Newsletter #7

September 20, 2017

Frontiers Seminar Unit 4: Moving Toward a Complexity-Oriented Paradigm, Completed.

Note: There has only been one new post since the last newsletter, but we thought it might be helpful to include the entirety of Unit 4 here:

• Embracing Complexity: The Key to Dealing with Intractability -- The Moving Beyond Intractability MOOS Seminars introduction to unit on complexity, ecosystems, & intractability. (May 23, 2017)
• Complex vs. Complicated Systems -- Intractable conflicts are complex adaptive systems, so they need complex, adaptive responses. (May 24, 2017) 
  • Discussion #13: Grappling with Complexity 
• System Levels -- Simple models won't work! We must develop conflict intervention models for higher-level complex systems. (May 25, 2017)
  • Discussion #14: Adopting Systems Approaches to Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution/Transformation
• The Really Big Picture Ecodynamics and Planetary Evolution -- An exploration of how understanding ecodynamics and evolution can help us deal with complex conflict. (May 31, 2017)
  • Discussion #15: Constructive Management of the Commons
• Meeting the Adaptation Challenge -- Speeding society's ability to rapidly adapt to changing conditions should be a key goal of the conflict field. (June 1, 2017)
• The Evolutionary Choice: "Power With" or "Power Over"  -- An explanation of why this may be our best/last chance to make democracy work (and avoid autocracy and anocracy). (June 12, 2017)
• Our Most Important Conflict: Coexisters vs. Fighters vs. Divide-and-Conquerors -- We need to resist "divide and conqueror's" efforts to control society by exacerbating left/right tensions. (June 15, 2017)
• The Complex Causes of Social Problems -- We need to think about social problems as complex adaptive systems requiring massively parallel problem-solving. (June 27, 2017)
• Social and Psychological Complexity -- Those who seek power-over others are dealing better with social & psychological complexity. This needs to change! (July 6, 2017)
• Mari Fitzduff's An Introduction to Neuroscience for the Peacebuilder-Part 1 - Neuroscience can explain why so many peacebuilding interventions don't work as hoped --and how to do better.  (July 11, 2017)
• Mari Fitzduff's An Introduction to Neuroscience for the Peacebuilder-Part 2 - Neuroscience can explain why so many peacebuilding interventions don't work as hoped --and how to do better.  (July 13, 2017)
  • ​D16: Neuropsychology and Conflict What can and should peacebuilders do about the predispositions described in this video?  Particularly, how do we address people's emotional needs as well as their rational interests and needs in our peacebuilding work? And, how can we work within the constraints of non-rational/emotional thinking, rather than engage in a futile effort to convert all thinking to the rational approach?
• Engineering and Medical Troubleshooting - Complexity-oriented approaches to conflict are more like medicine and less like engineering. (July 17, 2017)
  • Discussion #17: Conflict Pathologies
• The Scale Up Problem --  We need to stop thinking in terms of mediation triads, and scale up conflict work to societal levels. (July 20, 2017)
• The Google Traffic Metaphor -- Google traffic and other traffic control activities can teach us a lot about dealing with conflict. (July 24, 2017)
• **NEW** The Decentralized, "Markets Plus" Metaphor  (August 11, 2012)

Fundamentals Seminar Unit 5: Examining Causes of Intractable Conflicts: Overlay (or Complicating) Factors, Continued

• Siege Mentality - North Korea's siege mentality is particularly dangerous as the US is exhibiting a siege mentality too! (August 12, 2017)
• Delegitimization - Delegitimization drives escalation and violence—but how is it reversed?  (August 17, 2017)
• Victimhood - Victimhood has a dual nature—people can be both ashamed and proud of their victim status at the same time. (August 23, 2017)
• Cognitive Dissonance - : Cognitive dissonance, too, can escalate or de-escalate conflict depending on how it is used. (August 24, 2017)
• Interpersonal Communication - We take it for granted, but so much can go wrong with our communication. In conflict, care is essential! (August 29, 2017)
• Misunderstandings - Even if the misunderstandings do not cause conflict, they can escalate it rapidly once it starts. (Sept. 1, 2017)

