Constructive
Communication: Discussing Controversial
Environmental
Issues in your
Community
Center for Research
in Conflict and Negotiation
September 28,
2000
9:00 am - 10:30
am
Presentation
Outline
Viewing the Conflict Through
a Kaleidoscope
"So, in other words, you
got a lot of different people with a lot of different ideas about what the
park should be, and they're all comparing it to what they remember about,
or what somebody remembers, about a play they went and did things."
I. Sources of Environmental Conflict
A.
Uncertainty
B.
Differences
in Risk Perception
C.
Different
Values
D.
Threats
to Economic Well-Being
E.
Threats
to Identity
F.
Fairness
(Justice) Concerns
II. Stakeholders
A.
Community
Groups
B.
Local
Government Officials
C.
State
Government Officials
D.
Agribusiness
Organizations
E.
Family
Farmers
F.
Agricultural
Groups
G.
Environmental
Groups
III. Factors Contributing to the Escalation of
Conflict
A.
Selective
Listening
Selective Listening = hearing
what you expect to hear
How can you avoid selective
listening?
B.
Stereotyping
Characterization Frames
Characterizations = pointed
descriptions of others
They can be [+] [-] or neutral.
Negative characterizations often = stereotypes
Stereotyping = Escalation of
conflict
What Shapes our Frames? Identity?
·
Where
we live (e.g. Northern Minnesota)
·
Our
jobs and careers (e.g. firefighters)
·
Our
societal roles (e.g. mother, husband)
·
Our
ethnicity and gender (e.g. Irish, female)
·
Our
values
C.
Misinformation/Rumors
D.
Threats,
Attacks
E.
No
Agreement Upon Process for Handling
IV. Alternatives to Escalation: Constructive Processes for Dealing with Differences
A.
What
alternatives could look like: Group
where all stakeholders:
1.
Can
have voice
2.
Can
be heard
3.
Can
consider others’ concerns
4.
Can
generate positive steps to address conflict issues
B.
Principles
1.
Inclusive
2.
Transparent
3.
Voluntary
4.
Civil
5.
Foster
understanding among parties
C.
Five
Community Participation Processes
Community participation processes are ways of bringing
people concerned about a problem together to talk. Often a neutral person runs the meeting to
help everyone listen to one another.
Five different community participation processes can
be used when conflicts arise among citizens, farmers, developers and public
officials:
1.
Public
Information Meetings
The meetings provide an opportunity for all interested
citizens to learn more about a proposed decision that a township board or
other agency must make. Anyone can
organize a public information meeting. Sometimes
government agencies are required to hold them to help people become informed.
2.
Public
Hearings
Citizens have the opportunity to present input to government
agencies at these meeting. Agencies
record and take these comments into consideration when they make their decisions.
However, they are not obliged to agree with them.
3.
Report
& Comment
Sometimes a government agency that is making a decision
is required to offer the public an opportunity to submit written or telephone
comments. This process does not require
that a formal meeting be held.
4.
Consensus-building
An agency invites representatives with different viewpoints
to join a committee. Members of the
committee search for areas on which they all agree. This is called reaching a consensus. If the committee reaches a consensus, the agency
may make a decision that is consistent with the agreement or use parts of
it. However, the agency may be required to consider other information also.
Therefore that agency does not have to adopt the exact agreement the
committee recommended.
5.
Mediation
In mediation, as in consensus seeking, a group of representative
parties is selected. In this process,
however, interested parties actually decide what will be one about the conflict.
Mediation involves a third neutral party who helps the parties talk
constructively with each other and look for solutions they can all agree to.
All parties, including any government agencies, involved, must agree
for a mediation decision to become a final decision.
D.
Stages
in Moving from Conflict to Collaboration
1.
Mobilization
2.
Convening/Pre-Negotiation
3.
Negotiation ---> Agreement
4.
Implementation
V. Steps Facilitators Can Take in Upcoming
Meetings
A.
Establish/present
an agenda for the meeting
B.
Create
groundrules for how to behave (examples)
C.
Limit/rotate
opportunity to speak
D.
Record
each person’s concerns
E.
Offer
periodic summaries of key ideas
F.
Make
next steps clear