Constructive Confrontation Initiative Resources

The "constructive confrontation" framing of the conflict problem is somewhat unusual, although not unprecedented.  Much conflict resolution literature is written in terms of third party processes--mediation, arbitration, peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding for instance. Indeed, much of the material in the Beyond Intractability and CRInfo knowledge base takes that third party approach.

But the only best-seller in the conflict resolution field, Getting to Yes, (by Fisher, Ury, and Patton) has the subtitle: "Negotiating Agreement without Giving In" and talks about "win-win" negotiation. Not everyone (perhaps very few disputants) are concerned about the other side winning--but most are concerned about their own victory!  So it is understandable how Getting to Yes got to be a best-seller when it was first published in 1981.

Perhaps more to the point is Bernie Mayer's 2004 book Beyond Neutrality, which argues persuasively that people in the conflict resolution field need to engage in many different ways across conflict stages and in different roles.  This includes, Mayer says, abandoning the pretence of neutrality, and overtly acting as advocates--fighting for justice for the disempowered, and for the values of peace, truth, and mercy that most of us conflict resolvers believe in.  

Related to that is Bill Ury's newer and perhaps best book The Third Side which lists ten "third side roles," some of which are clearly third-party neutral roles (such as mediator and arbitrator), but others (such as providers, witnesses, and healers) are roles that can be played by the disputants themselves (again everybody!) instead of or as well as by neutral third parties.  So Ury recognizes in this book than conflict resolvers don't need to be neutral, and indeed, can play many different constructive roles, even as they take sides in a conflict.

The following BI/MBI materials should be of particular interest to those seeking to learn more about or engage in Constructive Confrontation.

  • Things You Can Do Posts - ALL of the things you can do posts describe relatively "simple," or "easy" things anyone can do to help make conflicts more constructive.  These include, for example,
    • simply listening to the other side,
    • treating opponents with respect,
    • allowing them to save face, and
    • practicing civility in your discourse.)
    • The other posts in this blog relate to the Constructive Confrontation Iniative also--see the whole list here.)
  • Conflict Frontiers Seminar Unit 2. - These posts in this unit explain the many assumptions both conflict resolvers and the general public tends to make about conflict and conflict resolution that prevent them from addressing it constructively.  These posts are, in a sense, the "set up" to the rest of the Conflict Frontiers seminar, which suggests alternative ways to more constructively address intractable conflicts.  However, "previews" of some of these more constructive approaches are suggested in these early "set up" posts.  For instance,
    • The post on The Blame Game shows how the use of the concept of "contribution," rather than blame can improve the effectiveness of conflict resolution efforts.
    • Similarly, the post on Power and the Power Strategy Mix  suggests what power strategies tend to be destructive, which constructive, and how a mix of strategies can be most constructive of all.
    • This is joined by the post on the Backlash Effect and Coefficient which shows how to calculate when conflict engagement through coercion might be effective, and when it likely will not.
  • All of the Conflict Fundamentals Seminar through Unit 11 relates to the Constructive Confrontation Initiative, but articles likely to be of particular usefulness include:
    • The core concept essay on Interests, Positions, Needs, and Values. Each of these is different, and needs a different conflict strategy to deal with.
    • The core concept essay on Principles of Justice and Fairness.  There are many different definitions of "justice," and it might be that one is more appropriate for a particular situation than another.
    • Ury's "Third Side" - Discussed above, this is the BI essay on Ury's Third Side concept with links to many other third side resources.
    • Core and Overlays Part 1 and Part 2 The Burgess's distinction between core and overlay factors is central to their original concept of constructive confrontation.  As explained in these videos, the overlay factors lie over and conceal the core conflict elements, making them difficult (or even impossible) to see and hence deal with effectively.  So constructive confrontation requires first, limiting the overlay problems, and then, once that is done, addressing the core conflict problems as a second step.
    • Fundamentals Unit 5 then fleshes out each of the overlay factors in more detail and explains what can be done to deal with them constructively.
  • Another key aspect to constructive confrontation is understanding how to deal effectively with the complexity of many of today's highly esclated and intractable conflicts.  Unit 3 and Unit 4 both deal with the issue of complexity, but posts of particular importance include: