Unit 10: The Biden Years – Saving Democracy and Biden’s Challenge to the Conflict and Peacebuilding Fields

This was posted shortly after Joe Biden's inauguration speech in 2021, which promised to pull America back together.  We reflect on what it would take to do that.

• The Biden Challenge
  • Saving Democracy and Biden’s Challenge to the Conflict and Peacebuilding Fields – Part I -- An argument that the key to saving democracy is assuring political adversaries that, even in defeat, their interests will be protected.
  • Saving Democracy and Biden’s Challenge to the Conflict and Peacebuilding Fields – Part 2 -- Repairing democracy will require both sides to replace today's winner-takes-all / loser-loses-all approach to politics with coexistence, tolerance, and mutual respect.
  • A Guide to More Constructive Approaches to Intractable Conflict -- A Introduction to a five-part strategy for overcoming the conflict problems that are preventing us from building a society in which we would all like to live.
• Reconciliation
  • Small Scale Reconciliation – Part 1: De-escalate Destructive Us-versus-Them Confrontations -- Reframing us-vesus them, conciliatory gestures, and using the optimal power strategy mix are several approaches that can further reconciliation.
  • Small Scale Reconciliation – Part 2: Promote Effective Communication -- By first listening, and second speaking in respectful and surprisingly "reasonable" ways, people can de-escalate conflicts and begin to work on reconciliation.
  • Small Scale Reconciliation – Part 3: Develop a Unifying Vision for Society -- Small groups can use the tools of large groups to develop consensus visions of their future relationship--often with even more success.
  • Small Scale Reconciliation – Part 4: Leveling the Playing Field -- Equalizing power actually helps both the powerful and the powerless, as it makes negotiation and mutually-beneficial outcomes possible for all.
  • Small Scale Reconciliation – Part 5: Take Advantage of Opportunities for Mutually-Beneficial Joint Actions -- Even when conflicts are stalemated, some common ground is likely to give disputants a toe-hold onto transformation.