mindset of other parties as best one can, and then to tailor one's strategy to that understanding. The process for accomplishing this is discussed here.
The Moral Sense James Q. Wilson Wilson argues that morality is not entirely determined by culture. Rather, he suggests that it is the result of a combination of social, biological, and evolutionary forces.
The Negotiation Process: Theories and Applications I. William Zartman, ed. The negotiation process is explored form a variety of perspectives, including sociological, economic, and psychological. These perspectives are then applied to case studies.
The Persuasion Handbook: Developments in Theory and Practice James Price Dillard and Michael Pfau, eds. This book examines how persuasion can be used to reinforce current behavior or change behavior. It examines both the rational and the emotional aspects of persuasion, investigating what makes particular kinds of appeals affective, others not.
The Policy Making Process Charles E. Lindblom The development of public policy is a complex political process, entailing power relations, individual preferences, and careful analysis. This book examines the process of policy development from a political science perspective.
The Politics of Memory: Truth, Healing, and Social Justice Ifi Amadiume and Abdullahi An-Na'im, eds Social justice can be both a means to, and a result of, a healing and reconciliation process. The Politics of Memory provides an "African-centered" perspective on the dynamics between social justice and the process of rebuilding communities after violent conflict.
The Power of Public Ideas Robert B. Reich In a democracy, public opinion is supposed to inform public policy, but this is not always the case. This book examines how and why ideas from the public are sometimes integrated into policy and sometimes ignored.
The Practical Negotiator I. William Zartman and Maureen Berman The Practical Negotiator presents a model of negotiation which is intended to both reflect the experience of practicing diplomats, and be a helpful guide for the practicing negotiator.
The Provocations of Amnesty : Memory, Justice, and Impunity Charles Villa-Vicencio and Erik Doxtader, eds. Amnesty is a hotly contested issue in truth and reconciliation commissions. This book explores the ethics and the likely consequences of amnesty.
The Resolution of Conflict Morton Deutsch Conflicts can be resolved with either constructive or destructive consequences. Strategies and tactics are discussed to empower the "have-nots" with constructive consequences including the development of personal resources, social cohesion, and social organizations.
The South African Truth Commission Kenneth Christie Using interviews with political leaders, observers, and those that came before the commission, Christie suggests that the TRC was successful in making denial difficult by bringing details of the past to light, and in providing some relief for victims. Some of the limitations of the TRC are also discussed.
The Spirit of Community: Rights, Responsibilities, and the Communitarian Agenda Amitai Etzioni Etzioni argues that during the 1960s, many moral traditions, social values, and institutions were challenged or rejected, but a new core of values has not arisen to fill the void. He examines Americans' sense of entitlement and community, as well as the dominance of special interest groups in contemporary politics.
Theory and Practice in Ethnic Conflict Management: Theorizing Success and Failure Marc Howard Ross and Jay Rothman, eds. Clearly-defined objectives are essential to successful intervention, and indeed define success. Using a plethora of case studies, this book demonstrates that success is subjective, and also provides insight into varying definitions of success in ethnic conflict management.
Three Faces of Power Kenneth E. Boulding In this book, Boulding examines three forms of power: coercive power (the stick), exchange power (the carrot) and integrative power (the hug) and how these three interplay with each other in all forms of social relationships.
Timing the De-Escalation of International Conflicts Louis Kreisberg and Stuart Thorson, eds. Far more than merely an abstract theoretical concept, timing is key to the experience of disputants. This makes timing an important aspect of intervention. In this book, the conditions conducive to de-escalation are discussed in relation to the timing of successful intervention.
Towards Better Peacebuilding Practice: On Lessons Learned, Evaluation Practices and Aid & Conflict Anneke Galama and Paul van Tongeren, eds. Conflict prevention is no longer in its infancy, and much can be learned from recent efforts at peacebuilding. This book is a collection of such knowledge, including common problems encountered, the challenges of providing aid in conflict, and the consequences of terrorist attacks.
