Join special guest Ankur Delight and Laura May as we review Amanda Ripley's book, "High Conflict".

Book blurb:

New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist Amanda Ripley investigates how good people get captured by high conflict—and how they break free. Our journey begins in California, where a world-renowned conflict expert struggles to extract himself from a political feud. Then we meet a Chicago gang leader who dedicates his life to a vendetta—only to find himself working beside the man who killed his childhood idol. Next, we travel to Colombia, to find out whether thousands of people can be nudged out of high conflict at scale. Finally, we return to America to see what happens when a group of liberal Manhattan Jews and conservative Michigan corrections officers choose to stay in each other’s homes in order to understand one another better. All these people, in dramatically different situations, were drawn into high conflict by similar forces, including conflict entrepreneurs, humiliation, and false binaries. But ultimately, all of them found ways to transform high conflict into something good, something that made them better people. They rehumanized and recatego­rized their opponents, and they revived curiosity and wonder, even as they continued to fight for what they knew was right. People do escape high conflict. Individuals—even entire communities—can short-circuit the feedback loops of outrage and blame, if they want to. This is a mind-opening new way to think about conflict that will transform how we move through the world.

Books, authors, and episodes mentioned

• High Conflict, by Amanda Ripley
• Ankur's podcast, 10k heroes: http://10kh.show/
• George Lakoff, e.g. The Political Mind
• Episode on Colombian conflict with Solveig Richter and Laura Camila Barrios: https://conflicttipping.podbean.com/e/reincorporating-combatants-in-colombia-with-dr-solveig-richter-and-laura-camila-barrios-sabogal-ep-19/
• Episode on Convergence with Rob Fersh and Monika Glowacki https://conflicttipping.podbean.com/e/episode-2-rob-fersh-and-monica-glowacki-of-the-convergence-center-for-policy-resolution/
• Episode on the Interactivity Foundation with Shannon Wheatley Hartman: https://conflicttipping.podbean.com/e/making-lives-more-complex-and-democratic-with-shannon-wheatley-hartman-ep-17/
• Episode on peacebuilding with Juan Diaz-Prinz: https://conflicttipping.podbean.com/e/episode-4-juan-diaz-prinz-of-the-united-states-institute-of-peace/
• Laura's PhD thesis: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351515871_Blame_Making_a_Villain_out_of_EU
• Samantha Hardy's book on conflict stories: Conflict Coaching Fundamentals
• Episode with Sam Hardy: https://conflicttipping.podbean.com/e/episode-5-dr-samantha-hardy-lawson-principal-at-conflict-coaching-international/
• Book about Derek Black: Rising Out of Hatred, by Eli Saslow
• Against Empathy, by Paul Bloom
• Business Plan for Peace, by Scilla Ellsworthy

Ank's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankurdelight/

And website: https://tenthousandheroes.club/

00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:25 The Book 00:03:06 The Concept of High Conflict 00:06:38 Gary Friedman's story 00:13:49 Curtis' Journey 00:15:37 The Challenge of Escaping Conflict 00:19:21 Complexifying Identities to Address Conflict 00:22:16 Sandra's Story 00:24:12 A fruity segue 00:25:18 Sandra's Journey to Freedom 00:27:09 Breaking Down Stereotypes 00:29:15 The Power of Storytelling 00:35:25 Key Takeaways 00:44:54 Final Thoughts

Resilience in Adversity: Mediation and Climate Action in Malawi with Brown Masingati

(Info on how to donate to Brown's work below!)

Join host Laura May as she speaks with Brown Masingati, a member of Mediators Beyond Borders International. Brown talks about his roots in Malawi, the 'Warm Heart of Africa,' spotlighting his incredible work in addressing poverty, gender-based violence, and the impact of climate change. Discover how Brown kick-started his mediation journey in 2020, tackling family conflicts through community dialogue. Hear firsthand about the severe cyclones that hit Malawi and Brown’s heroic efforts in voluntary mediation and counseling amidst disaster. Learn how he champions women's and girls' empowerment through education and small businesses. Perhaps most importantly, find out how you can support this work.

