Learn more about CCM

Learn to reframe conflict

In the Center for Conflict Management community we value learning and reinforcing the skills we all need to transform conflicts: to prevent, resolve, or reduce the harms associated with the conflicts in our lives. These are also among the problem solving skills used by social entrepreneurs.

Central among these skills is learning to reframe conflicts. A powerful presentation from the founder of Priceline.com, Jeff Hoffman, about the importance of reframing our own internal mission statements. We naturally focus on the problem, but when we focus on solving problems, paychecks will follow.

Racial conflict

TED Talk: Dare to Disagree

An idea that is central to JS Mill's argument in On Liberty, Margaret Hefferman argues that "we need to rethink our approaches to the everyday collaborations that spark innovation and progress...because doing this depends on a shared openness to being persuaded."

TED Talk: Emotional Correctness

'Political persuasion' does not begin with ideas and facts or data. It begins with being emotionally correct. We cannot get anyone to agree with us if we can't get them to listen.

We need to learn to 'talk through our disagreements,' by putting ourselves in our opponent's shoes to see if we might be able to invent options for mutual gain, as Getting to Yes puts it.

• Jesus calls this learning to 'love our neighbors as ourselves.'
• Gandhi calls it honoring our opponents perspective.
• When the Dalia Lama says 'my religion is kindness' he is reinforcing the same idea.