The next world war will be fought with sticks and stones.
– Albert Einstein
Someday, hopefully soon, the shooting will stop and it will be
time to create yet another lasting peace. I hope we can bring military
action to a halt before the words of Albert Einstein come true.
Unfortunately, the longer and more devastating the destruction, the
deeper the scars will be. Violent military action is both a way to
vent anger and rage, and a way to impose a solution through the use of
power. That does create a short term end to the conflict, but it does
not resolve the deeper cause of the conflict. Because of the real
costs involved war cannot have a winner.
At some point it will be essential to engage in a dialogue that
will both resolve past conflicts and shape the future. It must be a
dialogue in which there are no winners and losers – only a vision that
works for everyone. It will have to be a “truth and reconciliation”
process if it is to have any value. Although the military conflict
will provide an immediate solution, that will not provide the long
term resolution that is essential for a lasting peace. Lasting peace
can only come from a place of emotional completion, catharsis, the
letting go of hateful thoughts and feelings, and a voluntary choice to
honor a mutually crafted vision for the future.
Because they were not part of the articulated dialogue the
presence of the following veiled factors made diplomacy ineffective:
economic self-interest; religious; oil; historic alliances; balance of
power; diplomatic protocols; reelection and domestic political
success; historic legacies: family dynamics; personality challenges;
media reporting; moving diplomatic targets and compliance standards;
domestic tax policy and a weak economy; 9/11 and winning a global war
on terrorism; and relevance of the UN as an effective international
body. These factors, and the personality’s of the major players make
it challenging to evaluate what happened in terms of traditional
standards of conflict resolution.
So, what do we do?
What is the opportunity created by the pain
and devastation of war, the huge demonstrations, and nations on the UN
Security Council opposed to invasion? Here are some suggestions:
a.)Although a huge leap, we could choose to forget history and
relegate our collective memory to large data storage bins. The world
has changed dramatically in the past 50 years. As long as we drag
history and the old political and diplomatic channels and structure
with us we will continue to pay the cost of conflict. We might begin
as if the past never happened because the world has changed so much.
We need to turn to the future with fresh eyes and heart, and create a
world that mirrors a vision for the future, not a fearful past.
b.)Let’s stop talking about what’s wrong, and start building a
vision of the future, and the resolution we are committed to. As long
as we continue to talk of problems we will have them. Our
institutions, and the current players keep perpetuating the past like
the movie “Groundhog Day.” We can begin with a vision of what we want
to work toward, and create the project plan to get us there. No need
to prove fault, right, wrong or blame – only the future vision is
important. We need to apply this in Iraq, in Israel- Palestine, and in
all places of international conflict. This is the kind of vision all
great leaders bring to enable a different world. Such vision
passionately engages people. Getting rid of the negative is not
compelling. Enrolling in a different positive future pulls people into
the future!.
c.)Set up specific, measurably objective triggers that require an
international body to intervene in the affairs of other sovereign
nations.
d.)Remember the current situation generated an outpouring of people
all over the globe saying “NO” to war.
Process design and issue framing will have a very strong impact
on outcomes. For example, the framing of the UN proceedings were very
destructive because the context of the debate was about proof of
violations of previous resolutions and punishment. The inquiry might
have been about what to do as a result of what the inspections were
revealing, how to ensure compliance, and determining the most
effective way to disarm.
A diplomatic solution was never reached because the process
determined by UN protocols was incomplete. It was not designed to
expose interests that were not part of the public dialogue required in
the UN forum. There was no clearly agreed picture of an end result so
the following maxim was operative:”If you don’t know where you’re
going any road will get you there.” That’s why the process has been
so jerky, and that’s part of why we’re at war. Everyone became more
concerned with their own righteousness than the lives of untold
innocents and young soldiers. We are risking consequences we can’t
predict because a group of middle aged, mostly white men, failed to
communicate with each other. Blood on the battlefield is one of the
costs of that failure. And, they are not to blamed – they were just
doing the best job they could within a structure that failed.
If I had the task of resolving the current conflict I would
design a process using the following elements. Each step serves an
important principle of conflict resolution.
One: ATTITUDE OF RESOLUTION – new thinking about conflict
Two: TELLING THE STORY – everyone’s uninterrupted turn to speak
Three: PRELIMINARY VISION – focus on what would be fair to
everyone
Four: CURRENT and COMPLETE – letting go,leaving the past behind
Five: AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE – what is the new relationship
Six: NEW AGREEMENT – detailed vision for the future
Seven: RESOLUTION – operating in the new context
1. Developing the Attitude of Resolution
Ten principles hold the values that make up the attitude of
resolution. Attitude is the place of beginning, a critical first step.
It is how we choose to think about conflict. A shift does not happen
at once. It takes time to change thinking habits. This is the
foundational step. The goal is internalizing the principles for the
future, and “normalizing” the phenomenon of conflict such that
“triggering” becomes minimal.
2. Telling The Story
The second step is telling all stories, including yours. It is
about understanding and being understood. Listening with a careful
ear, and honoring everyone’s story about a situation, is a big step
toward resolution.
