Newsletter #195 — January 14, 2024
Reader Suggested Links
Highlighting links suggested by our readers. Please send us links to things that you find useful.
- Israel / Hamas War
The Agony and Determination of Sderot - A profile of Sderot, an Israeli town one mile from the Gaza border. This powerful article ends with the line "Conflicts end once we all recognize each other’s humanity and strive to uphold it."
Colleague Activities
Highlighting things that our conflict and peacebuilding colleagues are doing that contribute to efforts to address the hyper-polarization problem.
- Saving Democracy
Roles that Make Democracy Function — From the Better Conflict Bulletin, reflections on Beyond Intractability's Massively Parallel Peacebuilding roles. Thanks to BCB for highlighting these so well! - Civic Education
Collaborative for Compassionate Civic Engagement — A team of civic professionals and educators that serves as an advisory board to the Civic Corps branches at community colleges. CCCE also designs and administers the Civic Service Skills Workshop. - Civic Education
Democracy Caravan — A non-partisan podcast presenting stories about how Americans are finding common-sense solutions to what ails our political culture which aims to share hope and resources for constructive civic participation. - Developing a Unifying Vision
US@250 Initiative — This initiative provides a unifying framework for America's semiquincentennial, hosts an annual fellowship, and organizes a network of organizations and individuals who champion the spirit of a more inclusive America. - Developing a Unifying Vision
Democracy as the Foundation that Grounds Us — A short but surprising and interesting article about the intersection of philanthropy, democracy, and faith. - The Hyper-Polarization Threat
8 Signs of Polarization in Your Context — From Essential Partners, an article explaining how polarization jumps from politics to all realms of our lives: homes, workplaces, faith communities, and schools. And what to do about it. - Trust / Trust Earning
Using Democratic Innovation to Rebuild Trust between Elected Officials and Citizens — Exploring the use of deliberative town hall meetings. The process brings together a cross-section of the community to have an informed discussion on a topic with an elected official.
Beyond Intractability in Context
From around the web, more insight into the nature of our conflict problems, limits of business-as-usual thinking, and things people are doing to try to make things better.
- Hate Mongering
Hyperbole For Sale — Sad reflections on the prospects for yet another election in which the outcome will be determined by which side can better demonize the other. - Trust / Trust Earning
We've Been Thinking About America's Trust Collapse All Wrong — We live in a time in which we are experiencing the widespread collapse of societal trust. Before we can remedy the situation, we need a more sophisticated image of the processes through which trust is earned. - Left / Right Conflict
The Case for Trump … by Someone Who Wants Him to Lose — For a time in which the mainstream, left-leaning media has almost nothing nice to say about former President Trump, a thought-provoking effort to understand his appeal. - Israel / Hamas War
The path to peace in the Mideast could be paved by fuzzy language — A profile of Secretary Blinken's complex and multifaceted effort to bring peace to Israel and Gaza. Regardless of what you think about his efforts, this article demonstrates the complexity of the challenge. - Left / Right Conflict
Why the right is eating the left’s lunch — As President Trump's growing support among formerly Democratic working-class voters increases his chances of winning a second term, reflections on why this is happening. - Suppressing Opponents
How death threats get Republicans to fall in line behind Trump — A disturbing review of instances in which threats of physical violence are being used by Trump supporters to quash dissent. Democracy can't survive if people aren't free to express their views. - Constructive Communication
Substack Was a Ticking Time Bomb — Thoughtful reflections on some of the difficult issues facing the Substack newsletter platform (which hosts our newsletter). - Terror
When Terrorists Talk, They Listen — A profile of the Middle East Media Research Institute, an organization focused on providing a global audience with direct (but translated) access to articles on current issues intended for Mid-East audiences. - Education
American Universities Are Post-truth — Universities were, above all, supposed to be in the business of providing us with increasingly accurate and reliable information about the nature of our world. An article on why they are failing to do this. - Hate Mongering
The Greatest Threat Posed by Trump — An argument that President Trump's special brand of politics (and Democratic policies to which his supporters are rebelling) are transforming cultural beliefs in fundamental and dangerous ways. - Saving Democracy
How The Biden Administration Put Race at the Center of Government Spending — An explanation of the Biden Administration's effort to remedy "centuries of structural racism" and the Justice40 program which reserves 40% of federal assistance programs for "underserved communities." - Superpower Conflict
When Democracy Is a Threat — In the context of Taiwan's recent election, a look at how democratic elections are becoming a battlefield in the increasingly tense struggle between geopolitical rivals (and a preview of the US 2024 election). - The Hyper-Polarization Threat
A ‘National and Global Maelstrom’ Is Pulling Us Under — From Thomas Edsall, a quick look (with lots of links) into what some of our most prominent social theorists think about society's deepening difficulties. - Interstate War
How an “Endless War” Begins — As wars continue to proliferate across the planet, an assessment of the reasons why some wars never seem to end and why the killing goes on and on. - Class Inequity
‘Merit Is No Longer Evil’ — An essay exploring the implications of all of the things that we believe, but can't say and the things that we don't believe, but must say. - Interstate War
China’s Weapons of Mass Destruction — A report on China's rapidly growing nuclear arsenal and the emerging 21st-century nuclear standoff -- something that, because of rapidly advancing technology, is likely to be even more dangerous. - Communication Complexity
The Apparent Conflict Between Universal and Particular Language — An examination of the hugely consequential conflict between two visions for the kind of 21st-century society that we ought to be pursuing. - The Scale and Complexity Problem
Governing in Complexity - Principles Paper — A rare and important paper that tries to think through one of today's most important challenges -- societal complexity. - Authoritarianism
What We Keep Fighting — For the Martin Luther King weekend, reflections on King, Rustin, Moynihan, and the continuing struggle to defend America and the pursuit of its ideals from its authoritarian enemies.
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