Polarized, divisive politics have become an unfortunate reality in the United States and beyond.
In about two months, Americans will head to the polls in an especially heated election season, marked by infighting and protests, violence and threats of violence, rapid changes, and feverish rhetoric. Pundits on all sides confidently predict dire consequences for the future of democracy, regardless of the outcome.
Many dispute resolution practitioners find themselves in a bind when it comes to political conflict. On the one hand, practitioners are drawn toward what they’ve been trained to do: help people work out disagreements through constructive dialogue. On the other hand, practitioners’ own strong values-based views may make it difficult or even painful to imagine themselves facilitating such discussions. How can you remain impartial when you actually do care about what happens?
And even when practitioners can put aside their own views and seek to provide helpful support to others, it may not be obvious how to do so. People aren’t exactly lining up for thoughtful mediation of their political disputes, after all.
Although you wouldn’t know it from reading the newspaper, the U.S. has a rich history of conciliation, peacebuilding, creative problem-solving, and interest-based decision-making—much of it amid some of the worst conflict imaginable. This history can inform and inspire our practice today, as we attempt to make our way with dignity through political conflicts with family members, at our workplaces, and in our communities.
This month, we seek to contextualize the difficult dynamics of political conflict within the larger history of disputes and peacemaking in the United States. Our theme, Milestones and Moments, features articles that explore American stories of the evolution of alternative practices.
The articles in the September issue reflect on some of the people, institutions, schools, and methodologies that have contributed to the incredible diversity of ADR. It is not possible to capture all the threads of alternative practice—those threads are ancient and extend from many directions, across time and people and places. Here we attempt to grasp just a few of these threads, as reminders of the difference our work can make in the world.
Some of our authors share fascinating stories about different historical periods and alternative practice in the United States. Carli Conklin illuminates early practices of arbitration in the colonial period. Tom Stipanowich describes the visionary, moral leadership of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Grande Lum explains how the Community Relations Service emerged from the modern civil rights movement and embodies the spirit of that movement to this day. And Kimberlee Kovach provides a rich narrative of the origin and development of the ABA Section on Dispute Resolution—the home of this magazine and an important community for many ADR practitioners and academics.
Practitioners who want to promote civil discourse in the midst of political strife often must find creative ways to model good communication skills, listening, compassion, and empathy. We hope that this issue provides you with the inspiration and resolve to keep pushing for reasoned decisionmaking, respectful dialogue, and lasting peace.