3. Listening for a Vision of Resolution That Honors All Concerns
Thinking about a resolution that honors all concerns in the
situation is a critical aspect of the context of the process. It
requires shifting the inquiry from the desire to win and get your way,
to a vision that everyone can buy into. It embodies a sense of
fairness. Any initial vision changes as more information is revealed
and you learn from everyone else that is involved. .
4. Getting Current and Complete
This step demands saying difficult, highly charged things.
Articulating what usually goes unexpressed, and escaping from the
emotional and intellectual prisons that keep us locked in the past is
the purpose of this step. It is a way to face the good and bad in any
situation and to experience and grieve for the disappointment of
unrealized expectations. It is a way to put all of the detail out on
the table–and choose those remnants that can be used to weave a new
tapestry of resolution. This step gets at the emotional root of all
conflict and methodically enables what is usually hidden to surface,
5. Seeing a Vision for the Future: Agreement in Principle
Now that you have a preliminary vision, along with the
additional information and emotional freedom provided by the
completion process, you are ready for the fifth step–reaching an
agreement in principle. Having heard what other parties need, and
realizing some of the untruths in your righteous position, you are
ready to reach a general understanding of the direction of the
resolution. Painting with a broad brush, you create the foundation and
framework for a new agreement. You let go of the desire for what you
know will not work, and you begin to focus on what will.
6. Crafting A New Agreement: Making the Vision into Reality
In the sixth step you put specifics onto the agreement in
principle. You design and construct a detailed vision of the future as
a composite that includes the interests and concerns of all parties.
The following elements guide the dialogue and provide a map to the
vision that includes everyone’s desired results. The more time you
spend in detailing the desired results, the greater the chance to
realize them.
A. Intent & Vision: Big picture of what you want. The
clearer and more specific the desired outcomes, the more likely you
will succeed as visualized.
B. Roles: The duties, responsibilities, and commitment of everyone
needed to achieve the desired results.
C. Promises: Promises of action including specific commitments.
This also reveals if the actions will get you the desired results, and
the actions that are missing.
D. Time/Value: All promises have “by whens” and the time the
agreement will be effective. Is the exchange fair? Does it provide
enough incentive to everyone to have them keep their promises?
E. Measurements of Satisfaction: The metric that determines if you
achieved your objectives needs to be clear, direct, and measurable to
eliminates conflict about weather you accomplished what you began.
F. Concerns and Fears: It is essential to express what are usually
unspoken concerns and fears about moving forward so they can be
addressed. This deepens the understanding of what you are taking on,
and the agreement you are creating with yourself and others.
G. Renegotiation: No matter how optimistic and clear it will become
necessary to renegotiate promises and conditions of satisfaction
because things change. The quality of ongoing working relationships is
more important than the details of the agreement at any moment in
time.
H. Consequences: As a motivating factor it is important to know the
consequences of breaking promises, and what will be lost if the
project is not completed.
I. Conflict Resolution: Conflicts and disagreements will
arise. The goal is to “normalize” dealing with them. If you agree to
an “attitude of resolution,” and an agreed process you will move
through them quickly and efficiently.
J. Agreement ?: This is a reflective step. When you have
spoken about 1-9 ask whether you “trust” moving forward. Do not move
forward until you can say YES, and commit to embrace the future as an
opportunity to be enjoyed.
7. Resolution: When Your Agreement Becomes Reality
The seventh and final step is moving back into action.
With a new agreement and a quiet, clear mind about the past, you can
freely move forward, devoting energy and intention to currently
desired outcomes. You have a new and profound sense of freedom because
you have spoken all the unspeakables. You have “completed” the past
and crafted a clear picture of the future, and the highway that will
get you there. You are empowered by the process. You are RESOLVED. You
can leave the past behind and stop paying the price of staying in
conflict. You are RESOLVED about a new future you want to create.
We need to recognize that we have enough resources on
earth for everyone, if only we could interrupt our scarcity mindset.
The challenge is distribution of resources. Used properly our natural,
technological, educational and knowledge resources can support
everyone. We need to design a distribution and entitlement scenario
within a superimposed global structure everyone says yes to out of the
recognition that in a nuclear age historic artificial religious and
political boundaries and labels lose significance in the face of
higher order governing principles. This is not about socialism, it is
about a minimum standard every human is entitled to. This is the route
out of terrorism – not more jails and bombs and wars.
We are living a profound challenge. How do we create a
planetary structure that will house all the disparate elements of a
complexity of cultures that belie an extraordinary sameness we have
discovered by experience? My prayer is that we are experiencing the
last gasp of fear and resistance to what is inevitable if we are to
survive, as a species, and as a civilization. There is a way of
authentically loving and empowering each other and simply getting
along. The future holds vast potential.
I have no doubt that even as the war rages it would be a
very valuable to assemble a group of people who understand and can
represent the various stakeholder groups. I would have them engage in
a dialogue for resolution using the process set out above. The
compelling vision and the means to it could serve as a road-map for
the future.
Stewart Levine is a “Resolutionary.” A management consultant,
lawyer, and mediator, he is the author of the award winning “Getting
to Resolution: Turning Conflict Into Collaboration.” “The Book of
Agreement: 10 Essential Elements for Getting the Results You Want“,
was just released. It has been called “more practical” than the
classic “Getting to Yes.” www.ResolutionWorks.org
