Recent BI and Substack Posts

Ideas and announcements from several of our colleagues, as well as observations from people in allied fields about stresses to our democracy, and how to address them effectively.

Power is not just force. It is the ability to get things done. And that usually is maximized by using integrative and exchange power to encourage collaboration whenever possible, with force used little if at all.

To better understand both others and even ourselves, we must dig deeper into the words and terms we use to ensure we are conveying precisely what we want to convey and nothing more.

Notable organizations working to strengthen democracy and reduce hyper-polarization, along with important readings on those topics from within and outside the conflict/peacebuilding field.

The narratives we engage and deploy shape our world. In the face of rising authoritarianism, what stories and tactics drive collaboration within and between movements?

Israel presents a dilemma for conflict resolvers: should one seek dialogue and compromise, or should one advocate and work for total victory without compromise because one side is so extreme?

US democracy is failing. Each moment deepens the polarization that makes its problems harder to fix. As Americans, we must start now, at scale, strategically, with a broad, cross-party coalition to save our democracy.

Reader-suggested links, colleague activities to strengthen democracy, and outside the field articles on democracy, polarization, and related issues.

Healthy conflict resolution systems rely primary on interest-based negotiations, using rights and power contests much less frequently. US democracy currently does the opposite.

IGL provides training and consultation for leaders and teams to adapt to the changed dynamics of a post-9/11 world. They train reconciliation leaders with personal, interpersonal, systemic, and global competencies in business, community, institutional, national, and world environments.

Are liberal, democratic capitalist states operating under the rule of law capable of meeting the economic, welfare, and identity needs of citizens in the 21st century? If not, what can?

Amid all the bad news, a lot of positive things are happening to strengthen democracy. Take a look at some of them, and the storm clouds still growing.

We are good at understanding and responding to sharp feedback, but not nearly as good seeing and responding to fuzzy feedback, which is the source of many serious mistakes.

Ideas from five of our colleagues, as well as observations from people in allied fields about stresses to our democracy, and how to address them effectively.

ABCs of dialogue, problem trees and problem tree mapping are very simple, yet very useful tools for helping disputants better understand their conflict and decide how to approach it constructively.

Focusing on blame doesn't solve problems, it just makes them more intractable. Focusing on contribution instead encourages collaborative problem solving that stands a much better chance of success.

More links to news articles and organizations that are, in various ways, working to help us understand and more constructively handle intractable conflict.

Julia Roig talks about her efforts to build a social movement to support democracy in the U.S. Such a movement needs to both block and build: block bad actors, and build a new pluralistic society that works.

All complex systems are made up of multiple interlocking negative and positive feedback loops that can lead to good or bad stability or good or bad change. Understanding these loops is essential for good outcomes.

Links to articles suggested by participants in BI's hyper-polarization discussion by plus more links to thought-provoking articles and things that our colleagues are doing.

Working for peace can be a primary job. Figure out your passions, your talents, talk with people, and together develop a path to pursue your dreams and make the world a better place at the same time!

Intractable conflicts are never simple us-versus-them. By sorting out the core and overlaying factors, disputants can come to a much clearer understanding of what needs to be done to transform their conflicts.

In addition to more links to interesting projects that our democracy, conflict, and peace colleagues are doing, recommended articles on social change, political change, future challenges, and objectivity (or not) of the media.

The Trust Network is an "if it exists, it must be possible" example of massively parallel peacebuilding. We are writing about it. They are doing it!

Pauli asserts that neutrality is an "unsatisfying value" for both journalists and mediators in our current conflicted times, and might be better replaced with a fundamental reliance on human dignity of every person.