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Change Model idraft

Toward a Change Model for ADR

LoAnn M. Flom

for the

Cyber Symposium on Dispute Resolution, Restorative and Therapeutic Practices

"Promoting Civil Societies through ADR, Peaceful Practices and the Law."

Professors Tom DiGrazia and Katherine Bennett

February 28, 2011

Change Model 1Draft

This paper began when a class assignment to write a paper on facilitating an

ADR process for Maldives, having migrated into India as climate change migrants,

ended. We were instructed that we could take as a given that whatever peacemaking

process we conceived would be underwritten with appropriate financial and human

resources.

This current paper proposes a model of change for Alternative Dispute

Resolution (ADR). The Maldives are a representative example throughout, however

this model is intended to be adaptable to other situations. The goal is to use a

transformative style to invite two disparate groups to enter into a transformative and

partnering process.

Summary of the Maldive-Indian Conflict

in the Context of Global Climate Change

The Maldives is a country composed of a cluster/chain of natural atolls and

few island groups on isolated reefs in the Indian Ocean. In October 2008 the, then

new, president of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, publicly addressed “concerns for the

effects of global warming on the future of the islands.” A month later, he announced

his intention to create a sovereign wealth fund using money earned from tourism,

that could be used to purchase land and then relocate the people, should rising sea

levels due to climate change inundate the islands. At that time they were looking at

land to purchase in Sri Lanka and India, due to their similarities in climate and

cultures, and as far as Australia. In a news article dated 3/16/09 he “announced that

the country will become carbon-neutral within a decade by completely switching to

renewable energy sources. ‘We aim to become carbon-neutral in a decade,’ he said.”

Change Model 2 Draft

Background Premise

A group of Maldives AKA Maldivians migrated to India and have inhabited the

area for about six months. At least one group of Maldives have indeed migrated to

India and are in conflict with their neighbors, however, due to lack of specific

information available in the media, the issues we are addressing are based on

speculation around media coverage of relevant types of conflict, noted below, for the

purpose of developing a facilitation process that would cover a broad range of issues.

Between the Maldives past earning power and their current literacy rate of

99% they will succeed wherever they reside however, they have been, reportedly,

discouraged from interacting with other cultures coming to their islands as workers or

tourists by their religious, government, and/or social leaders. Recent newspaper

articles reflect the range of cultural disputes, not necessarily specific to this situation,

which give an indication of the range of potential conflict we were basing our

facilitation process on.

The type of conflicts between the two cultures include reflected on the

internet and in our local media include, and are not limited to 1) ragging (a local term

similar to our “hazing“, has the same potential for serious outcomes including death)

of Maldivian students by Indian students in India, 2) publicly insulting and cursing of

non-Maldivians visiting in the Maldives to renew their marriage vows, by the Maldive

officiant, 3) abuses of Shari’ah (Islamic Law) by Muslims towards Muslims, and

censure/threats of Maldivians by Muslims as reported when a Maldivian declared

publicly that he was not Muslim and was told to “return to Islam or be put to death.”

Let’s start where that initial paper began.

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Facilitator’s Role

Facilitators assure peaceful opportunities to affect change are available. We

maintain that vision throughout the mediation process.

Not only can Civil Societies peacefully coexist, with tolerance and respect for

each other, we expect them to do so…we provide alternative choices for them to do

so. Through a therapeutic model of change we/peacemakers can be a bridge to

promote Civil Societies and harmony between diverse populations…to the creation of

expectations for harmony and peace within families and between neighbors,

communities, and between nations as members of a global family/whole.

Purpose of Meeting

The facilitator’s purpose is to get a small group of key people, from both

cultures, together on the possibility of harmony between neighbors through a pre-

mediation facilitation. Initially it is beneficial to work with each group separately and

then it is optimal to work with them together. Then do the same with the larger

group, which would also include these key people, in the full facilitation process. The

facilitators provide support for them to shift from a competitive stance to cooperative

interactions such as communication and shared viewpoints as well as a

consciousness of harmony between neighbors e.g. by utilizing forgiveness,

compassion and redemption practices. The facilitator will also provide education/

information about resources to assist them to move beyond a merely survival

mindset.

The Desired Outcome

The overall outcome is to establish a basis for friendly relations between

neighbors who share common interests. A basis that would lay the foundation for

future

Change Model 4Draft

cooperation and problem solving. The goal is to facilitate respect between people for

the survival of both cultures and communities as well as to provide resources to

thrive.

The immigrant culture (in this situation it is the Maldives, moving into India)

will not thrive at the expense of the host community/neighbors (in this situation

Indians) or vice versa. Both will have the resources to survive and thrive. This

mutually beneficial approach will foster a sense of community and shared investment

by both groups as neighbors who then treat each other well for their common good

and survival. Such an approach would create neighbors who “communicate their

needs to each other and make requests intended to make all of their lives more

wonderful.” 1

For the host culture this desired outcome may become possible when

resources and literacy are addressed. Fears of survival can be dealt with when you

know how to access resources and have that ability to do so yourself via literacy.

