Beyond Intractability
Hyper-Polarization Blog
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- Neutrality, Omni-Partiality, and the Evolution of Political Conflict -- We must overcome the hostile, adversarial, authoritarian forces that separate “us” from “them;” and realize that there is no “them,” there is only us. Then we can face our conflicts and crises together, as a diverse and cohesive community of problem solvers.
- Ken Cloke: Mediation in a Time of Crisis -- The introduction to Ken Cloke's latest book focused on the many concurrent crises facing the United States and the world. It demonstrates compellingly how our only way out is through collaboration.
- Summary of Lisa Schirch: Transforming the Colour of US Peacebuilding: Types of Dialogue to Protect and Advance Multi-racial Democracy -- A summary of an article focused on how peacebuilding dialogue and the movement for social justice should be complementary, not at odds with each other.
- On Oppression, Justice, Advocacy, Neutrality, and Peacebuilding -- Part 1 -- Do efforts to limit hyper-polarization undermine efforts to challenge oppression or does allowing hyper-polarization to flourish fuel the hatred that makes oppression possible?
- Jack Williams: Reaching out Within and Beyond the Classroom -- The President of the Institute for Global Negotiation shares his thoughts on how the education system writ large can help entire societies learn and use better conflict resolution techniques.
- Neal Kohatsu: For Less Divisiveness, We Need More Humility -- Kohatsu suggests we follow Adam Grant's "rethinking cycle" -- a progression through humility, doubt, curiosity, and discovering, circling back to humility.
- Greg Bourne: What Do the Times Require? -- We’ve seen up close the results of hate, discord and violence. We must choose the better path – and the first step begins with each of us making that choice.
- We’re About to Find Out What Happens When Privacy Is All but Gone -- A look at the many implications of living in a post-privacy society.
- Richard Rubenstein: Talking Sense about "the Next American Civil War" -- We should work to avoid inflaming the “all or nothing” consciousness that often leads in the direction of civil violence, and focus, instead, on our real enemy--the capitalist structure of wealth and power.
- Jay Rothman: The Reflexive Mediator -- A summary of Jay Rothman's 2014 Negotiation Journal article in which Jay suggests mediators cannot be neutral, but they can be reflexive and use "disciplined bias" to reach resolution.
- Strategies for Revitalizing Democracy in the Post 9/11 Era -- Carrie Menkel-Meadow, Connie Ozawa, and Barney Jordaan offer their their thoughts on what the conflict resolution field can do to help limit the hyper-polarization that is plaguing so many societies.
- James Adams: A Cautionary Tale for a Polarizing America and the World -- An excerpted version of James Adams's reflection on the similarities between the United States and war-torn and post-war countries abroad where he has served as a peacebuilder.
- How Can We Reduce Hyper-Polarization? Join BI's Discussion to Share Your Ideas and Learn Others! -- A joint BI/CRQ call for those with conflict resolution and peacebuilding expertise to pool their insights and think about how we could help democracies better live up to their ideals.
- Not a False Flag, a More Effective Strategy for Fighting Oppression: the Burgesses Respond to Jackie Font-Guzmán and Bernie Mayer -- The conversation between Jackie, Bernie, and the Burgesses is a good example of the blind man and the elephant parable. We all need to look at the whole elephant!
- Peter Adler: Defiance at Duck Springs -- The world is made of stories, and good stories accumulate into larger narratives and make the world’s history what it is, and what it could be. Here's a story we should learn from before it becomes true.
- The False Flag of Hyper-Polarization A Response to Guy and Heidi Burgess’ Critique of The Neutrality Trap -- An approach that says we should focus on peace and not justice is not only bound to fail, it is dangerous in these times when our democracy is under attack and authoritarianism is on the rise.
- Introducing a Discussion with Bernie Mayer and Jackie Font-Guzmán about Hyper-Polarization, Neutrality, and Oppression -- Is America's core problem hyper-polarization or oppression? Which is the cause and which is the effect? What does this imply about how we address both?
- Jay Rothman's Quick Answers to Our Questions -- Jay argues that participatory, civic engagement to promote deeper understanding of and commitment to fundamental difference (which he refers to as "agonism") is essential for successful democracy.
- Larry Susskind Explains How To Get Highly Distrustful, even Hateful Parties to Work Together -- Those who want to promote dialogue or peace-making among parties who are “at war” are inviting the wrong people to the wrong kind of event in the wrong way. There are clear alternatives that work, devising seminars being one of them.
- A New Book on Lessons from Peacebuilding Abroad and the Implications for Divisions within the United States -- Adams's book summary explains why he wrote the book the way he did, and what he was trying to accomplish in doing so.
- The Crane Brinton Effect -- The key to successful revolutionary (or evolutionary) change is a broadly agreed-upon vision for a better society in which most everyone would like to live.
- Allison Pike-Merrell Interviews Nawaz Mohammed, Sri Lanka Country Director, Search for Common Ground -- 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.
- Reflections on the January 6 Hearings and the Need for a Broader Investigation of Hyper-Polarization -- 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.
- Larry Susskind in the Negotiation Journal: Initiating Collaboration in the Midst of a Standoff -- 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.
- Larry Susskind and Shafik Islam on Complexity -- The combination of complexity theory with negotiation theory yields a powerful tool for effective water resources management--and other complex public problems.