Expanding Ripeness Beyond Push and Pull: The Relevance of Mutually Enticing Opportunities (MEOs)

Abstract Building on the existing notions of ‘push and pull’ in ripeness theory—the perceptions of a Mutually Hurting Stalemate (MHS) and of a Way Out (WO)—this article aims to explore a less scrutinized third element which proves to be essential for ripeness to achieve its full potential: the perception of Mutually Enticing Opportunities (MEO). While the MHS has the capacity to disincentivize the conflicting parties from further pursuing confrontational strategies, and the WO may embolden them to explore negotiations as a viable alternative, neither one guarantees that what is negotiated will be sufficiently attractive for the parties to truly commit to the peacemaking process and see the negotiated agreement come through and make it endure in time. This article will provide conceptual clarity about the MEOs, by surveying four essential characteristics that need to exist for an opportunity to be truly mutually enticing: mutuality, exclusivity, interdependency, and cooperation. Furthermore, building on Zartman’s earlier work on MEOs, the article will expound procedural and substantive elements that ‘lock-in’ the parties into the peacemaking process, by having their needs, interests and demands fulfilled by newly formulated solutions.