When the fear of survival is addressed, then a sense of security can start building as

participants become part of the solution and see that as mediators/peacemakers we

offer services/resources and we are not favoring one group or the other at either the

host culture’s expense or the immigrants’ expense.

What’s happening between the Maldives and Indians is an example of a

threshold effect2 that occurs when scarcity, change and basic needs collide. The

Change Model 5Draft

possibility of resource capture may be a real or imagined fear and we will see

threshold effects and fears of resource capture repeated between climate change

migrants and their new host cultures/ communities. It needs to be addressed and a

model created for preventive work and preparation of communities once sites for

1 Rosenberg,M. (2005), Speak Peace in a World of Conflict. Encinitas: Puddledancer Press

2 Delaunay, December 7, 2008, section III. B.1. “Threshold Effect: If an unstable country is without the ability to adapt its systems to withstand changes to its environment, it could be vulnerable to the impacts of a threshold effect leading to a violent conflict through resource capture. The threshold effect is a build-up that occurs when a system, like the earth’s environment, experiences continuous variations in one of its properties over a long period of time without noticeable effects on the system. However, there comes a point where the system’s buffering capacity can no longer absorb small changes to the same property. Thereby, this property change pushes the system across a threshold resulting in drastic changes.” section III.B.2. “Resource Capture: occurs when powerful groups realize that an important resource is becoming scarce and use their power to change laws and institutions in their favor at the expense of weaker groups.” [black marketeering may be a result of this] “Resource capture would not be the end result of resource scarcity, but, instead, groups may get involved in violent conflicts between countries, within countries or upon encountering groups during migration over limited amounts of resources [land or water usually or mineral rights/resources]. Homer-Dixon identifies these three types of conflicts: “simple-scarcity conflicts, insurgencies, and group identity conflicts respectively.” [these would be, respectively, intra-national, international, and migration in nature.] Cited in this paper is Thomas F. Homer-Dixon, Environment, Scarcity, and Violence (Princeton U. Press 1999).

migrants have been identified and before they move in.

“Migration is moving from sensitive places to sensitive places and so not

necessarily a better place.” 3 Change is difficult under the best of circumstances.

Climate migrants don’t usually have that luxury. An alternative to a widening gap

between the “haves and have not’s” needs to be found. Under some circumstances

the immigrants may fall into either category. In the case of the Maldives and Indians

it is the immigrating Maldives who comprise the “haves” and the Indian community

comprise the “have not’s” with a perceived threat of a widening gap, or the

possibility of being taken advantage of, or taken advantage of further due to

potential resource capture.

An alternative that incorporates positive concepts that are conducive to

indigenous communities having their systems of knowledge, heritage and culture

Change Model 6Draft

respected, sustained and maintained during the uncomfortable process of change,

should be utilized. Examples of positive concepts include diversity, harmony,

neighborliness, Nonviolent Communication, forgiveness, and redemption.

(Redemption meaning “Let’s put that behind us and let me help you get on your

feet.”)

Simple scarcity conflicts are being labeled as group identity conflicts. The

Indians are feeling psychologically and physically threatened. Group identity is

perceived to be threatened with the influx of a community that has a different

religion/culture, a higher literacy rate, higher earning potential, and a power/social

status differential. Without social intervention these conflicts have the potential to

escalate into insurgencies and true group identity conflicts. Mediation/ peacemaking

provides a viable non-military intervention to break the vicious circle of the threshold

effect.

3 Professor Maxine Burke, Director, UH Center for Island Climate Change Adaptation & Policy Center. Personal communication, in class Guest Speaker – lecture, 11/15/2010

Overall basic fears of survival are an underlying condition that adds to the

conflict albeit a point that is likely to be denied by either group. In asking the

Maldivians to show respect for their host culture the support/sponsorship of their

leaders--religious, political, and educational-- is essential. As mediators and

peacemakers we can invite these leaders to be sponsors of the ADR process and

participate in creating the vision during a pre-mediation facilitation.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical questions such as “how can I do justice to the process/people…”

emerge when engaging in mediation. As mediators/peacemakers we must determine

“How we can establish respect for all cultures/religions, whether present or not, and

their value to the whole….” Thus, as mediators we lay the groundwork to introduce

a potential vision for participating groups to consider and, ultimately, for them to

hold during negotiations on their dispute. As ethical considerations present

themselves they help to shape that

Change Model 7Draft

vision.