To make a donation to support Brown's community work in Malawi, there are two options: contact Brown directly for Western Union details, or make a transfer to Laura and she will make sure the donations reach him. If you use Wise, use this link to make a transfer to Laura: https://wise.com/pay/me/lauras98. If you use Revolut instead, or don't use Wise, then the link is https://revolut.me/lauramay98, and you can donate by card. USD is preferred if possible, and please do put in a comment if you remember.

To contact Brown or learn more:

• WhatsApp him on +265999237560
• Email him with brown.masingati@gmail.com
• Check out his personal Facebook at

  https://www.facebook.com/brown.masingati

• Visit him on LinkedIn at

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/brown-masingati-1b3a8a130/

• Visit his NGO's Facebook page at

  https://facebook.com/hfc.malawi.zomba/

0:00 Introduction 01:14 Malawi: The Warm Heart of Africa 02:47 Mediation and Gender-Based Violence: Brown's Story 09:18 Devastation by Cyclone 14:56 Community Mediation During Crisis 21:30 How You Can Help 25:22 Future Plans and Collaboration 27:41 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

Peace, Conflict, and the Power of Inclusion: Insights from Dr. Julia Palmiano Federer

What happens if you put two mediation fangirls who also happen to be intersectional feminists together into the same conversation? This episode! Host Laura May and guest Dr. Julia Palmiano Federer dive into critical discussions on peacebuilding and conflict mediation. Highlights include:

• Julia's journey from Manila to Vancouver, and her path to becoming a researcher in peace and conflict studies.
• Exploration of critical, feminist, and decolonial approaches to peace research and the significance of unofficial peace dialogues.
• Insights from Julia's work on NGOs mediating peace in Myanmar, highlighting the importance of inclusivity and local cultures in peace processes.
• Discussion on the impact of climate change on conflict, with a focus on Indigenous communities in Turtle Island (North America).
• Preview of Julia's forthcoming projects, including a book on mediation process design and an edited volume examining apocalyptic narratives in peacebuilding.

This episode provides a look into the challenges and opportunities within international peace mediation, emphasizing the importance of empathy, inclusivity, and critical self-reflection in addressing modern conflicts.

Links

• Julia's academic website - https://juliapalmianofederer.com/
• The Power to Protect (Report) - https://ottawadialogue.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/PowertoProtect-Report_IDRC_JDr.-Julia-Palmiano-Federer-Ms.-Lorelei-Higgins-Parker_compressed.pdf
• NGOs Mediating Peace (Book) - https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-42174-7
• University profile - https://css.ethz.ch/en/center/people/dr-julia-palmiano-federer.html
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliapalmianofederer/

Co-authors mentioned: Samantha Marie Gamez, and Lorelei Higgins Parker.

Julia Palmiano Federer

Dr. Palmiano Federer is a Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zürich. She is also currently a Senior Fellow at the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. Her research interests include critical, feminist and decolonial approaches to inclusive peace processes, unofficial peace dialogues and the nexus between climate change and conflict. She is the author of NGOs Mediating Peace: Promoting Inclusion in Myanmar’s Nationwide Ceasefire Negotiations, published in Open Access format by Palgrave Macmillan. She is a Laureate of the 2022 Women, Peace and Security Research Awards for her work on women, peace, security, and climate change. She was born in Manila, Philippines, and raised on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (Vancouver).

Bookmarks

00:00 Meet Dr. Julia Palmiano Federer: A Trailblazer in Peace Research 01:25 The Journey to Peace Building: Manila, Geneva, and beyond 09:06 Unpacking the Ethical Ick 16:21 NGOs in the Peace Process: Mavericks or Cowboys? 23:13 Decolonizing Peace: A Critical Look at Norm Spreading 27:46 The Future of Peace Mediation: More Caveats, More Care 28:28 Unveiling 'The Power to Protect' 29:02 Bridging Worldviews: Indigenous and Western Perspectives on Conflict 31:11 The Journey of Research: Unlearning and Relearning 33:47 Exploring Indigenous Women's Agency in Climate Change 37:02 Positionality and Identity: Navigating Research as an Outsider 44:50 Mediation Process Design and Apocalyptic Imaginaries 48:37 Witches and Peacebuilding: Reclaiming Feminist Imagery 52:57 Find out more about Julia's Work