Checklist for Adversaries

Beyond Intractability checklists offer users involved in various conflict situations lists of things to think about, along with links to sections of Beyond Intractability that relate to each item. People involved in peacebuilding or post-conflict reconstruction efforts (as a disputant) might want to consider the following questions.

• Identify Stakeholders / Interest Groups
  Have you identified the many other interest or stakeholder groups (as well as individuals) who are involved or are possibly affected by or involved in your efforts?

  For more information about this topic, see: Parties to Intractable Conflict, Disputants, Leaders, Stakeholder Representatives

• Clarify Goals
  Are you clear about your underlying goals and interests? Is restoring relationships an important (or your most important) interest?

  For more information about this topic, see: Setting Goals, Interests, Rebuilding Relationships, Integrative or Interest-Based Bargaining, Distributive Bargaining, Positional Bargaining, Creating and Claiming Value, Underlying Causes of Intractable Conflict, Frames, Framing and Reframing.

• Determine the Conflict Stage
  Is the conflict latent, developing, or fully escalated? Has it become intractable? Is the conflict ripe for resolution, or do you feel it is in your best interest to continue with the status quo?

  For more information about this topic, see: Conflict Stages,What is Intractability? Nature of Intractability, Ripeness Ripeness-Promoting Strategies

• Learn the History
  Are there underlying issues, such as the aftermath of colonialism or poverty, that are contributing to your conflict?

  For more information about this topic, see: Unmet Human Needs, High-Stakes Distributional Issues, Rich / Poor Conflicts, Effects of Colonization, Development and Conflict -- Introduction, Underlying Causes of Conflict

• Unrightable Wrongs
  Does the conflict involved the history of unrightable wrongs? Are you aware of options for transforming such conflicts?

  For more information on this topic, see: Transformation, Apology and Forgiveness, International War Crimes Tribunals, Trauma Healing, Reconciliation, Truth Commissions

• Misunderstandings
  Do you know how much of the conflict might be attributable to misunderstandings? If not, do you know how to setup communication processes that might be able to answer this question? And, do you know how to setup communication processes that might limit these misunderstandings?

  For more information on this topic, see: Misunderstandings, Channels of Communication, In-Depth Communication, Cross-Cultural Communication, Large-Scale Communication, Interpersonal - Small-Scale Communication

• Culture and Conflict
  Are cultural misunderstandings contributing to the conflict? Are there differences between you and the other parties such as nationality, language, gender or age? Do you know some strategies for overcoming cultural differences?

  For more information about this topic, see: Culture and Conflict, Cultural and Worldview Frames, Communication Tools for Understanding Cultural Differences, Culture-Based Negotiation Styles, Cross-Cultural Communication, Women in Intractable Conflict

• Emotional and Psychological Dimensions
  Do you know the extent to which your responses are due to emotional and psychological dimensions such as anger, fear or prejudice? Do you know what is causing these reactions and how to address them?

  For more information on this topic, see: Psychological Dynamics, Ethos of Conflict Emotions, Prejudice, Anger, Fear, Distrust, Guilt and Shame, Humiliation, Victimhood, Face

• Fact-Finding
  Do you know how much of the conflict is attributable to disagreements regarding the basic facts? If not, do you know how to set up communication processes that might be able to answer this question? And, do you know how to set up joint fact-finding processes that might limit factual disagreements?

  For more information on this topic, see: Fact-Finding, Factual Disputes, Uncertainty, Obtaining Trustworthy Information, Distinguishing Facts from Values

• Escalation
  Do you know how much of the conflict is attributable to escalation and polarization? Have you developed and implemented effective steps to limit or reverse this effect?

  For more information on this topic, see: Escalation, Constructive Escalation, Polarization, Limiting Escalation - De-escalation

• Response Options
  Are you familiar with different response options?

  For more information on this topic, see: Peaceful Change Strategies, optionsConflict Transformation, Activism, Negotiation, Nonviolent Direct Action, Activism, Rebuilding Relationships,Trauma Healing, Joint Projects, Drama in Conflict Resolution, Humanization, Reconciliation

• Levels of Action
  Have you thought about what level of society you belong to? Are you part of the grassroots or the elite? Have you thought about ways you can work effectively with other levels of society?