A Potential Group Vision

From our ethical considerations we look to see who our interested parties may

be, beyond those sitting at the negotiation table, and what kind of group vision we

want to create. It’s important to find common neutral ground and thinking between

the two parties that may lend itself to a group vision. In this situation it would be

worth pursuing the possibility, for example, that both groups might value the poetry

of the thirteenth century mystical poet Jalalud’din Rumi and, if so, utilize one of his

poems as the starting point of a group vision.

Alternatively, if neutral ground cannot be found, the facilitators might

artificially create common ground by introducing the Hawaiian ADR concept of

ho’oponopono. Introducing ho’oponopono to two disparate cultures and religions in

conflict provides a neutral rendering of their own basic tenets without showing

favoritism to either group or the particular religious language they use, yet still

honoring their basic tenets. In this situation both Muslims and Indians (with several

religions present within their group) are respected and their religions acknowledged

by way of Hawaiian ho’oponopono. The same basic tenets are presented using the

neutral language found in ho‘oponopono.

Ho’oponopono and e olo pono provide a framework for establishing the

neutrality and independence of the peacemakers indicating a clear message of not

asking them to adopt it as their own or adapt their religions to it. The goal is to adapt

it to their religions to see how it compares. Plenty of work has been done, most

notably Fred Luskin’s Forgiveness project at Stanford University, in presenting

forgiveness as a psychological rather than religious process. Ho’oponopono at it’s

best mixes that neutral language of psychology with a spiritual perspective that is

found in the

Change Model 8Draft

foundations of all religions. It is then likely that ho’oponopono will resonate with the

participants since it offers no religious texts or quotes for comparison.

It has been said that: “out of the mouths of babes” and “a child shall lead

them” and so it began for us when this author encountered a public display of

artwork on the theme: creating pono schools. Pono is a Hawaiian word meaning right,

right relationship, and harmony.

It was suggested in the original class paper that a possible common vision be

introduced, for consideration, to the participants in the form of the Hawaiian school

project “e ola pono”. The vision consisted of:

A Visual Aid. A poster board, poster-sized display that could become a focal

point or reference point in the room, for participants, with copies of artwork and

essays displayed of student contest winners from the www.creatingponoschools.com

website.

The following comments are excerpted and adapted from a public display of

contest winners and the website.

“Imagine a world of pono. Your school is a place that empowers you to be the

best you can be. Your peers, teachers, family, and community work in harmony on

common goals. You’re doing something that makes a difference.”

“E ola pono means to live with respect. It means living with respect for

everyone, and in harmony with everything. It begs the question: ‘what can we do in

our daily lives to promote respect, acceptance, harmony and peace in the spirit of e

ola pono? To live pono?’”

“Understanding pono goes way beyond content and language. It is a 21st

century life skill. E ola pono, living pono, is not a destination--it is a journey requiring

ongoing attention, intention and reflection.”

Change Model 9Draft

This was a beginning vision. A starting point. The group may be able to take

these quotes and consider how they apply to living in community rather than simply

being applicable only to school. They may consider how to make their community a

place that empowers you to be the best you can be. How to do the same with their

families and neighborhoods…finding the wisdom and teachings needed to restore

right relationship.

Peter Adler contends: “Let’s teach the children the craft of a better politics,

the skills of the best negotiators, the art of human communication, the

discipline and tolerance needed to sit in council and reason together,

the desire for solutions and resolutions, and the wisdom to be patient

and persistent. If we had learned these things ourselves, the world we

are passing on would be different. We can teach them these things. We

just need to start. Today.”4

The motivation here is to engage in conflict resolution and peacemaking so as

to model right relationship and forgiveness practices for our children. This, then, has

4 Adler, P. (2008), Eye of the Storm Leadership. Mediate.com Publications

the potential of being a foundation for developing a group vision and, when

appropriate, to be presented to participants/media as the group public image.

These two new models, e olo pono and ho’oponopono, also provide a way to

introduce and model the concept of honoring your host culture. As haoles (foreigners

and in this case non-Hawaiians living in Hawaii) the mediators are showing respect

and honor for the Hawaiian host culture by embracing and sharing the Hawaiian’s

gifts, of ho’oponopono and e olo pono, that we appreciate in the islands. The

mediators are

Change Model 10Draft

also showing respect by using the Hawaiian word ho’oponopono as the term for

traditional Hawaiian dispute resolution. Using these two models also becomes a way

of demonstrating that the peacemakers desire the best for all participants by

showing that we appreciate the best that other cultures offer. In the process of all

this we also introduce the concepts of many cultures living in harmony and

appreciation of each other as modeled in the Hawaiian Islands.

Through the introduction of e olo pono, children are introduced as interested

parties and presented as a long-term interest. As peacemakers, we are creating and

building a foundation as well as, possibly, trust in us, that as mediators we are

engaging in this process of peacemaking to preserve both cultures, both religions,

both communities, for the sake of the children: All our children. What negotiators and

participants do in our negotiations involves our children. It is to our benefit and

theirs that the children’s interests are protected and a harmonious future created of

them. E olo pono is the input of children on what they want their future to look like.

