Stories


Identifying the Third Side in a Conflict and Making It Relevant to Parties

At the end of this tutorial, the learner will be able to introduce the concept of the Third Side to a conflict resolution process. https://youtu.be/0K8hnV5vi_k The impacts of conflict are often felt by the wider community. Not just the parties who were directly involved in the conflict themselves, but by others in the community who feel its effects. I'm Marlene, and I'd like to talk with you about that today. I'd like to talk with you about something called the Third Side. The Third Side approach to conflict, which came out of the Harvard Negotiation Project at ...

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The Bystander Effect and The Third Side

It was a cold winter’s night, at 3.15 am, on March 13, 1964, when Kitty Genovese, a then 28-year-old manager of a bar, was returning home to her apartment in Queens, New York. She had parked her car about 100 feet from her apartment’s door when she was approached by Winston Mosely, a business machines operator on the prowl for potential victims. Moseley ran after her, quickly overtook her and stabbed her twice in the back. Genovese screamed. Almost all neighbors had their windows closed and very few deciphered it as a cry for help.[1] One of the witnessing neighbors ...

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March of Hope: How Israeli – Palestinian Women Wage Peace

* * * Hope was lost when talks to resolve the long standing conflict between Israel and Palestine failed in April 2014. This was the first time since President Obama’s tenure commenced, that the conflict was attempted to be directly discussed by the leadership of Israel and Palestine, in an effort to resolve their disputes and bring about peace in their nations. The long standing nature of the conflict has resulted in deeply rooted emotional hostilities as well as extreme political and societal distrust on both sides. The most logical outcome, under the circumstances, ...

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The purpose of Protest – A key tool for the Witness and Equalizer: The example of Colin Kaepernick

*** It was a bright sunny late August day in Santa Clara California.  The stadium was packed with San Francisco 49er fans.  The pre-season game was about to begin like any other National Football League (NFL) event – with the singing of the National Anthem.  The announcer’s melodramatic voice emerged through the loud speaker,  “Would you all please rise and remove your caps for the singing of our National Anthem.” Reverberations rippled through the stadium.  All rose.  But one. Colin Kaepernick, once a promising star quarterback with the San Francisco ...

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Mosques do the Opposite of Terrorism: They Diffuse Peace and Dialogue

…said Mohmmed ben Mohammed, a member of the Union of the Islamic Communities in Italy, in the aftermath of the bloody attack on the Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray Church near Rouen, about 77 miles away from Paris. Many from the Muslim community in the Rouen region, in France, reached out in solidarity to the victims and the family of those affected. It is in times of crisis that we can distinguish our friends from our foes. It is also in times of crisis that the Third Side principles become so very crucial, that the creative people and communities automatically and ...

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Share Third Side Stories

If you have had any experiences that highlight the Third Side, we'd love to hear about them! Share any stories you know of below. These posts will help us as we build a more sophisticated online community of thirdsiders.

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Useful websites

General Resources Some U.S. Educational Institutions with some type of Conflict Resolution Program Back to top

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Resources by Third Side Role

The Provider - Enabling People to Meet Their Needs Useful websites: The Giraffe Project Grameen Bank (Mohammed Yunus) Mauritius Conflict Resolution Info and the Role of the Provider Brief bibliography: Bornstein, D. (1997). The Price of a Dream: The Story of The Grameen Bank. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Burton, J. (1990). Conflict: Human Needs Theory. New York: St. Martin's Press. Gurr, T. (1970). Why Men Rebel. Boulder: Westview Press. Dollard, J., L. Doob, N.E. Miller, O.H. Mowrer, and R.R. Sears. (1939). Frustration ...

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Thirdside Movies and Songs

Classic Thirdsider Movies Videos about Thirdsider Movements Videos Explaining the Third Side Songs about the Third Side The following songs are, in some manner, related to the Third Side: "Both Sides of the Story" – By Phil Collins, from the Album Both Sides "Look Through My Eyes" – By Phil Collins, from the movie soundtrack Brother Bear "People are People" – By Depeche Mode, from the Album People Are People

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Case Studies of the Third Side in Action

A number of case studies have been developed to exhibit: how the Third Side gets mobilized and becomes active; and what the most significant barriers to the Third Side's emergence are and why these have proven so difficult to overcome. These case studies are excellent resources for teachers, study groups, or others interested in the Third Side in actual conflict situations. Book: International Mediation in Venezuela By Jennifer McCoy and Francisco Diez Read more >> Tuzla, The Third Side, and the Bosnian War By Joshua N. Weiss, Ph.D. ...

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