Recent Posts from the Additional Resources Blog

• Losing The Information War -- Review and link to an important new paper that looks into the reality of the information war (which is going badly) -- 09/10/2017
• Trump & Evangelicals -- More trying to understand the other side: "Why most evangelicals don't condemn trump." -- 09/10/2017
• Outlawing War? It Actually Worked -- A surprising look back at the long shadow of the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 and the delegitimization of conquest. -- 09/10/2017
• Prospects Of Janitors In The 80s Vs. Now -- A Labor Day "then and now" comparison of the lives of janitors in high-tech companies, and the rise of inequality. -- 09/10/2017
• Moral Trauma -- A provocative account of how the events in Charlottesville influenced the thinking of one person who was there. -- 09/09/2017
• Humor In The Face of Nazis -- An alternative, clown-based strategy for preventing white supremacists from achieving the goals of their rallies. -- 09/09/2017
• Zapatista Rebels Venture Into Politics -- In hopeful news, "In a Mexico 'Tired of Violence,' Zapatista Rebels Venture into Politics" and forsake violence. -- 09/07/2017
• The Potential Damage of Five-Hundred-Year Flooding -- Adapting to climate change, graphics showing how hard it will be to live in a world of frequent, 500 year floods. -- 09/07/2017
• Fascism, American Style -- A succinct and persuasive summary of the issues that make the Arpaio pardon so disturbing. -- 09/06/2017
• Mattis, Trump and North Korea -- Foreign Policy's assessment of the increasing risk of war with North Korea: "Mattis Just Out-Trumped Trump." -- 09/06/2017
• America's Deadly Divide -- An increasingly relevant summary of events leading to the American Civil War (with important lessons for today). -- 09/05/2017
• Forest Service Fire Watch -- For those focused on hurricanes, horrifying graphics showing how much of the West is literally burning down. -- 09/05/2017
• We Need To Start Befriending Neo-Nazis -- An argument for challenging neo-Nazism by befriending and then persuading it's adherents to change their minds. -- 09/04/2017
• 'Intersectionality': A Code Word For Anti-Semitism -- The disturbing implications of the new concept of "intersectionality." We need a better way to fight for justice. -- 09/04/2017
• What Kills Inequality -- The Great Leveler - a long-term look at the violent history of efforts to reduce inequality. We need to do better. -- 08/31/2017
• The Science of Snobbery -- Another big driver of inequality: "The Science of Snobbery: How We're Duped Into Thinking Fancy Things Are Better". -- 08/31/2017
• On Saving the Far-Right Protestor -- An inspiring story of the kind of courage that blocking the violent escalation of political conflict requires. -- 08/30/2017
• Cyberwar: A Guide -- Cyberwar: A guide to the frightening future of online conflict as seen from the techie perspective of ZDNet. -- 08/30/2017
• Many Shades of the U.S. at War -- A provocative essay on the diversity of the US military, the fragmentation of Iraq & Syria, & Trump's divisiveness. -- 08/29/2017
• Most Shortsighted Attack on Free Speech -- A timely reminder of the importance of protecting free speech, even at the expense of allowing hate speech. -- 08/29/2017
• Trump Vote Regret -- From a prominent (& now regretful) Trump supporter, an explanation of his initial support & why he changed his mind -- 08/28/2017
• Combating Online Radicalization -- An update on efforts to combat the online radicalization of violent extremists (including domestic US hate groups). -- 08/28/2017
• How to Make Fun of Nazis -- How to Make Fun of Nazis -- a confrontation strategy that is less likely to lead to violent escalation. -- 08/27/2017
• Hamilton 68 -- From the German Marshall Fund, a real-time dashboard for tracking Russian influence operations on Twitter. -- 08/27/2017
• The Chilling Effects of Openly Displayed Firearms -- Welcome to the dangerous new world of political protest in the era of open carry laws, long guns, and flak jackets! -- 08/26/2017
• What Trump Gets Wrong About Antifa -- Realistic comparison of the influence and threats presented by fascist movements on the right & the left's "Antifa" -- 08/26/2017
• Our House Divided -- A somewhat reassuring essay on the likelihood of current political tensions leading to large-scale violence. -- 08/25/2017
• Charlottesville Through A Different Lens -- Provocative food for thought: "What if Western media covered Charlottesville the same way it covers other nations?" -- 08/25/2017
• Godfather of a Democratic Renaissance -- A Thomas Edsall update on successes of the "Democratic Renaissance" and the considerable challenges it still faces. -- 08/24/2017
• What Moderates Believe -- For our polarized society, a welcome effort to outline and defend the core beliefs of political moderates. -- 08/24/2017
• How to Hate Each Other Peacefully in a Democracy -- A thoughtful exploration of one of today's big questions: how can we hate each other peacefully in a democracy? -- 08/23/2017
• Trump’s Threat of War With North Korea -- A somewhat persuasive & reassuring argument: "Trump's Threat of War With North Korea May Sound Scarier Than It Is". -- 08/23/2017
• Effective Arms Against North Korea -- Sometimes there are no military solutions: North Korea's missiles are secure from everything but a nuclear attack. -- 08/22/2017
• A New Democratic Platform -- A hopeful story about "New Democracy" and its efforts to chart a middle ground between our two political extremes. -- 08/21/2017
• The Massacre That Ended the Arab Spring -- The story of the Rabaa Massacre, for folks (like me) who did not understand how the Arab Spring ended. -- 08/20/2017
• The Alt-Right and Russia -- Don't read too much into this. Still, the connection between the Russians and the alt-right is part of the story. -- 08/19/2017