Transitional Justice Ruti G. Teitel Transitional justice offers a way to reconstitute the collective -- across potentially divisive racial, ethnic, and religious lines. Mechanisms which promote such justice in post-conflict societies are explored.
Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa: Miracle or Model? Lyn S. Graybill Graybill offers a summation of the TRC followed by a series of questions about the success (or lack thereof) and the universality (or lack thereof) of the TRC, most of which she declines to answer definitively.
Universal Jurisdiction: National Courts and the Prosecution of Serious Crimes under International Law Stephen Macedo, ed. Closely related to the concept of universal human rights, universal jurisdiction refers to the idea that certain crimes are so heinous and universally abhorred that a state is entitled to undertake legal proceedings without regard to where the crime was committed. The implications of this concept are explored.
Unspeakable Truths: Confronting State Terror and Atrocity Priscilla B. Hayner There is growing recognition of the need to address the past in post-conflict societies. Unspeakable Truths examines why this is important, and contrasts different transitional justice mechanisms with a primary focus on truth commissions.
War's Offensive on Women: The Humanitarian Challenge In Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan Julie Mertus Mertus argues that a gendered approach is needed in the examination of international crises, and in the development of humanitarian aid policies. Using personal narratives, she illustrates how international, governmental, and non-governmental organizations fail to meet the specific needs of women during war and its aftermath.
When Talk Works: Profiles of Mediators Deborah M. Kolb This book is a set of twelve profiles of practicing mediators and their techniques. These practices are compared to contemporary mediation theory.
When Values Conflict: Essays on Environmental Analysis, Discourse, and Decision Laurence Tribe, Corinne Schelling, and John Voss, eds. The value of the natural environment is subjective, and it varies with worldviews and perceptions, making the creation of effective policy difficult. This book explores the subjective nature of valuation, focusing primarily on how it affects environmental policy.
Why Didn't You Say That in the First Place? Richard Heyman The root cause of many misunderstandings lies in language. Heyman explains why such misunderstandings are normal and discusses what can be done to improve understanding in organizations.
Conflict Assessment Joyce Hocker and William Wilmot Assessing conflict and identifying conflict patterns can be difficult. Conflict Assessment provides tools rooted in systems theory to assess a conflict and its recurring patterns.
Conflict Tactics Joyce Hocker and William Wilmot The types of tactics used in a conflict will affect its course. Conflict Tactics examines the use of various tactics, including those related to engagement, avoidance, and collaboration. Because tactics are often reciprocated, the authors suggest collaboration when one is unsure of the most appropriate tactic.
Constituencies and Public Information Susan L. Carpenter and W.J.D. Kennedy Carpenter and Kennedy discuss the importance of building constituency support and informing the public to the successful management of public disputes. Their findings are illustrated by the Water Roundtable negotiations.
Power in Interpersonal Conflict Joyce Hocker and William Wilmot Burton, eds. Power is present in all social interactions, but often that power is distributed unevenly. This book explores techniques to actively pursue a more equal power relationship and thereby reduce conflict.
Reframing the Spoiler Debate in Peace Processes Marie-Joelle Zahar Zahar argues that Steadman's spoiler typology is incapable of describing why spoilers change their objectives and tactics. She points out that changes in motivation and in the perceived costs of spoilage activities directly affect the tactics and objectives of potential spoilers.
Spoiler Problems in Peace Processes Stephen John Stedman Spoilers are individuals and groups who believe the emerging peace threatens them and who use violence to undermine the peace. This article attempts to improve our understanding of spoilers and to aid "custodians of peace" in managing them.
If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Other Resources from Beyond Intractability Peacebuilding Checklist: Adversaries A list of things to think about if you are involved in a difficult or damaging conflict.
Nobel Peace Prize Winners
Rigoberta Menchu Tum Prominent civil rights activist in Guatemala, and 1992 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