Our goal as peacemakers is honoring the diversity of all our heritages and

maintaining the religions, culture and gifts of those heritages. We are all in this

world/experience together.

Bringing e olo pono to the group becomes a way of “not telling them what to

do, but rather pointing away from what not to do.” It presents a vision of what a

healthy, functional community (in this case it’s in the form of a school) looks like. It

presents the option or choice of a harmonious community even if achieving it seems

daunting in the moment. If the groups ho’oponopono together, they each own their

piece in the conflict and spiritual surrender may occur with the support of the various

religious and spiritual leaders. With spiritual surrender they may step out of ego into

a space of forgiveness, compassion, and reconciliation in which resolution may be

found.


The Problem that Presented

Before you create a common vision, it is helpful to have common expectations

on which to base a group vision.

Most of the Maldivians are Orthodox Muslims. The problem, to an Orthodox

Muslim, is this: The transformational definition of what the term “neighbor” means is

found in all religions save Islam. For Orthodox Muslims, non-Muslims by definition are

not neighbors.

For many Indians there are two types of Muslims:

Orthodox Muslims and

Lapsed Muslims.

Lapsed Muslims may not consider themselves lapsed, may or may not pray 5

times a day and may practice tolerance, compassion and the honoring of diversity;

however, they are not accepted by Orthodox Muslims and risk being subjected to

Shari’ah (Muslim law). They risk the same censure and even death that non-Muslims

face because they are viewed as non-Muslims by Orthodox Muslims.

The beauty of the Qur'an is shadowed by its regular return to the concept of

non-Muslims going to hell and having no place in the Muslim world. (A concept that is

easily misunderstood and distorted for the purposes of terrorism.) This concept leads

us directly to the reality of the “war on terrorism” (a different name is needed for

this… maybe the healing of terrorism).

There is a power imbalance in this situation between the Maldives and the

Indians, and so the potential for abuse.

On the other side of the problem are media reports of “ragging” by Indian


students toward Maldivian students in India. (More will be said about this later.)

With a power differential or imbalance we must look to therapeutic techniques

on how to handle “bullies,” which is a problem that tends to have its root in the

language of feelings and communication skills, rather than abdicating that need in

the name of “religious tolerance.” This is also a problem that is not unique to this

situation and relevant to many ADR situations of a non-religious nature and so is

included here.

The challenge then is twofold:

How to get both the Muslims (non-orthodox or orthodox) and Indians to

recognize that there are people of other faiths who are their neighbors? Herein lies

the need for spiritual surrender in the ADR process. We all face the challenge of

surrendering our ego, our arrogance, our desire to blame rather than own our part in

any dispute. It is our surrender to higher concepts such as forgiveness, tolerance,

redemption, the needs of the other as well as our own, and compassion that leads us

back to right relationship.

The Peacemaker challenge is how to deal with this as a “bully” issue rather

than a religious issue. How do ethnically and religiously diverse people get their

needs met (ours and those of our “identified” bully) and deal with change effectively?

Without a common expectation such as “love your neighbor as yourself”

and/or ecumenism (promoting worldwide unity among diverse religions) there is no

foundation on which to base a group vision of harmony among neighbors to support

resolving conflict.

A Potential Solution

If we as peacemakers hold our vision (as developed at the beginning of this

paper with the facilitators role, purpose of meeting, desired outcome and ethical

considerations) and add an earlier step or two to the process prior to introducing the


two Hawaiian concepts of e olo pono (to live with respect) and ho’oponopono (to

make right or pono) we may find a solution.

Some of the solution is found simply in identifying the problem. The word

“Islam” means “submission to the will of God.” The word “Muslim” is generally

accepted to mean “one who has surrendered to the will of God.” It is possible, with

the help of spiritual leaders and educators, to educate non-orthodox Muslims into

understanding that the world is made up of “Muslims,” that is of people who are

practicing Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. and are “Muslims” because they

surrender to God and because those other religions teach their adherents how to

surrender to God even though their paths may vary.

Another interpretation of those who are unfaithful “going to hell” is that they

are already in hell by being in a hell consciousness, and therefore in need of our

compassion. For “terrorists” to hasten their demise by removing them from God’s

world or the Muslim world is to have the “terrorist” enter into the hell realm with

these unfaithful and so the “terrorists” are no longer “Muslim.” Non-Islamic

religions/philosophies offer the unfaithful the hope of redemption: surely the Qur'an

does also.

A Tool for use Toward the Solution

The Five Stages of Change is a formula for dealing with intimidation/bullying

as well as conflict resolution. 5 The five stages philosophy can best be summed up in

the following quotes:

5 This model is paraphrased from personal communication with Catherine Burton Ph.D. who details it in her unpublished book. Any distortions or misrepresentations of her fine work are my own. Her work is adapted from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’s work on the 5 stages of grief and are now adapted by this author for use in resolving conflict.

