Phil Barker is a graduate student in Political Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder and is a part of the research staff at the Conflict Research Consortium.
The Election, COVID, Racism, and the Constructive Conflict Initiative
Read about (and contribute to) the Constructive Conflict Initiative and its associated Blog—our effort to assemble what we collectively know about how to move beyond our hyperpolarized politics and start solving society's problems.
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Beyond Intractability
Beyond Intractability
The Intractable Conflict Challenge
Our inability to constructively handle intractable conflict is the most serious, and the most neglected, problem facing humanity. Solving today's tough problems depends upon finding better ways of dealing with these conflicts. More...
Constructive Conflict
Massive Open Online Seminar (MOOS)
Selected Recent Posts
- Polarization -- Polarization is insidious and dangerous. Steps should be taken to avoid it when possible, and reverse it when it has already developed.
- Maintaining Oppression -- Oppression is maintained through superior power, control of meaning, self-fulfilling prophecies, and distorted relationships.
- See the Complexity It's not Just "Us versus Them" -- Parties, issues, dynamics, power, and relationships are among the conflict elements one must clearly understand.
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Constructive Conflict Initiative
Join Us in calling for a dramatic expansion of efforts to limit the destructiveness of intractable conflict.
Things You Can Do to Help Ideas
Practical things we can all do to limit the destructive conflicts threatening our future.
Conflict Frontiers
A free, open, online seminar exploring new approaches for addressing difficult and intractable conflicts. Major topic areas include:
Scale, Complexity, & Intractability
Massively Parallel Peacebuilding
Conflict Fundamentals
An look at to the fundamental building blocks of the peace and conflict field covering both “tractable” and intractable conflict.
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BI in Context
Links to thought-provoking articles exploring the larger, societal dimension of intractability.
Colleague Activities
Information about interesting conflict and peacebuilding efforts.