[Dialogue] To Adam, Jon, Frank and Margaret

[James Wiegel]

Great statement, George.
 
I just got back from 10 days working to integrate ToP methods with 2 approaches to Conflict Transformation, one being used in Sri Lanka currently and the other which has been used in Israel and also Cincinnati.
 
The intent is to develop an approach to engaging in Identity conflicts (where the deep insecurity goes way down in people and groups) and especially application in the Israeli - Palestinian conflict.  We had Germans, Israelis, Palestinians.  We had someone from Muldova and someone who got started in this in Belfast.  There was also someone there from Jordan.  Given these are all people who are in favor of a participatory approach, the conversations were edgy all the time.
 
Toward the end of the pilot, when participants were working on implementing actions, one of the groups came up with reframing the program that takes people on trips to Poland to visit Auswicz and reflect on how "never again" applies today.  That jarred me into thinking that our movement, as well, came out of WWII -- the realization that most of us, as human beings just weren't well prepared for the kind of complexity and confrontation with the other that we were being driven into.  I remembered the seminary paper by JWM on his experience in the Pacific (some of that is in Brother Joe)
 
and now this conversation about the US -- the Germans in the restaurants where we ate would ask about the election and about the bail out -- and it got me wondering about this deep identity conflict that is also in the USA or is it many identity conflicts?

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