“Everything we do is in the service of our needs.” “What others do to us is

the


best possible thing they know how to do to get their needs met. So there is no

need/benefit in blame, shame or hate for them not being what we want them to be.”6

The Five Stages of Change applied to conflict resolution is being presented

because while participants may have a long list of complaints to justify their

emotions, in the end they are fighting/arguing about moving through a change when

what they want is to preserve the status quo of the past.

If we, as peacemakers, understand that participants are moving through these

five stages we can support them in continuing to move through them to resolution

while we hold our vision for them.

Five Stages of Change adapted for resolving conflict:

(Note: this is an unconscious process. With our growing-up and differentiation

we have a choice of making it a conscious process.)

1) Denial--by self or by the collective group.

Denial means we think/say “I didn’t ask for this”

The adult response to this is: “Actually, you did ask for this when you

stopped asking questions” in order to find solutions. i.e. when you

chose

denial.

2) Anger

Challenge: get clear by educating yourself.

Anger may present as ridicule or invalidation of one group by another.

3) Guilt



May present as: “I don’t deserve good, I’m selfish to ask for it” as a

result

of being “guilt-tripped” by others. This is where people are using

manipulation and guilt to get you to change. They are trying to hook

you

into guilt or drama so that you won’t use your mind, and so they can

manipulate you…get you confused.

Challenge: Remind yourself… tell yourself this is the third phase. Face

the

fear of being cut off by them/the world…financially/ physically/

emotionally/spiritually.

4) Fear

“I’ll be killed or hurt.” There may be a threat of cut-off…being left

physically or financially cut-off. That fear of not surviving, or losing the

security of the community is being prodded and activated.

Potential Responses: “I don’t want to leave this relationship.” “I don’t

want to stop you.” “I still want to get to the bottom of this problem,

this is

what I need.” “If you need to leave that’s your choice….”

“I really don’t want to cut off and I’d really like ____…is there something

I

can do…?”

“I would like to have my problem solved without making you wrong.”

Challenge: fear of the collective we live in… which leads to the need to

differentiate from it.

5) Resolution

Owning: “This is mine, I’ll be aware, I’ll clean it up, I’ll choose, I’ll move

forward regardless…” this is what accountability and assuming


responsibility look like.

The Five Stages of Change are not necessarily something we, as facilitators,

will educate participants on although it may be appropriate at times. It is more of a

tool we incorporate into our facilitation process to help each other maintain patience

with, and understanding of, the process the participants are going through.

Note: as with change, in dealing with differences of any kind, people go

through the same stages in a slightly different form:

1) First ignoring or denying differences--complying with them

2) Then often judging differences -- rebelling against them

3) Then manipulating with guilt trips --“you are selfish, I shouldn’t say

anything”

4) Then trying to convert the other person or threatening them with cut-off

5) Finally some kind of resolution happens.

We can clear this by dealing with others/communicating rather than by

withdrawing or cutting off. By improving communication and by being aware of the

process to better endure it in others as they move through it.

“Speaking peace leads to power ‘with’ rather than power ‘over.’”7

People tend to be paranoid toward differences and change. We are touching

wounds. They fear being judged…and if we slip into a parental position we may also

slip into judgment as a way of defending our self from their paranoia.

To some extent change moves from children up to parents and then

grandparents without final change occurring until the “old guard” or ego-authority

(grandfather) dies off. This reflects the importance of holding the vision.



The consequence of peacemaking has been described as “the release from

fruitless repetition” (as in “insanity” being defined as repeating the same behavior

with the expectation of a different outcome). Our job is to guide participants to

question and see the consequence of their actions/ repetitions/ behaviors and what

the effect is going to be now and later if we don‘t find ways to address the economic/

political/societal/ communal problems they bring to us.

In a divorce the ability of children to grow up and have decent relationships is

largely determined by their parents. The questions we guide participants into asking

are also relevant to companies and countries, not just families. It has been said that

“The first rule of ecology is consequences.” What will be the consequence of our

failures in negotiation? According to Orthodox Muslims, our failure to help them view

us as neighbors will have the consequence of a Muslim world.

One of the stages of change listed above is fear. One of our perceived needs

is to be free of fear of the dark. An example of fear of the dark can be found in

ancient stories of Christians hiding in the catacombs of Rome so the lions (literal or

figurative) don’t get them. It can also be found in a fear of neighbors who may be

violent or predators (whether lions or Romans).

In the Maldives the people converted from Buddhism to Islam centuries ago

because a Muslim visitor destroyed an ocean demon for them. But did he really?

