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Bringing People Together in Times of Conflict

A Bridge Builder's Guide to the Beyond Intractability Website1

  • When people are caught in conflict, do you show them how to work together to solve their problems?

  • Do you help unite people from different communities who you think would be interested in working with or getting to know each other?

  • Do you encourage opening the lines of communication when people are in conflict but not talking?

If you answered "yes" to one or more of the above questions, then you are probably a bridge builder. And if you are a bridge builder, then this site is for you!

Who are Bridge Builders?

Bridge builders are people who create relationships that cut across the lines of conflict. Anyone, no matter what their occupation, can help to forge ties across borders, cultures, religions, etc. Bridge builders help establish relationships, improve communication, and build trust between conflicting people and groups. For an introduction to who bridge builders are, and what they do, read the introductory essay on bridge builders.

Insights on Bridge Building from:


Andrea Bartoli

For More Information

[1] Much of the material on this user guide is drawn from www.thirdside.org. Thanks to Bill Ury and Josh Weiss for giving us permission to republish their material here.
 
War is, at first, the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the surprise at everyone's being worse off. -- Karl Kraus
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