Negotiating in Times of Conflict is out

Our book Negotiating in Times of Conflict is out.

Free download at: http://www.inss.org.il/index.aspx?id=4538&articleid=10549.
Shortly available to be ordered as a printed book.

“There is no easy way,” Senator George J. Mitchell
When blood boils, people are filled with vengeance and anger, along with despair,
bereavement, mistrust, and frustration. This moment is a golden opportunity for
hate-driven extremists, yet even for the non-radical person, emotions run high and
harsh rhetoric tends to eclipse hope and calls for a diplomatic resolution. However,
this edited volume suggests that there might be ways to resolve, or at least to
mitigate, even complex, violent, and protracted conflicts between communities and
nations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict among them.
When my co-editor, Anat Kurz, and I first decided to publish this volume, we
contacted prominent researchers and practitioners from around the globe with
specializations in a variety of different conflict arenas. Interestingly, several
dominant themes and recommendations for negotiating in times of conflict recurred
in many papers. Perhaps this is not surprising, as in attempts to manage conflicts
throughout history and throughout the world, the same mistakes have been made
time and again – mistakes that too often result in futile efforts, widespread fatalities
and horrendous suffering. In light of this, the importance of taking on board the
experiences of conflict resolution analysts and practitioners cannot be
underestimated. We hope that the lessons presented in this publication provide
valuable material for policymakers, mediators, and negotiators who strive to avoid
pitfalls in their quest for peace and aimto create a tolerable if not promising future
for those embroiled in conflict and war.
Please forward as you deem fit. If you tweet, please mention @GileadSher.
With best wishes,
Gilead