Now they view, or have substituted, their neighbors as demons. And the story this

author heard in conversation with an Indian was that the reason the Maldives

converted was the result of Muslim “thumbscrews” being tightened over time. The

story of demons being destroyed may simply have become a more rational

explanation than “giving in,” when finding another solution to being

bullied/threatened didn‘t present.

Change Model 18

DraftFear of the dark leads to separation and “everybody for themselves” thinking.

Invalidation of the “others” then occurs. In one scenario, women turn on women,

blaming the victim (e.g. in the case of rape) for what a man/men did to her because if

the accuser(s) did not do so, they would have to face the fact that they may be in

grave danger of the same potential for victimization and don’t want to face it…don’t

want to face the fears, changes/learning necessary, and/or take on the responsibility

that needs to be assumed for their own life/destiny.

A man’s home is his castle: where he is king, safe from highwaymen (tax

collectors of ancient times) and from sneak attacks by predators in the dark as he is

not on the road, without shelter during the night. Change and the potential for

resource capture threatens the castle. When this happens fear can turn even kings

into bullies in order to protect the status quo.

As you can see, the issue of fear and the lack of communication skills that

precedes our behaving as bullies needs to be addressed. It is not an issue unique to

Maldives, Muslims, or Indians. We all have things to learn and fears to face. There is a

great opportunity here for the creative utilization of breakout groups in exploring

commonalities between participants during the facilitation process.

Of note is that a BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) being

exercised currently is found in countries like Norway who are closing their doors to

immigration; and countries like Switzerland banning the building of

mosques/minarets. It begs the question of whether the Maldives or other groups of

Muslims will have anywhere to go if/when doors are closed against terrorism and

intolerance. “The power of a positive no” may be an effective tool here. Without

positive BATNAs presenting


themselves we need to be motivated in finding appropriate change models to

practice.

This very lack of positive BATNAs is an expression of the kind of common expectation

from which a group vision might emerge or, in the situation presented, toward which

the groups might be moved to accepting.

The new Model for Change presented thus far

Begin with/develop an expectation based on choices, a shared vision, as well

as an understanding that we are all neighbors surrendering spiritually to the idea that

we are in this world together with a mutual interest in each other’s survival. We need

each other. We don’t simply need each other, we value the gifts that come, and we

are better, with our diversity and differentiation.

The second step is to introduce the concept of generativity8 by way of the

children and the Hawaiian school project e ola pono. Our children and grandchildren

are introduced as interested parties and long-term interests who are directly affected

by our ability and/or inability to make peace. By looking to the future, and the need

for passing on wisdom teachings to the next generation, the need for relational

healing takes on new meaning.

The third step is to support change and ease the discomforts of the change

process and by introducing the Hawaiian concept of ho’oponopono as a tool for the


participants to understand what they already know and put it into healing action.

In getting ground rules approved, the introduction of ho’oponopono earlier in

the process, might offer a third, different, approach that honors both culture’s

8 This definition retrieved from the website www.johnkotre.com/generativity.htm “‘Generativity’ is a term coined by the psychoanalyst Erik Erikson in 1950 to denote ‘a concern for establishing and guiding the next generation.’ I define it as creativity between the generations. Generativity can be expressed in literally hundreds of ways, from raising a child to stopping a tradition of abuse, from writing a family history to starting a new organization. You try to ‘make a difference’ with your life, to ‘give back,’ to ‘take care’ of your community and your planet. Some Japanese colleagues have translated ‘generativity’ as ‘sedai-keisho-sei.’ ‘Sedai’ means ‘the generations.’ ‘Keisho’ means something like ‘receiving and putting your stamp on.’ And ‘sei’ means ‘the sense of.’ That describes the process involved. You receive something from the past, you create something out of it, you pass it on to the future.”

religious base without having to impose the rules/structures of one over the other.

While assuring that the third option is not in conflict with either. In this way we deal

with “uncertainty avoidance” (the importance of structure and rules).

Pre-conditions that need to be considered will also be spelled out in a pre-

mediation letter that addresses the possibility of offering a vision to the participants,

or helping them come up with one, expectations that are agreeable to the facilitators,

and offering a preliminary process that brings a core team of participants/sponsors on

board with creating or working with that vision.

Having contact persons/leaders and 4 person teams for both groups of

participants, to help guide and sponsor the approval of ground rules (with the larger

group later) that they reviewed and worked out with the facilitators during a pre-

mediation facilitation would be advantageous. The ground rules would be based in

the concepts of mutual respect and honoring diversity. The use of resources and

research throughout this facilitation phase are intended to assure that neither group

has a bottom line that precludes respecting each other as neighbors with common

interests as well as identifying any issues along these lines so that they may be

spoken of and addressed in the group process.

Consensus is preferable throughout, starting with consensus on an

expectation that each group can live in harmony with their neighbors, a shared vision

of what that looks like, ground rules, and continuing on throughout the process.

