Bridging Troubled Waters
Conflict Resolution from the Heart
Chapter One
From the Heart
A Creative, Relational
Approach to Conflict
Conflicts happen, leaving us with knotted stomachs, furrowed
brows, shaky knees. They stress us and stretch us-they show us
what we value even as we stand to lose it. Conflicts are significant
emotional events. They happen in relationships, calling on our creativity
and all our ways of knowing. To address conflicts constructively,
we need intuition and imagination to navigate the nuances
of conflict's terrain. We need our bodies, sensitive instruments that
both receive and send signals reflecting our deep, inner wisdom.
We need our emotions in active dialogue with our thoughts, giving
us cues to action. And we need our spirits, sources of resilience,
strength, and purpose.
In this chapter, we explore the resources of relationship, beginning
with a letter to Madeleine, an experienced mediator. Building
on this foundation, we examine the topography of conflict
processes, cl ... read full excerpt from Bridging Troubled Waters : Conflict Resolution from the Heart ebook
