AC4 5% solution seminar

Columbia UniversityOctober 15, 2010

I. Complicate Things – Escaping Attractors II. Simplify Things – Focusing on Hubs & Patterns

III. Build Up - Growing Hidden Possibilities IV. Tear Down – Dismantling Destructive Traps

V. Leverage Change – Working the Levers VI. Decide More – Adapting to Change

I. Complicate Things – Escaping Attractors

play ballauthor life

yours and others’

II. Simplify Things – Focusing on Hubs & Patterns

listen to everyonetalk to everyoneseek, knock, ask

III. Build Up - Growing Hidden Possibilities

can ‘this’ be done?can ‘we’ do this?

can we ‘learn’ from doing it?

IV. Tear Down – Dismantling Destructive Traps

there is no way outthis is the way it isthis who you are

V. Leverage Change – Working the Levers

keep changing what is changingdo what is working better

keep learning and sharing the learning

VI. Decide More – Adapting to Change

we can decidedecisions are possible

was ‘that’ decision ‘good’?

We ‘make sense’ by experiencing, understanding, judging, and

deciding.

Peace emerged in Mozambique successfully because all these

operations were unburdened of the constraints that the enmity-system, the experience of violence and the lack of alternatives had imposed on

the actors.

Peace emerged in Mozambique successfully because there was a new alignment of power, meaning and relationships that profoundly restructured a conflictual polity.

Positioning acts-

relationally situating at least two people (self and other) into a local

moral order

Position-

a cluster of rights and duties that limits the repertoire of possible

social acts available to a person (or a person-like entity)

as so positioned

Mutual positioning-

when what one person says simultaneously positions self and

other or ingroup and outgroup

Local moral order-

the dynamic, collaboratively negotiated cluster of rights and duties associated with particular

positions in a storyline

Malignant positioning-

when what is said about a person leads others to think about and treat

that person in harmful ways

Forced positioning-

positioning someone in the eyes of others against the will of the person

so positioned

Duty-

a demand placed by others on the person who owns it

Action-

intentional activity

Mozambique is now at peace, independent and united.

How did ‘peace’ happen?

Mozambique

Imagine a country…

… that was never independent, united and at peace …

… where out of 12 million people, 1 million were dead because of the

war …

… where out of 12 million people, 4 to 5 million became refugees or

internally displaced people (IDPs)…

… where the constitution did not allow multiparty political

representation…

… where your neighbors (Rhodesia and South Africa) actively

destabilized and continuously threatened security…

… then you have a glimpse of Mozambique in July 1990...

… when in 1990 the first direct talks between the FRELIMO government

and the RENAMO movement occurred.

ActorsFRELIMO governmentRENAMO movement

June 1975 Mozambique achieves independence from Portugal

In 1976 RENAMO emerges as a military force

In 1986 Chissano becomes President of Mozambique

In 1988 first meeting with RENAMO’s leader,

Alfonso Dlakama

1990-1992 negotiations take place in Rome until the agreement is

signed on October 4th, 1992

Mozambicans fought around three fundamental axes:

powermeaning

relationships

… and created an enmity-system through recurrent patterns of

behavior (loops).

Independence loop.

Mozambique wants to assert its independence so

it distinguishes itself from its neighborsso

Rhodesia feels threatenedso

It intervenes in Mozambique’s internal affairsso

Mozambique is less independent

Until Rhodesia keeps its racist government so

Mozambique supports the liberation movement in Rhodesia

soRhodesia feels justified in encouraging the civil war in

Mozambique

Independence loop (II)

Mozambique wants to assert its independence so

it distinguishes itself from its neighborsso

South Africa feels threatenedso

It intervenes in Mozambique’s internal affairsso

Mozambique is less independent

Until Mozambique proposes a security agreement to apartheid South Africa

soMozambique promises not to support the liberation

movement in South Africa in exchange of isolation of Renamo

soSouth Africa feels empowered to interfere secretly

without publicly acknowledging the intrusion.

Unity loop

Mozambique wants to achieve unity as a nation state so

It creates a strong central government modeled on the soviet experience

soLocal ethnic nationalities are disempowered and

respond negativelyso

Mozambican government becomes even more invested in reducing the power of local chiefs

so Local groups support an open rebellion

Mozambique is less united so

It responds militarily to the rebellionso

Local ethnic nationalities resist even more violently, making it impossible for the central government of

Mozambique to control the country

Peace loop

Mozambique emerges out of a violent liberation struggleso

It tries to achieve peace through violenceso

violence reigns

PowerHumanRelations Meaning

IndependenceLoop

UnityLoop

PeaceLoop

Independence demands

assertiveness that is

perceived as threat

New relations are

determined by independence

and forced onto someone

Only some are

legitimate heirs of the

struggle that gives

meaning

To make a country is to challenge the

heritage of many people

‘We’ are a nation before

being a people

‘Your’ unity is ‘our’ death

Peace is achieved

through victory; victory comes

through violence

‘We’ will talk when they

surrender; so to talk is to surrender

It is because we believe that

we fight

Suspension, ambiguity and discontinuity in the loops.

Structural

Subjective

Power Relations Meaning

DiscontinuitiesDiscontinuities

power is military control

loyalty

enmity

threats

constrained

focusing on survival

or not?

or not?

Recurrent loops made Mozambicans ‘certain’ of their enemies’ power, meaning and

relationships.

Perceived certainty

Mozambicans remained in the conflict because moving from the

certainty and coherence associated with it was perceived to be counter

to one’s own survival as understood in the moment.

What do we really do when we do what we do?

How do we measure the ‘difference’ we make?

Are we understanding more?Are we communicating better?

The paradox of ‘good intent’

Constraints on adaptability

Personal integration

Integrating networks

Peace as movement

The danger of reconciliation

Conflict, change, resolution and order

Cares and order

Who is ordering?(who is ‘making sense’?)

Who is recognized as ordering?(who is recognized as

‘making sense’?)

Power, meaning and relationships are uneven

Disrespect – insult

Authorship and interpretation

Adversary or enemy?

Influence question

Personal experiences and political relevance

Conflict resolution activities in relevant political contexts

Conflict resolution as relational dynamism

Conflict resolution cannot be but political

The problem and promise of manipulation

Conflict resolution activities in violent and volatile environments

requires a certain degree of manipulation

It is essential to control that effort by its consequences and actual results

AttentiveIntelligent

ReasonableResponsible

Responsible ReasonableIntelligentAttentive