Excerpt | Can We Harness Conflict?
by Mark Gerzon, coming in Kosmos Journal, Fall | Winter 2016
Notice that the question in the title is not can we ‘end’ conflict, or even ‘manage’ or ‘contain’ it. These are old and usually unproductive approaches. The more useful question about conflict today is: Can we harness it?
After studying and working directly with conflict around the world for the last quarter century, and now witnessing my home country of America bitterly divided, this question seems both important and urgent to me. In fact, I would argue that the human future depends on how we answer it.
When I was young and inexperienced in the realm of social and political conflict, I had clear and (I now can admit) headstrong opinions. That simplistic certainty was comforting for me but not useful for the world. Now that I am a gray-haired ‘conflict veteran,’ I believe that my simplistic opinions were, in fact, part of the problem. The evidence shows that most of the so-called answers about ‘resolving’ conflict are at best incomplete and at worst dangerously misleading.
The truth is that on every level of my life where I have experienced conflict, it has not been something that lends itself to being ‘managed’ or ‘contained.’
- Family. The two people who brought me into this world, my mother and father, divorced. For many years thereafter, they almost never spoke. Having studied clinical psychology and family therapy, as well as coached many couples, I observe that conflict in families is the rule, not the exception.
- Community. There is no automatic or guaranteed ‘unity’ in ‘community.’ On the contrary, in every place where I have lived or worked, there has been local conflict. Some groups are ‘in;’ others are ‘out’ to varying degrees. And conflict between these groups is virtually universal.
- Work. Every organization I have worked for encouraged aligning around a common purpose (profit, cause, mission, etc.). But, in every single case, there was internal conflict. Our pursuit of the organization’s goals was often less effective than it might have been if we had more creatively dealt with that conflict.
- Nation. Both in my home country and in every country where I have consulted (Kenya, Nepal, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Israel/Palestine, China, to name a few), conflict has been significant, often severe. Even though each nation wants to be strong and prosperous, it is divided and in conflict about how to act in its own interest.
- World. As I have experienced the world, both directly and through the media, I have been struck by the ubiquity of conflict. From the poorest, least ‘developed’ nations to the wealthiest, most ‘advanced’ countries, the common denominator has been conflict. Although in much of the world violence has declined, conflict has not.
Spanning twenty years, I did my best to address the riddle of conflict in an unfolding series of books (see sidebar on next page). While my works were well received and reflected a generation of progress in the ‘conflict resolution’ field, they still left deeper questions unanswered.
Beneath the question “Can we harness conflict?” I believe we find three underlying inquiries:
- What is it about human consciousness that prevents us from harnessing conflict into collaboration?
- How can we shift that aspect of consciousness so that it enables collaborative problem-solving?
- What determines whose consciousness will shape the future?
Please join me in exploring each of these questions in turn.
Kosmos Digital Subscribers | continue reading November 1
Subscribe to Kosmos Digital | Subscribe to the Print Journal
The old dualistic idea of right and wrong, and the old egoic desire to hold our position of rightness, or righteousness, have contributed to a stubborn attitude about resolving conflict. It’s usually not true that any one opinion is all right or all wrong, and an openness to realizing that all positions and/or perspectives have their vulnerabilities as well as their strengths would help in arriving at a collaborative plan. Deep listening of and to all involved, and a sincere effort to understand the basic point of view that is shaping a particular perspective is essential. No one can be forced in any direction. Respect of each person’s desires, goals, and needs, and a concentrated intention of doing everything possible to accommodate each party would help all factions to feel valued and equal. Looking for a way forward together, and persistance in the face of whatever differences are presenting themselves, keeps things focused collectively and resolution oriented. Feeling seen, heard, and respected in any situation of conflict goes a long way toward movement.
Well, yes… that is the very nature of our human existence here on this earth. There are as many standpoints, views, opinions, and orientations as there are people on this earth.
Ultimately, how well we get on globally, will very much depend on each and everyone’s ability, and inability, to relate to something or someone that is different from themselves.
The current, conventional education system is inappropriate in dealing with, or providing any kind of assistance or solution in this matter.
Ideally, an appropriate upbringing from early childhood, and a more appropriate environment in later years, would change the course of world events, but only in the course of many generations yet to come.
But, and yes, of course, nothing will change if we don’t start re-orientating, re-educating ourselves, today.