Initial Discussion

The Burgesses and Sanda Kaufman wrote Bernie Mayer and Jackie Font-Guzmán (authors of The Neutrality Trap), asking them to contribute their thoughts about the CRQ Framing Article to the subsequent online discussion.  We are assembling all the posts that have resulted from this inquiry here, starting with the initial exchange between Jackie, Bernie, and ourselves (Guy and Heidi Burgess)  After that, we list related posts in reverse chronological order (so we show the most recent post first).

• 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? -- Aug. 23, 2022
• 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.-- Aug. 24, 2022
• 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! -- Aug. 30, 2022

Additional Comments

We also encourage others to join this conversation and several already have.  Other posts that relate to this multi-faceted topic include:

• Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess: Pro-Democracy Efforts: the Tension between Power-Over or Power-With Approaches - "Pro-democracy" efforts have little consensus on what democracy is, or how it should be "saved." Our failure to reconcile these competing views is a big part of the reason why democracy is in so much trouble. --Sept 14, 2023
• Harry Boyte and Marie-Louise Strom: Constructive Nonviolence  -  Constructive nonviolence can be a profound resource for addressing injustice, repairing torn relationships, and creating healthy civic life. And it is something we all can do, everyday.  July 25, 2023
• Heidi Burgess and Guy Burgess: The Key to Saving Democracy: Reducing Polarization? Promoting Justice? It Takes More Than That! -- There's no one answer to "saving democracy." We need to pursue many different things all at the same time. -- Jul 04, 2023
   
• Rachel Kleinfeld and Shamil Idriss on Polarization, Philanthropic Plurality, Social Justice, and Democracy -- Those seeking to improve democracy should hold themselves accountable for advancing both peace and justice through collaborative action to meet common goals. -- Jun 26, 2023

• Social Justice Advocacy, Bridge-Building and Philanthropy: How Do These Intersect? -- What role should philanthropy play in the effort to fix democracy? Can they help? How? Or should they bow out, acknowledging that they are making the problem worse? -- Jun 22, 2023

• Carol Pauli's "The 'End' of Neutrality: Tumultuous Times Require a Deeper Value" -- Pauli asserts that neutrality is an "unsatisfying value" for both journalists and mediators in our current conflicted times, and might be better replaced with a fundamental reliance on human dignity of every person. Feb. 7, 2023
• Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess: Massively Parallel Peacebuilding vs. Massively Parallel Partisanship -- Advocacy plays a key role in Massively Parallel Peacebuilding.  But, this role can either be supportive and helpful, or destructive, depending on how it is done. January 25, 2023
• Julia Roig: Where Does Civil Resistance and Social Justice Fit in MPP? -- How do we know when taking a stand is what’s absolutely called for – because we’ve reached the tipping point of uncivil politics/undemocratic behaviors? January 24, 2023
• Kristen Hansen talks about the Civic Health Project's Work on De-polarization in America -- A discussion of ends and means, incentives, interventions, scale, challenges, successes, visions--Kristen's vision is clear and exceptionally wide ranging at the same time. This is a summary of a 75-minute interview.  That very much relates to this topic, so it is linked below: - Jan. 5, 2023
• Conversation with Kristen Hansen, Executive Director of the Civic Health Project -- To really do bridge building work credibly, you can't assume an outcome. You have to move upstream. and you have to be about means and not about ends. You have to trust that the ends will go where the universe wants them to go.  Jan. 5, 2023
• Canaries, Constructive Advocates, and Intermediaries -- A comparison of three conflict roles, all of which are needed to successfully confront challenging and complex social problems and issues. Jan. 2, 2023
• Lou Kriesberg's Chapter 10 in Fighting Better - Recovering and Advancing Equality in the Future -- A review of Louis Kriesberg's seven elements of constructive conflict, as illustrated in the closing chapter of his new book Fighting Better: Constructive Conflicts in America. Jan. 2, 2023
• Kristen Hansen: Are Bridge-builders Being "Too Nice" to the Right? -- The primary role of bridge-builders in America at this time is to "call in," not to "call out." That this does not make us irrelevant, it makes us essential. Nov. 20, 2022
• Julia Roig -- Rethinking 'Polarization' as the Problem -- Polarization is good when it pushes us to change. It is toxic when it causes us to dehumanize and push away "the other." We need to sit with our conflict, explore it, and move through it together.  Oct. 25, 2022
• Colin Rule -- Positive Reframing in Political Conversations: Avoiding the Race to the Bottom -- What outcome do we want to achieve? When we lash out in anger, do these behaviors help or hinder our efforts to achieve that outcome? Are they making the problem worse? Oct. 24, 2022
• Matt Legge: Beware the Popular Idea That You Know a Hidden Truth -- This metaphor leads to a binary assumption: I'm right, they are wrong. We'd be well served dropping that assumption, and listening to others to learn how they might, actually, be right, and we are wrong. Nov. 18, 2022.
• Summary of Martin Carcasson's "A Framework for Understanding Polarizing Language" -- Polarizing language demonstrates features that are readily identifiable. Can such warnings can be heard and action taken to enable people to shift from violence to problem solving before it's too late?  — Sept. 27, 2022
• Ken Cloke: 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. - Sept. 23, 2022
• 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. — Sept. 22, 2022.
• 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. —  Sept. 9, 2022
• 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, 2022
• 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 equivalence of responsibility, which is not accurate. -- Jun 27, 2022

Newsletters on this Topic

• Newsletter 56 - Oct. 4, 2022 -  Additional Perspectives on Oppression, Justice, Advocacy, Neutrality, and Peacebuilding - Larry Susskind, Louis Kriesberg, Jay Rothman, Ken Cloke, Greg Bourne, Lisa Schirch, Martin Carcasson
• Newsletter 55 - Sept 29, 2022 -  On Oppression, Justice, Advocacy, Neutrality, and Peacebuilding -- Part 3 - GHB response to JB + Non-mainstream newsources part 2
• Newsletter 54 - Sept 25, 2022 -  On Oppression, Justice, Advocacy, Neutrality, and Peacebuilding -- Part 2 - JB response to GHB + Non-mainstream newsources part 1
• Newsletter 53 - Sept. 21, 2022 - On Oppression, Justice, Advocacy, Neutrality, and Peacebuilding -- Part 1 - GHB intro to neutrality discussion