Скачать или смотреть Reimagining Our World (Episode 52): Why Understanding the Stages of Conflict Matters

One of the greatest scourges afflicting humanity today is the scourge of violent conflict and war. Yet, if we were to recognize that conflict (misunderstanding) is a normal part of life we would stop ignoring it when it first arises which only causes it to fester. Instead, we could learn to view it as an opportunity to see things from the perspective of others, thereby enhancing our collective understanding, and enabling us to develop the qualities of trust and empathy. In this way we could learn a new habit of harmonizing differences and building unity which would make for a better world, that is more peaceful and secure.

Understanding the typical stages of conflict is also important as it allows us to gauge the stage/s at which we can usefully intervene and what kind of intervention makes the most sense at any given stage. We will focus especially on the two effective interventions of mediation and the collective use of force through the mechanism of a proposed global system of collective security discussed in Episode 26 of this podcast.