Featured Topic Area: Authoritarian Populism

Applying "Massively Parallel Peacebuilding" to the challenges posed by authoritarian populism.

 

Frontiers Seminar Series Homepage See also: Frontiers Seminar 7 -- Using MPP to Understand the Authoritarian Populism Problem

In Conflict Frontiers Seminar 7, we introduced and explained the nature of the "Authoritarian Populsim Problem."  In this seminar we offer a series of posts exploring ways in which a strategy based on Massively Parallel Peace Building (MPP)  can help us more constructively address the problem.

Conflict Frontiers Posts:

• Meeting the Authoritarian Populism Challenge 1: Authoritarian and Partisan Conflict - An appeal for us all to put our partisan differences in perspective and work together to strengthen democracy.
• Meeting the Authoritarian Populism Challenge 2: “Hate Bait,” Framing, and Escalation - Learn about things small groups can do to push back against "hate bait," distraction-based propaganda, scapegoating, and other conflict problems.
• Meeting the Authoritarian Populism Challenge 3: Communication, Governance, and Economics - Strategies for limiting the destructiveness of red/blue conflicts based on better communication, fact-finding, collaboration, governance, and economics.
• Meeting the Authoritarian Populism Challenge 4: The "Super Rich" and the "Meritocratic Elite" - A look at things that those at the top of the hierarchy are doing to make things worse and strategies for persuading them to change.
• Meeting the Authoritarian Populism Challenge 5: The "Protected Classes" and the "Left Behind"  - A look at strategies for helping grassroots citizens on the left and the right come together to advance their common interests.
• Why Relationships Matter - This video explores how social media is driving conflict & why real human relationships are so important.
• Limit "Us-vs-Them" Language, Thinking and Action - This video explains why and how to think of and treat "the other" as a partner, not as an adversary.
• Counter Hate and Malevolence - Part 1 - Hate is a cause and consequence of escalation that almost always makes conflicts worse. Don't help it along!
• Counter Hate and Malevolence - Part 2 - The second of two videos, this focuses on how to respond constructively to people who (seem to) hate you.
• Promote Escalation Awareness - This video shows what escalation is, how the damage happens, and suggests the first line of defense is prevention--don't "jump in the pot!"
• Promoting De-Escalation – Part 1: Conciliatory Gestures - Conciliatory gestures are a way to break down stereotypes and start de-escalating conflicts with surprise overtures of kindness.

Related Things YOU Can Do Posts:  

• Seek Co-existence, Not Total Victory -The demand for total victory is a recipe for continuing and deepening strife--co-existence is essential for peace.
• Don't Take the "Hate Bait" - How we tend to fall into the hate trap without even realizing it--and how not to.
• Focus on Fixing the Problem, Not Attacking People - Attacking people makes them angry. Enlisting their help to solve a mutual problem is more likely to work as hoped.
• Treat EVERYONE With Respect -  Respect is free to give, yet its payback is huge: breaking down stereotypes and often earning respect in return.
• Find Others to Work With -  A description, with examples, of why working with as many people as possible can help acheive your goal.
• Listen To and Talk With (not to) the Other Side - A how-to to really understand the other side -- the first step towards conflict resolution or constructive confrontation.
• Try Collaboration First! - A why and how discussion of collaboration, explaining that it often is possible when we think it is not.
• Pick Your Fights--Let Things Go When You Can -- We need to decide: what is worth fighting?  What is not? This post discusses how to decide.
• Confront Constructively -- How to peel away the overlays so you can address the core conflict with an optimal power strategy mix.
• Understand Your--and Others'--Fundamental Human Needs -- Fundamental needs are common drivers of conflict. But they don't have to be.

Related Conflict Fundamentals and BI Knowledge Base Posts

• Core and Overlays Part 1 - An examination of the Burgess's theory of core and overlaying factors which contribute to conflict intractability.
• Core and Overlays Part 2 - Following on from an examination of core factors, this article examines the Burgess's notion of "complicating factors" that also contribute to intractability. 
• Reconciliation - Reconciliation used to be a common conflict resolution goal. While it still may be for the peacebuilders, it isn't sought by disputants nearly as much.
• Principles of Justice and Fairness - An examination of the many different meanings of justice: distributive, procedural, retributive, and restorative among others. 
• First Parties, Third Parties, and Thirdsiders - An essay examining the different roles conflict parties play, showing how even disputants can also be dispute resolovers. 
• Ury's "Third Side"' - Ury describes 10 third side roles that both conflict insiders and outsiders can play to help make conflicts more constructive. 
• Leaders and Leadership - An examination of the different meanings of the word "leader," what makes leaders good or bad, and the dynamics between a group and their leader. 
• Identity Issues - Identity has long been identified as a driver of intractability. This essay explains why, and what can be done to address these conflicts. 
• Status and power struggles - Another core driver of intractability--the fight over social status never seems to end, as is discussed in this Fundamentals Post. 
• Power - Power, also, is more complex than it seems. This explains the difference between power sources, power strategies and when to use what. 
• Oppression - Written by well-known conflict scholar Morton Deutsch, the entire series is more relevant today than ever.
• Humiliation - While commonly used, humiliation is extremely destructive--to its victims, and also, often, to the person or group doing the humiliation as well.

Related BI-In-Context Posts:

• Has Austria Found the Answer to Right-Wing Populism? - A hopeful story about strategies for constructively addressing the complaints of the populists. 
• Guide for Conversations Across the Red-Blue Divide - A guide for taking a personal step to address the red-blue cultural divide, which will also help with the p