• Division in the Democratic Party -- Sometimes going for the big win can lead to catastrophe. Is the Democratic shift to the left such a case? -- 08/18/2017
• A New Kind of Fight in Charlottesville -- A reminder that we are struggling to do something that's never been done: build a diverse society that really works -- 08/17/2017
• Trump, Obama and the Politics of Evasion -- A provocative comparison of the way in which the left and the right respond to violent extremism. -- 08/16/2017
• Checking Privilege Checking -- An argument that calls to "check one's privilege" undermine (don't support) efforts to address to social inequities -- 08/15/2017
• Trump Knows How To Push Our Buttons -- An assessment of Donald Trump's tactic of pushing the left's buttons, & the Democratic Party's "Better Deal." -- 08/15/2017
• A Party In Denial -- Republican reform will have to come from the right, not the left. A welcome call for change from Sen. Flake. -- 08/14/2017
• The Three Paradoxes Disrupting American Politics -- Three paradoxes that opened the door to fake-news-based politics (paradoxes that will also probably outlast Trump). -- 08/14/2017
• A Nuclear North Korea -- Sensible thinking on the tough choices posed by North Korea's rapidly advancing nuclear arsenal. -- 08/13/2017
• The Risk of a Nuclear Catastrophe Under Trump -- Alas, it's again time to think about the unthinkable: "The Risk of Nuclear Catastrophe under Trump." -- 08/13/2017
• Trump’s Russian Laundromat -- Explanation of how international money laundering makes corruption possible (and the alleged role of Trump, Inc). -- 08/12/2017
• Killing Obamacare Softly -- Killing Obamacare "Softly"--heartbreaking explanation of the rationale for preventing the government from working. -- 08/12/2017
• Empathy Gadgets -- Empathy gadgets for helping caregivers better understand patients. We need something like this for conflict. -- 08/11/2017
• The Kremlin & The Magnitsky Act -- Eye-opening explanation of the relationship between the Magnitsky Act, corruption, and US/Russia relations. -- 08/11/2017
• A.I. Dystopia -- Maybe one of the the A.I. dystopias is already here: conflicts driven by battling, trolling, bots. -- 08/10/2017
• Battle of the Botnets -- Case study: Battle of the Botnets – Trump's fans and foes go head-to-head with Twitter bots. -- 08/10/2017
• Faster than a Speeding Congressman -- An exploration of the implications of the rise of inexperienced political leaders, on both the left and the right. -- 08/09/2017
• Trump Boomerang Effect -- Trump and Kenneth Boulding's Law of Political Irony: things you do to help people often hurt them (& vice versa). -- 08/09/2017
• How to Make Congress Bipartisan -- A genuinely promising and realistic strategy for fixing Congress. Something worth fighting for? -- 08/08/2017
• Tunisia, a Success Story? -- A reasonably upbeat update on the most successful of the Arab spring revolutions – Tunisia. -- 08/08/2017
• Why Don't the 1 Percent Feel Rich? -- Useful new acronym: HENRY (high earning, not rich yet)--part of why the 1% is driven to accumulate even more. -- 08/07/2017
• Who Hasn't Trump Offended -- Understanding the United States' changing relationship with the world: those who Trump has and hasn't offended. -- 08/07/2017
• New Technology and Fake Videos -- The astonishing capabilities of the new world of fake video technology. How will we be able to tell what is real? -- 08/06/2017
• Trump's Trolls and America's Civil Servants -- Internet trolls are waging war on America's civil servants--yet another front in the battle to save democracy. -- 08/06/2017
• The Closing of the Republican Mind -- An exploration of the implications of the terms: cognitive elite, creative class, cosmopolitan class, & plutonomy. -- 08/05/2017
• Trump’s Flirtation with Violence -- A reflection on the dangers of Trump's flirtation with political violence. What happens if Trump is impeached? -- 08/05/2017
• The Left’s Inversion of Anti-Semitism -- From Israel, a controversial but provocative exploration of the implications of two recent cases of anti-Semitism. -- 08/04/2017
• Shariah's Winding Path Into Modernity -- For those wanting to go beyond superficial demonization, a description of "Sharia's winding path into modernity." -- 08/04/2017
• Israel & The Iran Nuclear Deal -- From a former head of Shin Bet, a hopeful argument that the "Iranian nuclear deal has been a blessing for Israel." -- 08/03/2017
• Why Russia Would Help Trump -- For those trying to understand motivations, an explanation of why Russia wanted to help Trump. -- 08/03/2017
• Saudi Arabia's Botched Campaign -- Saudi Arabia's campaign against Qatar, another example of how ill-considered threats can backfire. -- 08/02/2017
• The 'Witch Hunt' Russia Narrative -- From the conservative National Review, an explanation of why the Russia story is not business-as-usual politics. -- 08/02/2017
• War Ravaged Mosul -- Photographic evidence of the destruction of Mosul--another reminder of the enormous tragedy of war. -- 08/01/2017
• Trump's Enablers -- Six profiles trying to understand the motivations of those who could, but don't, challenge Trump's excesses. -- 08/01/2017
• Nourish Your Political Soul -- A summer project to nourish your political soul: pick a problem, look at it from all sides, think it through. -- 07/31/2017
• Gathering Storm vs.Crisis of Confidence -- The promise & perils of trying to understand today by looking at historical parallels from the 1930s & 1970s. -- 07/31/2017
• Words As Violence -- An argument worth considering: Why it's a bad idea to tell students words are violence. -- 07/30/2017
• The Right Versus Academia -- We must constructively address the right's distrust/hatred of academia (or risk losing the benefits of expertise). -- 07/30/2017

BI Newsletters - General Announcements

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