Recent BI and Substack Posts

The continuing chasm that divides Trump supporters and opponents following the January 6 hearings highlights the need for a much more comprehensive effort to address the hyper-polarization problem.

SFCG country director Nawaz Mohamed talks about his background, how he got into peacebuilding work, and how (and why) he is working for reconciliation in his native Sri Lanka.

Breakthrough Collaboration is different from traditional dispute resolution and dialogue in that it can be initiated on just one side and does not need to bring the parties together. It can create "ripeness" where none exists.

The combination of complexity theory with negotiation theory yields a powerful tool for effective water resources management--and other complex public problems.

We’ll counter toxic polarization if and only if we offer people a better and credible alternative that they can put into practice in the lived experience of their daily lives. 

Lou Kriesberg, co-author with Bruce Dayton of Constructive Conflicts, offers a variety of comments, including his view that "polarization" implies equivalance of responsibility, which is not accurate.

Listening to or caring about "the other side" has become much less common in "the age of Trump," but that just makes the roles of neutrals all the more important.

Only Republicans can save the party from the abyss they have fallen into; the way out involves changing their dominant root narratives that drive their behavior.

Luttig asserts that America is at war with itself and if its leaders do not quickly develop the moral courage to make peace, America is doomed.

As we embrace every effort to end the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine today, we must seize this moment for what it is: our last best chance to prevent even greater tragedy tomorrow. 

Heidi Burgess interviews Shamill Idress about his career, Search for Common Ground's work, current challenges facing Search, the peacebuilding field, and the world as a whole--and how we can meet them.

From one of the many brave Russians who tried, and failed, to stop their countriy from sliding into an authoritarian dystopia, an eloquent reminder of why we have to strengthen liberal democracy.

The same dynamic that is driving the hyper-polarization crisis in so many countries now threatens to turn the Ukrainian crisis into a truly catastrophic war.

We need to focus on our interdependence, the importance of curiousity, humility, "process pluralism," and most importantly widespread education of the polity on better ways of dealing with conflict.

An appeal for the conflict field to go beyond interpersonal work to organizational work, particularly in businesses and business schools and an explanation of how peacebuilding "hubs" have been used in Belgium and The Netherlands to "scale up" peacebuilding to the societal level.

An exploration of the importance of framing and the need to take control of the destructive narratives that are so pervasive in polarized democracies. We need to replace them with a shared vision for our future -- one that is attractive to everyone including those with whom we disagree. 

Long-time conflict resolution scholar and practitioner, Carrie Menkel-Meadow reflects on the many causes of hyper-polarization and suggests new metaphors and approaches for replacing it with constructive, collaborative problem solving. 

Long-time conflict resolution scholar and practitioner, Carrie Menkel-Meadow reflects on the many causes of hyper-polarization and suggests new metaphors and approaches for replacing it with constructive, collaborative problem solving. 

A call for those with conflict-related expertise to do more to help society more constructively handle the scale and complexity of today's big conflicts while also more effectively countering the efforts of bad-faith actors who are actively working to inflame and exploit our conflicts.

An open invitation to participate in an online exploration of additional things that those with conflict -related expertise might be able to do to help diffuse the hyperpolarized conflict problems that are so threatening to modern societies.

In partnership with the Conflict Resolution Quarterly's new Feature Article series, Beyond Intractability is convening a new online discussion focused on the hyper-polarization crisis.

Different types of reconciliation are better at different times and places, and can be done simultaneously or sequentially. Choosing the proper order can determine success or failure. #mbi_cci

The same dynamic that is driving the hyper-polarization crisis in so many countries now threatens to turn the Ukrainian crisis into a truly catastrophic war.

A really perceptive exploration of the complex process of remembering and forgetting that is critical to the crafting of a viable national identity. #mbi_context

The new generation of neuroscience insights are revolutionizing the way in which we think about a wide range of conflict problems. #mbi_cci