The Spirit of Dialogue: Lessons from Faith Traditions in Transforming Conflict

Using compelling examples from Wolf's practice as an international mediator, it brings the reader to the negotiating table to witness breakthroughs that seem inexplicable. But within the frameworks of philosophy, cosmology, and religion, we begin to see inside these mysteries of human behavior and appreciate the power within ourselves and each other to achieve the unlikely.". "Rich with photographs and graphics and an easy, inviting style, The Spirit of Dialogue is a pleasure to read for anyone interested in how we are put together and how we interact

A farmer’s interest lies in preserving water for crops, while an environmentalist’s interest is in using that same water for instream habitats. As a scientist, Wolf engages religion not for the purpose of dogma but for the practical process of transformation. Whether atheist or fundamentalist, Muslim or Jewish, Quaker or Hindu, any reader involved in difficult dialogue will find concrete steps towards a meeting of souls. It’s hard to see how these interests intersect. Wolf has spent his career mediating such conflicts, both in the U.S. But what if there was a different way to understand each party’s needs? Aaron T.  . and around the world. True listening, as practiced by Buddhist monks, as opposed to the “active listening” advocated by many mediators, can be the key to calming a colleague’s anger.  Alignment with an energy beyond oneself, what Christians would call grace, can change self-righteousness into community concern. He quickly learned that in negotiations, people are not automatons, programed to defend their positions, but are driven by a complicated set of dynamics—from how comfortable (or uncomfortable) the meeting room is to their deepest senses of self. Shifting the discussion from one about interests to one about common values—both farmers and environmentalists share the value of love of place—can be the starting po