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Virtual
Diplomacy Homepage >> Virtual
Diplomacy Publications >> The World-Wide-Web
The World-Wide-Web Guy Burgess, Ph.D.
and Heidi Burgess Ph.D. Perhaps the most important feature of the telecommunications
revolution and the Internet is its ability to dramatically reduce the
cost while simultaneously increasing the speed at which information
can be distributed. In our work we have experienced roughly a thousand-fold
decrease in information dissemination costs with a comparable increase
in speed. It is hard to underestimate the qualitative importance of
quantitative changes of this magnitude. While high-speed communication
has long been available to top-rung government and business officials,
the broad extension of these capabilities to other segments of society
is extraordinary. The question, which this conference addresses, is
how can these capabilities be best used to advance the cause of peace
and justice. Clearly, there are a great many exciting opportunities
to be pursued. This paper describes the work that we are doing to pursue
one such opportunity thanks to a grant from the United States Institute
of Peace. Work is now underway with the program to be phased in between
now and December 1, 1997. Our system can be accessed at: http://www.colorado.edu/conflict. Broadly, our goal is to use the Internet to "put a better
handle" on the knowledge base of the peace making and conflict resolution
fields. We want to make it much easier for people at the grassroots
level get the information about conflict resolution and peace building
that they need when they need it. Our work is based upon the following
assumptions: Unconventional "Grassroots": Diplomats Play a Crucial Role Relationships (and conflicts) between peoples and countries
are, in large part, determined by the actions of large numbers of people
from all sectors of society who work at the grassroots level. The vast
majority of these individuals do not consider themselves to be diplomats
in the traditional sense of the word. However, many of them engage (intentionally,
or at times, unintentionally) in what is called citizen diplomacy--the
efforts of ordinary people (not official diplomats) to moderate their
conflicts with other ordinary people who represent opposition groups.
Such citizen diplomats include, for example, religious leaders, mediators,
members of advocacy groups, political groups, humanitarian relief organizations,
non-governmental peacemaking teams, commercial interests, academics,
students, and even tourists. These are the people to whom the Internet
is giving extraordinary new capabilities. Too Many People Have to "Reinvent the Wheel" Relatively few of these citizen diplomats have received
significant formal training in diplomacy or conflict resolution. As
such, they are often unaware of the many proven strategies that allow
them to avoid destructive conflict dynamics, while still advancing their
interests in conflictual situations. Because of this lack of knowledge,
these individuals are often forced to go through the painful process
of "reinventing the wheel." In many cases they fail to find solutions
before serious escalation or violence occurs. To limit these problems,
we clearly need better ways of disseminating the knowledge base of the
diplomacy, peace research, and conflict resolution fields. Dissemination Opportunities are Limited People involved in citizen diplomacy and conflict resolution
are generally operating under tight resource constraints and even tighter
time constraints. For many dealing with conflict is a part-time, do-it-yourself
job that has to compete with other equally important responsibilities.
As a result, people have only the most limited opportunities to learn
new and better ways of dealing with conflict. Any effective skills dissemination
program must be precisely focused to quickly give them the information
that they need, while avoiding distracting information overload. One-Size-Fits-All Solutions Are Unworkable Conflict processes are complex and highly variable with
each situation presenting unique challenges in which each party has
only limited opportunities to improve the situation. Different approaches
are, therefore, needed for adversaries and intermediaries, for tractable
and intractable conflicts, for differing cultural orientations, for
the various substantive issues, and for differing power contexts. Persons
involved in conflict can't be expected to know how to deal with all
situations. The goal needs to be to teach them how to better deal with
their specific situation. Training and Educational Resources are Limited The ability to disseminate the field's knowledge base
is also limited by the number of training programs available. While
training opportunities are growing rapidly, there are still not enough
affordable programs to train all citizen diplomats who might benefit
from such training. There are also difficult and important issues of
quality. Many currently available programs fail to present state-of-the-art
techniques or offer insights that are not adequately tailored to the
needs of individual students. In short, the field is now able to train
only a small fraction of the people who could benefit from the field's
rapidly-growing knowledge. STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING DISSEMINATION LIMITS Overcoming these dissemination limits will require either
1) substantial increases in the field's overall funding level, or 2)
significant increases in the efficiency of dissemination programs. Here
we believe that the most promising, currently available approach involves
exploiting the Internet's ability to more efficiently provide large
numbers of people with information that is:
In addition to spreading information on general, face-to-face
strategies for dealing with conflict, the Internet can also be used
to share how-to information on various virtual diplomacy techniques. MULTI-DIMENSIONAL INTERNET-BASED DISTANCE LEARNING The core of our program is a multi-dimensional Internet-based,
