{"title":"What Is Transformative Dialogue and How Does It Bring About Transformation? A Commentary to Florian Bekkers' Article “Is Transformative Dialogue a Possible and Justifiable Intervention for Resolving Intractable Conflicts?”","authors":"Erik Cleven","doi":"10.1002/crq.21465","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21465","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In his article “Is Transformative Dialogue a possible and justifiable intervention for resolving intractable conflicts?” Florian Bekkers discusses three processes that have all been referred to as Transformative Dialogue. In this commentary the author claims that these processes are in fact fundamentally different and that one of the ways they differ is in how they use theory and what guides the action of interveners in each approach. Most conflict theories are meant to explain conflict behavior rather than guide the decisions of interveners, which are instead based on implicit and unspoken assumptions. Clarifying the assumptions of interveners would do much to both highlight salient differences between approaches and to address critical questions of ethics which Bekkers raises in his article. Transformative Dialogue building on the premises of Transformative Mediation is nondirective and the transformation achieved is based on the fact that participants make key decisions about dialogue and how to relate to others themselves.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 4","pages":"503-505"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Shift to Virtual: A Mediator/Program Administrator's Perspective","authors":"Margaret Crowley","doi":"10.1002/crq.21467","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21467","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The COVID-19 global pandemic thrust conflict resolution into the virtual world. This article is a reflection on the shift from in person to virtual mediation, lessons learned, and predictions for the future of the field.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 4","pages":"495-498"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Yes, This Is Still Circle”: Circle-Keeping Online During COVID—An Interview with Kay Pranis and Becky McCammon","authors":"Jill Strauss","doi":"10.1002/crq.21468","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21468","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This Practice Note is an interview with leading Circle-keepers Kay Pranis and Becky McCammon about their experiences facilitating Talking Circles virtually during COVID. They describe their respective leaps into the unknown of online Circle to meet peoples' need for community at a time when we could not gather together in person and how they each managed during that time of uncertainty. The conversation was edited for length and clarity in which they discussed the needs of restorative justice practitioners and others for relational support and how they worked to meet the need. What they both learned is that while there were some challenges, there were also many unanticipated opportunities and benefits discovered in the process of adapting to virtual Circles. This retrospective interview documents how practitioners adapted quickly during a pandemic in response to the need to be in the community when we could not meet in person.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 4","pages":"499-502"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Practice Note: “I'm Sorry”, Said ChatGPT: Without a Self and Without Remorse—Useful for Conflict Resolution Nonetheless? A Case Study on Apologies in Mediation","authors":"Kirsten Schroeter","doi":"10.1002/crq.21460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21460","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In this case study of a conversation with ChatGPT on the dynamics of apologies in mediation in general – and also about the dynamic of apologies within our conversation – I present my preliminary reflections on the potential and the limitations of using AI as a practitioner and teacher of conflict resolution: Does talking to a chatbot satisfy the expectation of a cognitively interesting (even inspiring) and factually appropriate exchange on a professional level? Does the communication as a process fulfill basic requirements to a useful professional exchange? From the analysis of this case and based on excerpts of the exchange, it seems reasonable to expect the possibility of a fairly meaningful and interesting exchange on relevant professional topics in conflict resolution – as long as one is willing and able to apply what I would term the “Triple P in dealing with ChatGPT”: Precision, proficiency, and perseverance.</p>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 4","pages":"489-494"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/crq.21460","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Crisis Management and Resilience Building Through the Women in Red Protest: The Handmaid's Tale Performances in Response to Israel's Judicial Overhaul","authors":"Rachelly Ashwall-Yakar, Oriana Abboud Armaly, Smadar Bracha, Hadar Hashash","doi":"10.1002/crq.21466","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21466","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper examines the resilience building and public crisis management led by the “Building an Alternative” feminine NGO in Israel during the 2023 mass demonstrations against the judicial overhaul. The proposed judicial overhaul was perceived as a threat to both democratic foundations and women's rights in Israel. Raising awareness of women's rights through the “Women in Red” (WIR) protest using the “Handmaid's Tale” Parades was instrumental in restraining the planned reform's potential negative outcomes. The study discusses the importance of identifying a potential threat and using a crisis management approach through public performances to address it. We investigated the nature of the protest activity to assess its effectiveness, from the public perspective, in building resilience and raising awareness of women's rights issues. These issues were examined by an online questionnaire (<i>N</i> = 185) addressing attitudes regarding the protest. The results of the study show an increased awareness and engagement with women's rights issues, which was attributed to WIR protest efforts. The use of prominent visuals in the WIR protest led by the organization directly contributed to its ability to build resilience for women's rights and to enhance understanding of the potential threats of judicial overhaul among the Israeli public. This study emphasizes propaganda's role in women's protests as a significant tool for building resilience. It also stretches the boundaries of crisis management models by revealing an integration of pre-crisis and response phases in the “Women in Red” protest.