Recent Beyond Intractability Posts
Including Hyper-Polarization Posts
Posts by BI Section
Lists of recent posts are also available separately for each BI Section:
Hyper-Polarization Discussion Posts | Earlier Constructive Conflict Initiative Blog
Things You Can Do To Help | Conflict Frontiers | Conflict Fundamentals
Beyond Intractability in Context | Colleague Activities
- Calling People Forward Instead of Out: Ten Essential Steps -- Excerpted from a book, "How We Ended Racism," this article explains that calling out leads to a cancel culture which is ineffective and further divides, while calling in is much more effective at addressing racism. -- Jun 02
- A New Centrism Is Rising in Washington -- A persuasive argument that the conventional wisdom is wrong. Rather than being divided and dysfunctional, the US government has quietly and successfully been able to address a wide range of issues. -- Jun 01
- Guy and Heidi Burgess's Thoughts on Memorial Day and Louis Kriesberg on Seeing a Way Out of The Gaza War -- A reflection of the meaning of Memorial Day to veterans and their loved ones, and to peacebuilders, and some thoughts on how the Gaza war might be ended. -- May 26
- How to Create a Society That Prizes Decency -- From David Brooks, an essay exploring practical things that we can do to cultivate basic decency -- a precondition for a democracy that works. -- May 24
- Massively Parallel Peace and Democracy Building Roles - Part 4 -- The last in a four-part series of MPP roles looking at those who help balance power so that everyone in society is treated fairly, and those who try to defend democracy from those who would destroy it. -- May 23
- Massively Parallel Peace and Democracy Building Links for the Week of May 19, 2024 -- Another in our weekly set of links from readers, our colleagues, and others with important ideas for our field. -- May 19
- MWEG's Media Literacy Toolkit -- A collection of materials from MWEG (Mormon Women for Ethical Government) on news consumption, misinformation, bias, conspiracy theories, propaganda, and more. -- May 19
- The Authoritarians Have the Momentum -- A must-read analysis explaining why authoritarians are enjoying so much success in their struggle against liberal democracies (and what might be done about it). -- May 18
- Massively Parallel Peacebuilding Roles - Part 3 -- Part 3 of a 4 part series examining the many roles played by participants in Massively Parallel Peace and Democracy Building. This newsletter focuses on those who help us analyze complex problems and develop collaborative solutions. -- May 17
- Crisis, Contradiction, Certainty, and Contempt -- Columbia Professor Peter Coleman, an expert on intractable conflict, reflects on the intractable conflict occurring on his own campus, suggesting "ways out" that would be better for everyone. -- May 13
- Massively Parallel Peace and Democracy Building Links for the Week of April 28, 2024 -- New suggested readings from colleagues and the Burgesses. -- May 09
- Attack the Problem, Not the People -- "Separate the people from the problem" might be the most often violated fundamental conflict resolution principle, even by people who know better. And it is hurting us. -- May 06
- The 22nd Century Initiative -- The new website of a movement to "forge a people-powered democracy in this century and the next" with a growing "resource hub." -- May 04
- Are we overproducing elites and instability? -- A perceptive argument that some of our most difficult conflicts stem from the fact that more people feel entitled to elite positions within society than society has to offer. -- May 04
- Massively Parallel Peace and Democracy Building Links for the Week of April 21, 2024 -- More recommended readings from the Burgesses and readers. -- Apr 26
- Don't Take the "Hate Bait!" -- Returning hate with hate hurts everyone. Much better to return hate with inquiry and respect (even if it isn't deserved), and try to defuse the anger before it explodes. -- Apr 23
- Three Organizations Teaching Students to Navigate Political Difference – BCB #94 -- Profiles of 3 organizations (Essential Partners, Braver Angels, and the American Exchange Project) with noteworthy approaches to teaching students (and everyone else, really) do better deal with political conflict: -- Apr 22
- Massively Parallel Peace and Democracy Building Links for the Week of April 14, 2024 -- Another of our weekly suggested links from readers and the Burgesses. -- Apr 19
- No Labels, No Alternatives, No Escape -- A postmortem on No Labels' failed effort to put a "national unity" candidate on the November Presidential ballot. -- Apr 16
- Become Part of the Solution -- The American electorate includes True Believers, Pro-Democracy Transpartisans, and the Disillusioned, Disengaged, and Politically Homeless. We need to grow the second group, while shrinking the other two if we want American democracy to survive. -- Apr 16
- Knife Edge Elections, the 51% Hammer Strategy, Hatemongering, and Scapegoating -- Why are the United States' elections so close and so bitterly fought? Guy Burgess argues our knife-edge elections are caused by scapegoating, hatemongering, and our drive to get as much as we can for ourselves, by taking it away from the other side. -- Apr 14
- Joint Campus-Law Enforcement Preparation for Campus Demonstrations and Hate Incidents amid Violence in the Middle East -- An extensively annotated checklist based on input from current and former campus security. city police chiefs and mediators who have worked large-scale crowd events and hate incidents. -- Apr 13
- The Prophets: Eric Hoffer -- Given the prominent role that "true believers" are playing in contemporary politics, a timely reflection on the work of Eric Hoffer -- the man who coined the term. -- Apr 13
- Massively Parallel Peace and Democracy Building Links for the Week of April 7, 2024 -- Reader-suggested links, along with the Burgess's compilation of colleague activities and outside readings of interest. -- Apr 10
- Rescuing Identity Politics -- Review and summary of an important new book that tries to offer identity politics a positive path through the backlash that is threatening its success. -- Apr 08
