Constructive Conflict Initiative Blog
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Two years ago, we started the CCI Blog to share insights we had received about our then-new Constructive Conflict Initiative. The scope of the blog has expanded considerably since then, next focusing on COVID and its conflict implications, then on systemic racism with the murder of George Floyd, then on hyperpolarization and related challenges to democracy that have become increasingly evident (and serious) over the last several years.
In the fall of 2021, the BI Co-Directors Guy and Heidi Burgess and long-time BI contributor Sanda Kaufman were asked to write a “feature article” for the Conflict Resolution Quarterly on the topic of hyperpolarization. CRQ and we (the authors) hope that this article will stimulate a lot of discussion in our field about what more we can do to reduce hyperpolarization and the many harms it has wrought. To facilitate this, CRQ and BI are co-sponsoring a discussion on these topics, which we are blending into the ongoing CCI blog.
To contribute to the discussion, please send us your thoughts (however formal or informal, long or short) through the BI contact form. We are not opening up the blog/discussion to direct posting, since that risks falling victim to malicious bots. But we will post all contributions that are sent in good faith, (including, certainly, those that disagree with us). We’d also like to hear about work others are doing to address hyperpolarization (directly or indirectly) and studies/reports/analyses that address this or related topics. We also welcome contributions on other topics, as long as they relate to topics covered in BI (primarily intractable conflict).
Readers might also be interested in our Constructive Conflict Massive Open Online Seminar with its more extensive blog which includes additional BI content as well as links to the activities of our conflict and peacebuilding colleagues and articles exploring the larger context surrounding today's big conflicts.
Blog Posts
- Reversing Polarization and Escalation - Part 1 -- While there are many things driving destructive escalation and polarization, there are also many things that can be done to reverse them. #mbi_fundamentals -- Nov 30
- Intractable Conflicts Are Always More than "Us-Versus-Them" -- We tend to assume that it is their choices and their behavior, that is causing our own problems. It isn't. It is almost always US TOO! #mbi_cci -- Nov 04
- What (if anything) have we learned since Vietnam? -- A discussion of the dangers of over-simplification and what can be done to better understand the complexity of a conflict before you choose a course of action. -- Oct 01
- Jayne Docherty talks about the Red/Blue Divide She Lives in Everyday -- Harrisonburg, VA, and its county, Rockingham couldn't be more different. But they are also surprisingly the same, which could be used to leverage improved relationships. -- Aug 08
- Race and Caste, Gender and Patriarchy, Wealth and Class: Mediating the Systems, Structures, and Sources of Prejudice -- Reknown mediator Ken Cloke reflects on the origins of bias, stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, and what that says about ways to dismantle these scourges. -- Jun 15
- The King Soopers Shooting: This Time It Was Personal -- Motivated by a mass shooting in our community, we've spent the last week thinking about how our insights into the intractable conflict problem can help. #mbi_cci -- Mar 29
- Positive Thinking -- Giving "the other" the benefit of the doubt most of the time will lead to better outcomes for everyone. #mbi_cci -- Feb 21
- A More Positive "Take" on "The Jeep Ad" -- The outcry over the ad was more a reflection of ourselves than it was about the ad. If we look more deeply at our reactions, we might be able to see the value of its basic message. #mbi_cci -- Feb 15
- Avoiding a Category 5 Socio-political Hurricane -- We need to figure out how we can live together if we want to avoid a threatening disaster. Prospective reconciliation helps us do that. -- Feb 04
- Shamil Idriss: America’s Hard Path Forward -- We must address extremist groups' grievances, while standing firm against their extreme actions. By focusing on commonalities, as well as differences, we can find a path forward. #mbi_colleague -- Jan 17
- Chip Hauss - On Coups and Reconciliation -- The U.S. desperately needs reconciliation at a time when it is going to be especially difficult for us to reconcile. #mbi_frontiers -- Jan 11
- Ebrahim Rasool on What America Might Learn From South Africa's 300+ Years of Struggle -- Exceptionally wise advice from South Africa on how to overcome polarization with vision, humanism, inclusion, and a balancing of truth, peace, and justice. #mbi_cci -- Jan 10
- Chip Hauss - On Coups and Reconciliation -- The U.S. is desperately needs reconciliation at a time when it is going to be especially difficult for us to reconcile. -- Jan 07
- These Four Steps Will Help When You’re Stuck--How do some people make major changes happen? -- Introducing "desire paths," and the importance of designing change to follow them whenever possible. -- Dec 18
- U.S. Reconciliation in 2020 and Beyond -- Reconciliation is not the imposition of one side's view on the other, but rather a meeting of minds and a way forward. #mbi_cci -- Nov 22
- Catching up with Chip Hauss and Imperative 21 -- In the wake of the still disputed US election, we have a massive amount of work to do to respond effectively to our many crises. Here's how to start. #mbi_cci -- Nov 10
- So What -- A list of six things we all can do to move forward in these fightening and chaotic times. #mbi_cci -- Nov 01
- Put Down the Brick…A Commentary on Community Economics -- We need to remember that difference is strength, and we should learn from and appreciate our differences, not fight them. #mbi_cci -- Oct 29
- Ways to Advance Equal Justice in America -- Improving justice for blacks improves outcomes for everyone by increasing trust, security, and mutual understanding between citizens and the police. #mbi_cci -- Oct 22
- Advancing Black Equality in America -- A suggestion that BLM expand its tactics to more extensively negotiate and lobby local, school, state, and national officials. #mbi_cci -- Oct 20
- Does Nonviolence Work? -- Research shows nonviolence is far more effective than violence--it should be all protestors' go-to choice! #mbi_cci -- Oct 14
- Disproportionality Trap and Counter Trap -- It is not enough to address the disproportionate impact of social problems, you also have to equitably address the problem itself. -- Sep 27
- Jay Rothman: Systematic Collaborative Visioning for Conflict Resolution Action and Evaluation in the Post-Covid19 World -- The time is ripe and we have much to contribute do de-escalation: listening, dialogue, reframing, collaboration and more. #mbi_cci -- Sep 24
- Morton Deutsch on Understanding and Overcoming Oppression -- Oppression has been with us through the ages. Fortunately we have learned many strategies for overcoming it. -- Sep 15
- The US Election, COVID, Racism, and the Constructive Conflict Initiative -- If ever the "peacemakers time is at hand," this is it! Join our effort to help share what peacebuilders know that can help. -- Sep 13
