Fundamentals Seminar Blog
Constructive Confrontation Initiative Spring 2018 Posts to Date
See Syllabus for additional background posts and planned, future posts (many of which are now accessible).
Other Blogs: MOOS Conflict Frontiers | BI in Context | Colleague Activities
Posts ordered from most recent to earliest.
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Rules and Rhythms of Reconciliation
Reconciliation practices need to be practical and effective before they can promote personal enlightenment. For this, shared justice practices are needed.
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History Education and Reconciliation in (Post)Conflict Societies
History education forms narratives of conflicts that can continue tensions or lead to reconciliation, depending on how it is done
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Engaging Extremists in Reconciliation Processes: Limitations and Opportunities
The understanding of extremism as a social phenomenon should guide efforts to reconcile with former and current extremists.
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Reconciliation - Part 2: Making Reconciliation Happen
Pursuing truth, accountability, apology, and structural and policy changes all contribute to reconciliation.
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Reconciliation Part 1: What Is Reconciliation?
Providing an historical and theoretical basis for the concept of reconciliation and beginning to explore ways it can be pursued.
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Update and Current Implications of Chip Hauss's 2003 Essay on Reconciliation
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Reconciliation - Update and Current Implications
An essay considering whether the time is right for political reconciliation in the U.S., and how it might be accomplished.
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Conflict Styles
Competition, collaboration, compromise, avoidance, and accommodation all have costs and benefits. Know which is best when!
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Constructive Escalation
By choosing one's conflict strategies carefully, it is possible to win the support of people on the other side without causing backlash.
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Destructive Escalation
Destructive escalation is the most dangerous force on the planet. The "enemy" is not the other side; it is destructive escalation.
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Principles of Justice and Fairness
"Justice" can mean very different things to different people, and the outcomes of each are very different.
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Types of Justice
It is hard to fight for justice when you don't know what it means. This essay helps you decide what types of justice are worth fighting for.
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Overcoming Oppression Through Persuasion
Persuasion doesn't have the risks that come with the use of force, and can be very effective.
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Overcoming Oppression With Power
When persuasion isn't enough, power must be added to overcome oppression. But that doesn't mean violence.
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Overcoming Oppression: Awakening the Sense of Injustice
Many have recently awakened to U.S. injustice--but will this awakening last?
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Maintaining Oppression
All four need to be understood and addressed if oppression is to be overcome.
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Forms of Oppression
In addition to distributive, procedural, and retributive injustice, moral exclusion and cultural imperialism are also oppression.
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The Nature and Origins of Oppression
Hunter/gatherer societies were relatively egalitarian, but agriculture encouraged and enabled the formation of a social hierarchy.
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Oppression and Conflict: Introduction
This intro to a 6-essay series focuses on the causes and impacts of oppression and how it can be overcome.
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Dehumanization
Research on dehumanization is very clear: such speech increases the likelihood of violence, even genocide.
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Theories of Change
Peacebuilders use many theories of change, yet they seldom describe them explicitly. Doing so would improve their outcomes and others' knowledge.
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Into-the-Sea Framing
Total refusal to live with the "other side" results in into-the-sea framing and deep intractability.
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Face
Humiliation is an extremely powerful negative emotion, while allowing someone to save face is the antidote that helps resolve conflicts.
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Enemy Images
Enemy images deepen our socio-economics and political problems, while they make effective problem solving impossible.
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Respect
The opposite of humiliation, respect is almost a magic pill helping to jump start conflict transformation.
