Books, Podcast Tesa Silvestre Books, Podcast Tesa Silvestre

On the Dangers and Opportunities of Mediation

Below is an excerpt from the Preface of Mediating Dangerously about the risks involved in inviting and supporting transformation by getting to the heart of what is not working.

"Conflicts are immense sources of stress and pain, which we try to avoid. At the same time, they are indicators of areas in our lives and organizations that require immediate attention, deep thinking, and a willingness to change.  In facing our conflicts, opening our hearts, and locating the center of what is not working, we pass through to the other side, uncovering hidden choices and transformational opportunities that ask us to develop, grow, and learn more about our inner selves.

By personal transformation, I do not mean forcing people to change or be someone they are not, but helping them become more authentically who they really are.  Transformation works on the undeveloped, rejected parts of the self.  By organizational transformation, I mean bringing group cultures and systems into congruence with the wishes and desires of the people who work in them, who are served by them, and who are the true reasons for their existence.  By transcendence, I mean that a conflict no longer bothers us and that we must now address conflicts at a higher level.  

Because every conflict is an opportunity for transformation that can fundamentally impact our lives, it is dangerous for mediators to uncover hidden choices and reveal transformational openings.  People easily become addicted to their conflicts and to the dysfunctional systems that generate them.  This makes it frightening to even suggest the possibility of recovery to someone locked in conflict, because it means every rationalization and accommodation they have relied on to support their addiction is now at risk. This is what I mean by meditating dangerously. "

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Interviews Tesa Silvestre Interviews Tesa Silvestre

Frontiers of Conflict Management

This is an excerpt from a 2007 interview with Gini Nelson for Mediate.com
It was published under the title of Spirit in Life and Practice. 

Gini Nelson: What do you think are the big questions to be answered next in the conflict management field?

Ken Cloke: The frontiers, as I see them, are both internal and external. The internal frontiers include a deeper understanding of the neurophysiology of conflict and how to respond to it (reading Antonio Damasio’s Looking for Spinoza is a good start) and exploring the ability to explore caring (heart) and energy (spirit) as sources of deep understanding, powerful techniques, and fresh approaches to resolution. The external frontiers include coming to terms with the systemic sources of conflict, especially their chronic social, economic, and political causes; taking responsibility for helping to resolve international disputes through the United Nations; developing a program I call “Mediators Beyond Borders;” and applying conflict resolution systems design principles – not only to organizational disputes, but to social and political institutions on all scales. It is becoming increasingly clear that we will not survive long as a species, or an ecosystem, unless we learn how to communicate, solve problems, negotiate, and resolve our conflicts peacefully across cultural, religious, and national boundaries, without resorting to enmity and warfare.

 
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