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| Paul ,
Pittsburgh pa |
07/21/04 |
| Response to Ron |
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I'm with you up until your last couple of sentences.
1) You don't hold out much hope for creative intervention in a faith based conflict like this. To me, it is an open question whether this is faith based - or faith gloss over a nationalistic conflict.
2) Regardless, my study of the MOVE Conflict in Philadelphia, the conflict between City officials and MOVE, a predominantly Black counter-culture group which wound up in 1985 with the city laying armed seige to MOVE headquarters - firebombing it and in the process killing 11 people and burning down an entire neighborhood.
MOVE was a value driven organization, some called it a cult - I would consider it strongly faith based. They constantly proclaimed their unwillingness to compromise their values. (And nobody is likely to decide to compromise on their values). Where there is room to maneuver, I learned in this study, is that you can reinterpret the behaviors that support the value.
MOVE example - they believed in recycling back to nature - so they threw their trash into the yard where it stank, attracted rats, etc. Com;plaints from neighgors got the response - we won't compromise our values.
It was only when a neighbor suggested they learn to compost the trash, then they will be recylcing more quickly, (thus maintaining their value) And they wouldn't have to live withe the stinka dn the neighborss will be ha;ppier. That agreement wasd struck and held until the magnitude of the larger problem of a weapons search made the pregentive work we are talking about redundant.
Citation (love it when people buy my book. The MOVE Crisis in Philadelphia: Extremist Groups and Conflict Resolution, University of Pittsburgh Press.
My point is, briefly, that the more we can get peeple off their duffers andout to vote - the beter se go
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| Ron ,
Columbia SC |
07/21/04 |
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As a mediator, I've always found the mideast conflict intriging. The observation of party use of value-laden terms to describe the opposing party's actions or intents is actually a reflection of interests, a fundamental objective to be satisfied via the process by each party. The mediator's role here and in other disputes is to attempt to ignore the value-added terms as they are so bombarded with during mediation sessions. I try to sanitize these through the reframing technique, which hopefully tends to disarm both parties, yet reaffirms their respective views. In principle I agree with the writer's observation that in this particular dispute, the flames of interest have raged too hot over the decades. I just don't think that this or any other faith-based dispute is subject to enduring compromise. |
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| Paul
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07/06/04 |
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This article is a fine, optimistic, perspective on Middle East negotiations. There are indeed strong parallels between the domestic practice of mediation and international peacemaking.
So I welcome this article to the collection of think-pieces on Israel/Palestine conflicts. However, I would like to remind people that this is not the only conflict in the world. There is progress in Cypress, trouble in Sudan, the Irish are hanging onto the Good Friday agreement ... and so on.
I'd sure like to see some articles and commentary on other trouble spots in the world. If you would like to submit one for me to review, in my capacity as editor of this section, I'd be glad to give you my opinion about its relevance to this site. Just go to my website, www.mediate.com/conflictres/ and use the email function there to contact me directly
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