  For more information on this topic, see: Hierarchical Intervention Levels, Elite Leadership, Midlevel Leaders, Grassroots Leaders, Diplomacy, Track I Diplomacy, Track II (Citizen) Diplomacy, Multi-Track Diplomacy, Military Intervention, Scale-Up

• Recognize how you fit into the "bigger picture."
  Do you understand how your efforts relate to other peacebuilding efforts and processes--such as peacekeeping, peace making, violence prevention, nation-building, and democratization?

  For help with this topic, see: Peace Processes, Meta-Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding, Peacekeeping, Peace Making, International Violence Prevention, Nation Building, Democratization, Democracy and Conflict Management, Track I-Track II Cooperation

• Anticipate Stakeholder Reactions
  Have you determined how other groups are likely to react to your peacemaking efforts? Who will be your allies and supporters? Who will be your opponents? Here it is important to recognize within-group differences as well as between-group differences.

  For more information on this topic, see: Within-Party Differences, Moderates, Extremists - Spoilers, Leaders and Leadership, Conflict Profiteers, External Supporters

• Coalition Building / Conflict Minimization
  For each of the various stakeholder groups likely to be involved in the conflict, have you considered ways of minimizing their opposition to your efforts while simultaneously strengthening your network of allies and supporters?

  For more information on this topic, see: Coalition Building, Empowerment, Power Inequities, Networking

• Persuasion
  Do you have a strategy for explaining your goals and actions to other stakeholders? For persuading others that your goals are reasonable and equitable?

  For more information on this topic, see: Channels of Communication, In-Depth Communication, Persuasion

• Trust
  Have you been able to earn the trust of people who are skeptical of your intentions and motivations?

  For more information on this topic, see: Trust and Trust Building, Managing Interpersonal Trust and Distrust, Limiting Escalation - De-escalation, Humanization of Extremists

• Power / BATNAs
  Are you clear about the nature of power and how it affects your "alternatives to a negotiated agreement?" Are you clear about the powers available to other stakeholders? Have you been able to demonstrate to people the powers that you are willing to use to defend your interests? (Here you should consider legal, political, and economic power as well as the ability to resist violent assaults.)

  For more information on this topic, see: Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), Understanding Power, Coercive Power, Exchange Power, Integrative Power, Nonviolence, Power Inequities, Empowerment, Capacity Building, Sanctions, Incentives

• Media
  Do you know how to use the media to your advantage?

  For more information on this topic, see: Large-Scale Communication, Mass Media, Media Strategies

• Violence
  If the conflict becomes violent, do you have a strategy for de-escalating the violence? If the violence is on a small scale such as gang violence in a school, is it possible for you to prevent the violence? If the violence is on a national or international scale, is there anything you can do to decrease the suffering caused by the violence even before it can be stopped completely?

  For more information on this topic, see: Limiting Escalation and De-Escalation Preventing Interpersonal Violence Preventive Diplomacy and International Violence Prevention

• Extremists
  Do you have a strategy for dealing with extremist groups such as paramilitaries or terrorists?

  For more information on this topic, see: Extremists or Spoilers, Terrorism, Dealing with Extremists, Humanizing Extremists

• Complexity
  If the conflict you are involved in has become overly complex, do you understand theories of complexity and how to deal with it?

  For more information on this topic, see: Complexity, Complex Adaptive Systems, Incrementalism

• Dispute Systems Design
  Do you expect a continuing series of similar disputes? Do you know about options for developing a system for the handling of routine disputes?

  For more information on this topic, see: Designing New Dispute Resolution Systems

• Peace Agreements
  Do you know how to design a successful peace agreement? What sort of things you should think about and/or include?

  For more information on this topic, see: Peace Agreements, Substantive Provisions of Peace Agreements, Addressing Injustice, Security Guarantees, Social Structural Change, Reconstruction Programs, Reintegration of Ex-Combatants, Humanitarian Aid and Development Assistance, Power Sharing, Compensation Programs, Procedural Components of Peace Agreements, Monitoring of Agreements, Enforcement Mechanisms

• Envisioning the Future
  Have you envisioned the end goals of the peacebuilding process?

  For more information on this topic, see: Envisioning, Stable Peace