</p>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 4","pages":"475-487"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/crq.21466","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144197038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Review of Florian Bekkers' Paper “Is Transformative Dialog a Possible and Justifiable Intervention for Resolving Intractable Conflicts?”","authors":"Jay Rothman","doi":"10.1002/crq.21463","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21463","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper makes a significant contribution to conflict engagement theory by examining transformative dialog in addressing what is variously called “deeply rooted,” “identity-based,” “intransigent” or “intractable” conflict. While the term “intractable” may unfortunately suggest that addressing such conflicts creatively is almost impossible, creative engagement remains essential even if complete resolution is not realistic, particularly in today's increasingly complex global landscape. The paper offers both theoretical depth and practical guidance for practitioners working in the challenging terrain of identity-based conflicts, where traditional conflict resolution approaches often fail to achieve meaningful progress. Its examination of transformative dialog provides valuable insights for both scholars and practitioners in the field.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 3","pages":"465-467"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/crq.21463","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143533369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Is Transformative Dialogue a Possible and Justifiable Intervention for Resolving Intractable Conflicts?—A Practitioner's View","authors":"Erik Weststrate","doi":"10.1002/crq.21464","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21464","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 3","pages":"469-470"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/crq.21464","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143533374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Is Transformative Dialogue a Possible and Justifiable Intervention for Resolving Intractable Conflicts?","authors":"Florian Bekkers","doi":"10.1002/crq.21461","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21461","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The world is suffering from intractable conflicts. Societies and families are torn apart and individuals are threatened in their existence. In this article, three controverses are explored about how to deal with intractable conflicts. In taking a closer look, these intractable conflicts can be understood as “identity-related.” It can be shown that this identity dimension of a conflict is not sufficiently addressed by argumentation and negotiation. Still, accepting that some differences in value and belief seem so fundamentally incompatible that we should give up striving for a solution need not be the conclusion. There are decades of positive reports of practical experience with various transformative methods on a microscale available that can be taken on to develop interventions to solve intractable conflicts on a societal level. Is it possible and justifiable to develop and institutionalize “transformation” as a third general approach next to argumentation and negotiation? Can interventions aiming at a transformation of self-understanding and identity be introduced without manipulation and infringement of autonomy?</p>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 3","pages":"449-459"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/crq.21461","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143534003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marta Blanco Carrasco, Andrés Arias Astray, Jorge Manuel Leitão Ferreira
{"title":"Is Mediation a Scientific Discipline? Theoretical and Practical Perspectives","authors":"Marta Blanco Carrasco, Andrés Arias Astray, Jorge Manuel Leitão Ferreira","doi":"10.1002/crq.21459","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21459","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The main objective of this study is to determine whether mediation is regarded as an autonomous discipline from both academic and professional standpoints. To achieve this, the study initially conducted a review of the most recent literature on the subject, followed by gathering opinions from experts, professionals, and trainers across eight different countries through in-depth interviews and discussion groups. Among the primary findings of the research, it becomes apparent that while mediation remains a relatively underexplored topic, existing literature suggests that it possesses elements to assert its status as a scientific discipline, evidenced by its own axioms, paradigms, models, and methodologies. However, the professionals and experts consulted contend that it falls short of being classified as such. They cite several challenges, including the scarcity of real cases for investigation, the disconnect between theory and professional application, and the need for enhanced quality in scientific research to surmount the stagnation it has encountered for years.</p>","PeriodicalId":39736,"journal":{"name":"Conflict Resolution Quarterly","volume":"42 3","pages":"437-447"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/crq.21459","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143536012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}