What might precede even the beginning stage, noted above, is the utilization

of


volunteer trainers in a process such as Nonviolent Communication AKA NVC. This not

only states the expectation of getting along, it provides the training for how to

communicate in a way that facilitates getting our needs met mutually as well as

showing us what “getting along” looks like by its demonstration/modeling in practice

sessions.

The “Ragging” behavior referenced earlier may reflect a learning deficit/lack

of literacy in the language of feelings/needs that may be remedied by teaching NVC

locally. NVC has a reputation for developing foundations and language that facilitate

dispute resolution in a multitude of cultures. As the expectation of living in harmony

develops, the availability of NVC volunteers becomes a tool for prevention of

disputes/dispute resolution. A generally accepted principle of psychology says that if

we teach people communication skills they don’t go into violent communication, or

communication with ego defenses and power struggles. They don’t do this because

they have good communication. NVC takes this beyond social skills to include

helping people become literate in the language of needs and feelings. Volunteers are

available around the world to provide situations for practicing these skills.

Global migrants are a reality. They are a reality that is not going to go away.

The next level of dealing with global migrants is dealing with the fallout from their

neighbors feeling disenfranchised and victimized by resource capture at the hands of

these new immigrants, before those migrants move in next door. Before the “have

not’s” escalate from simple scarcity conflicts, happening because they don’t have the

resources to cope with the changes that global warming is wreaking, to insurgencies

and on to group identity conflicts. It is up to us to deal with it. Awareness of the

stages of dealing with change will make it easier for us to maintain the vision as we

support others going


through the discomforts of change.

We take care of our basic needs by assuring each others basic needs are met,

because that is part of taking care of ourselves. We are all in this world together.

We’re already beginning to see some of this change in thinking among people here in

the United States who are taking neighbors into their homes when those neighbors

have lost their homes to foreclosure, sometimes multiple times in one neighborhood.

“Random acts of kindness” like this taking place have the potential to develop into a

grass roots movement that can then lead to government and agency policy

discussions that may then lead to changes in UN policy and international law.

Our challenge is to keep our attention and focus on the common interests of

these two groups, not their strategies. Our focus must be unwavering on the need to

survive and face the challenges of change. On making the shift from surviving to

thriving. On sustaining and maintaining different cultures and religions, while

celebrating diversity, and being flexible enough to adapt to new conditions. It is our

job to help them see their interests are common interests. Interests that are

common to themselves with these new neighbors and to the rest of the world. Our

challenge is to hold the vision.

The positions of both parties are designed to keep themselves separated,

divisive, and focused on distributive concerns/issues/bargaining, and not solutions. It

is important that we keep going back to our desired outcomes, as well as our purpose

for the meeting. That we stay open to the need to change and adjust as new

information arises/presents. The complete model for change, as a conflict resolution

process, presented next, provides a way to put an end to this behavior and put

preventive measures in place so that it doesn’t happen in the future.


The process of holding a vision and moving through change is not generally a

comfortable one. This author had the experience of moving through this complete

model of change, listed below, during the writing of this paper. While it was

uncomfortable to the point that I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, realizing I was in the

midst of the very process I was attempting to describe, while in conflict with myself,

made it a little easier to keep moving forward and through my writing blocks to

resolution. The benefits outweigh the discomfort and so I recommend it for use.

“To speak peace in a world of conflict leads to being a cause and not simply an

effect… i.e. it leads to being a change agent-- taking action in order to contribute to

the well-being of others and self.” 9

The Complete Model for Change

Lay a foundation for prevention by learning the language of needs and

feelings (via programs like NVC) and teaching it to children, and to adults as a new

tool for peacekeeping and maintenance. (This is dealing with Past learning deficits

common to most of us.) Doing this helps to establish our expectations.

Being clear about the expectations we want a world community to hold, such

as honoring the higher concept of unity, while also honoring differentiation and

diversity. Living in harmony with our neighbors which includes embracing multiple

ethnicities and religions in one community. Holding and maintaining that vision.

The concept of Generativity (the expectation that we are to be good stewards

of the Future as well as of the Present) lends itself to group expectations as well as a

group vision.


Learning, understanding and teaching the 5 stages of change so we can

support each other in facing our fears. (Present-ness or presencing).

Utilizing the peacemaking tool of ho’oponopono, aspects of ho’oponopono, or

any other ADR process that can incorporate this goal: to restore right relationship.

Thus we seek the restoration of peace via right relationship as well as future

relationship and the modeling of it via the chosen peacemaking process of ADR)

These then, have the potential to develop or become the expectations that

create the foundation for our group vision that we hold as facilitators and becomes

the beginning of a therapeutic model for change that can be adapted to a variety of

ADR situations including, and not limited to, divorce, family conflict, community

conflicts of a political, religious or interpersonal nature, and international conflicts.

