"THE RESOLUTIONARY " FOR PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE STEWART LEVINE, Esq., RESOLUTIONARY
Stewart ENVISIONING THE FUTURE: The next world war will be fought with sticks and stones. 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. OBSERVATIONS 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. 7 ASPECTS OF RESOLUTION One: ATTITUDE OF RESOLUTION - new thinking about conflict 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. 1. Intent & Vision: Big picture of what you want. The clearer and more specific the desired outcomes, the more likely you will succeed as visualized. 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. 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.
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