Beyond Intractability Hyper-Polarization Blog
Includes BI/CRQ Discussion
All Posts
An online exploration of the tough challenges raised by the
BI/CRQ Hyper-Polarization Discussion
and the
Constructive Conflict Initiative
Additional Posts
Lists of these recent posts plus additional posts are available separately for each BI Section:
Things You Can Do To Help | Conflict Frontiers | Conflict Fundamentals
Beyond Intractability in Context | Colleague Activities
- 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. -- Jul 22
- 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. -- Jul 21
- 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. -- Jul 01
- 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. -- Jun 30
- 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. -- Jun 29
- Chip Hauss: Beyond Polarization -- We’ll counter toxic polarization if and only if we offer people a better and credible alternative that they can put into practice in the lived experience of their daily lives. -- Jun 28
- Louis Kriesberg: Comments on “Applying conflict resolution insights…” by Burgess, Burgess, and Kaufman -- Lou Kriesberg, co-author with Bruce Dayton of Constructive Conflicts, offers a variety of comments, including his view that "polarization" implies equivalance of responsibility, which is not accurate. -- Jun 27
- Larry Susskind: Consensus Building in the Age of Trump What was it like in the Age of Trump? -- Listening to or caring about "the other side" has become much less common in "the age of Trump," but that just makes the roles of neutrals all the more important. -- Jun 27
- Solon Simmons: Applying Root Narrative Theory to the Republican Party and American Politics -- Only Republicans can save the party from the abyss they have fallen into; the way out involves changing their dominant root narratives that drive their behavior. -- Jun 26
- From Chris Honeyman: Statement of J. Michael Luttig to the United States House Select Committee on the January 6, 2021 Attack on the United -- Luttig asserts that America is at war with itself and if its leaders do not quickly develop the moral courage to make peace, America is doomed. -- Jun 25
- We Must Break the Logic of War Now--Before We Get World War III -- As we embrace every effort to end the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine today, we must seize this moment for what it is: our last best chance to prevent even greater tragedy tomorrow. -- Apr 17
- Talk with Shamil Idress, CEO of Search for Common Ground -- Heidi Burgess interviews Shamill Idress about his career, Search for Common Ground's work, current challenges facing Search, the peacebuilding field, and the world as a whole--and how we can meet them. -- Apr 16
- Russians Must Accept the Truth. We Failed. -- From one of the many brave Russians who tried, and failed, to stop their countriy from sliding into an authoritarian dystopia, an eloquent reminder of why we have to strengthen liberal democracy. -- Apr 01
- The Ukrainian War: What Happens When You Have a War That Both Sides Absolutely, Positively Can't Afford to Lose? -- The same dynamic that is driving the hyper-polarization crisis in so many countries now threatens to turn the Ukrainian crisis into a truly catastrophic war. -- Mar 31
- Extended Commentary: Applying Conflict Resolution Insights to Hyper-Polarization: “When Will (We) Ever Learn?” -- We need to focus on our interdependence, the importance of curiousity, humility, "process pluralism," and most importantly widespread education of the polity on better ways of dealing with conflict. -- Mar 30
- Helping organizations and individuals develop conflict wisdom -- An appeal for the conflict field to go beyond interpersonal work to organizational work, particularly in businesses and business schools and an explanation of how peacebuilding "hubs" have been used in Belgium and The Netherlands to "scale up" peacebuilding to the societal level. -- Mar 29
- Adding to the call to action—A few more thoughts -- An exploration of the importance of framing and the need to take control of the destructive narratives that are so pervasive in polarized democracies. We need to replace them with a shared vision for our future -- one that is attractive to everyone including those with whom we disagree. -- Mar 28
- Applying conflict resolution insights to hyper-polarization: “When will (we) ever learn?” -- Long-time conflict resolution scholar and practitioner, Carrie Menkel-Meadow reflects on the many causes of hyper-polarization and suggests new metaphors and approaches for replacing it with constructive, collaborative problem solving. -- Mar 27
- Applying conflict resolution insights to the hyper-polarized, society-wide conflicts threatening liberal democracies -- Long-time conflict resolution scholar and practitioner, Carrie Menkel-Meadow reflects on the many causes of hyper-polarization and suggests new metaphors and approaches for replacing it with constructive, collaborative problem solving. -- Mar 26
- Applying conflict resolution insights to the hyper-polarized, society-wide conflicts threatening liberal democracies -- A call for those with conflict-related expertise to do more to help society more constructively handle the scale and complexity of today's big conflicts while also more effectively countering the efforts of bad-faith actors who are actively working to inflame and exploit our conflicts. -- Mar 26
- BI/CRQ Discussion: Welcome and Invitation to Participate -- An open invitation to participate in an online exploration of additional things that those with conflict -related expertise might be able to do to help diffuse the hyperpolarized conflict problems that are so threatening to modern societies. -- Mar 24
- The Hyper-Polarization Crisis: a Conflict Resolution Challenge -- In partnership with the Conflict Resolution Quarterly's new Feature Article series, Beyond Intractability is convening a new online discussion focused on the hyper-polarization crisis. -- Mar 23
- What the Economic Left Gets Right About Politics -- Another "listening-to-both- sides-of-an argument post." This one, on "what the left gets right," complements an earlier post on "what the right gets right." #mbi_context -- Mar 10
- Finding middle ground on issues of race -- A thought-provoking essay that explores the difference between past and future-oriented moral philosophies and associated opportunities for diffusing racial tensions. #mbi_colleague -- Mar 10
- When Antibiotics Stop Working -- A reminder that we will soon face additional, serious health challenges that will require us to move beyond today's destructive healthcare politics. #mbi_context -- Mar 10