Next Steps in the Issue of Climate Change Migrants


-- in no particular order--

that Lend Themselves to Inclusion in a Therapeutic Model

1. Shifting away from the belief in a competition to get the “biggest piece of

the pie,” to cooperation as a means of assuring that everyone gets a piece of the pie

and even to giving up the notion of cutting the pie. Sharing resources and land to

benefit all, rather than hoarding. If we’re all working to the benefit of all peoples and

cultures we’re feeding into that harmonious environment. Creating a model that

doesn’t evoke failed attempts at communism or socialism. Utilizing models that are

out there and working well, such as models of conscious communities or the

transition Cubans made to a “post-peak oil Cuba.”10


2. A further step is the creation of a new culture/sense of identity outside the

culture as well as maintaining and sustaining the original culture. This can be

facilitated by having the spiritual leaders, within the culture, introduce the

precedents set in their own history of just such situations that involved moving and

adapting the religion to a new land and circumstance rather than rigidly replicating it.

Then coming together, as Buddhists sects just recently did in Hawaii, to shift out of

any separations that were the result of adapting to a new environment and into a

new sense of unity and appreciation for the various groups by highlighting there

common ground, common foundation, and shared vision.

3. Continued growth in building harmonious environments, by utilizing

resources, education, literacy, will create an ever expanding environment and

expectation of harmony in the midst of conflict as well as the expectation of and

10 Peak Oil is defined in Wikipedia as “the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline.” Information is available on the internet if you search: post peak oil Cuba. According to Quinn, M. (2006) pp. 1-2 during “the era in Cuba following the Soviet collapse…when loss of oil meant frequent blackouts…in their oil fed electric power grid, up to 16 hours per day…obtaining enough food for the day became the primary activity for many, if not most Cubans.” Whose “average daily caloric intake dropped by a third.” Of note is that what resulted was a community response rather than governmental.

acceptance of diversity. Pulling together knowing we are all in this together. Once we

realize our basic needs and fears we can start realizing we are all human and do not

need to be “out to get each other” …we can work together for our mutual benefit and

sustain our different cultures while adapting to the changes wrought by global

warming.

4. An inequitable division of the pie, of resources (like land) all feed into the


primary fears that need to be dealt with-- survival and security--which in turn instills

more

fear, and leads to further conflict and war. Find an alternative to buying land. The

concept of “Buying” land separates people further and feeds the fear rather than

providing security. An alternative is needed that provides for security and a sense of

community (there are already models available such as those of “conscious

communities,” communes and religious models where the land/ property is held in

trust with minimal “rents” being collected to maintain the property rather than to

profit…the system is essentially non-profit. Land for growing crops and/or industry is

also held in trust and available for lease). Cuba’s e.g. of how to break the grip of fear

of survival is another model and was described in a movie, now available on DVD,

titled “The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil“.

5. Generating a policy discussion on extending the model, with inter-cultural

educators expanding the vision, into the communities of the world. Once the vision is

expanded and accepted, the next step would be followed by potential national and

international legal changes that would then require the assistance of lawyers.

Acknowledgements:

HPU Student/Teammate on the original paper: Amanda Kolarich

HPU Students/participants in the class project: Sara DiGrazia, Zachary Giano, Kari Hansen,

Amanda Kolarich, Julius Luger, Courtney Matsuki, Elizabeth McMillan, Ole-Petter Moen,Camila Olsen, Franziska Roessy, Angela Spence

Author: LoAnn M. Flom

Professors: Tom DiGrazia, Katherine Bennett co-teachers of the Hawaii Pacific University Communications Department class: com 6600 Mediation and Conflict

Editors: Tom DiGrazia; Nickie Golden PhD; Michelle Hubbard JD, RA; Diana Thomas;


Special appreciation and gratitude is extended to the editors for their time

and support in offering editorial comments. While the experience of going through

this Change Model for ADR was uncomfortable at best, and the realization of what I

was experiencing made it better, the willingness of these supportive people to take

on this paper in rough form was the turning point. The experience of writing this

paper has given me a better understanding of what it means for

facilitators/mediators/ peacemakers to act as mentors for participants in restoring

right relationship; whether that relationship is with each other or themselves.


References:

Adler, P. (2008), Eye of the Storm Leadership. Mediate.com Publications

Delauney, C. JD MA International Relations (December 7, 2008) Our Global Adaptation

Responsibility: Creating a New Collaborative United Nations Regime To

Resolve Climate Violence; student paper which includes a citation of Thomas

F. Homer-Dixon, Environment, Scarcity, and Violence (Princeton U. Press 1999).

Quinn, M. (2/25/06) The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, originally

published by Permaculture Activist, available online at www.energybulletin.net

and listed via internet search: post peak oil Cuba.

Rosenberg,M. (2005), Speak Peace in a World of Conflict. Encinitas: Puddledancer

Press

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