distance learning program. The program combines the telecommunications
power of the Internet, the time-tested principles of correspondence
(or distance) learning, and a sensitivity to cross-cultural communication
and translation problems. Our approach occupies a useful middle ground
between interactive, face-to- face training and the simple option of
reading a book or article on a subject of interest. The foundation of any educational process is the desire
of students to learn. People interested in a topic will pursue, within
the limits of available time and resources, whatever opportunities are
available. While some can arrange to travel abroad to study or bring
teachers in from other countries, most cannot. While they may be able
to obtain copies of one or two key books in the field, such self-guided
reading is limited by difficulties in identifying and obtaining copies
of appropriate works. Individual study also fails to draw the reader
into a wider community of people with similar interests. Our project is designed to provide a low-cost solution
to these problems. First, it will provide the user with easier access
to the field's key concepts along with a custom-tailored reading program
suggesting profitable routes for further study. The project also provides
participants with connections to the larger community of people who
are interested in the field. (Scenarios describing how we expect that
the system will be used are included at the end of this article.) The basic training program, with its on-line modules,
assignments, and exercises is roughly equivalent in scope to a three-hour,
upper-division university course. By using the course's optional, additional
reference materials, exercises, and assignments, the scope of the program
can be expanded considerably beyond this basic level. This allows us
to provide far more information than is available in a standard 40 hour,
one-week training program. For those who lack the time to take the full
course, the program also includes a more tightly focused interface,
which quickly guides users to suggestions for dealing with their specific
problems. More specifically, the program consists of the following: Customizable Core Course Modules The core training program consists of a series of six
basic units. Each unit contains an overview section and a number of
more specialized sub-sections describing common problems and potential
solutions. Also included is a customization module that allows the computer
to tailor the program to individual user needs. There are two principal
versions of the materials: one for people who approach conflict from
the perspective of first-party adversaries and a second for those more
interested in a third-party, intermediary perspective. A number of different
examples illustrate how each key point could be applied in different
settings. For example, different illustrations of the escalation process
are used in modules oriented toward labor-management disputes, political
conflicts, or military confrontations. These materials are provided online in easily understandable
and translatable English. Also included are citations for more detailed
supplementary resource materials (see next section). Exercises and role
plays are included in the belief that many small groups will elect to
take the course together. Online exercises are also planned. Supplementary Resource Materials The course provides an extensive, annotated listing of
recommended resource materials. These include: 1) original sources for
many of the ideas presented in the course modules, 2) more detailed
information on specific topics, and 3) references to publications in
other languages. Full bibliographic citations are included, allowing
the user to obtain the materials directly from the publishers. The Consortium
also plans to act as a "one-stop" clearinghouse through which these
materials can be ordered. New materials will be added as they are identified
by Consortium research projects or suggested by participants. This aspect
of the program supplements the on-line modules; it also complements
conventional training programs by providing a reference library service
for those who want to follow up on conventional training programs that
they may have taken. Instruction, Evaluation, and Certification Formal university credit for the basic three-hour college
course is available through the University of Colorado's Division of
Continuing Education at standard University tuition rates. Certificates
of Completion are available from the Consortium at lower cost. Since
we recognize that this may be prohibitively expensive for many potential
users, we will also seek funding for "scholarships" to reduce or eliminate
these costs. Participants receive feedback from course instructors through
an exchange of e-mail messages and written assignments. Basic instruction is handled by a team selected by the
project directors for their knowledge of conflict resolution processes.
Instructors are recruited via the Internet from different parts of the
U.S. and from advanced graduate students at the University of Colorado.
The course is also be structured so that it may be used on a free, "do-it-yourself"
basis without benefit of on-line instruction. On-line Seminar An on-line seminar will also be conducted in conjunction
with the University, for credit, class. The seminar will focus upon
a series of recent news stories describing current conflict problems.
Our goal is a thoughtful on-line discussion in which participants are
asked to suggest the most constructive ways of dealing with particular
conflicts. Participants are also asked to critique and then help develop
suggestions made by others. Specific topics will vary from time to time
so that we can always focus upon issues which are prominent in the news
and of widespread interest. Interactive Feedback Loop The knowledge base is not a stock of ideas which emerges
from academia and is then disseminated throughout the world. It grows,
rather, from an interactive process in which practitioners are continually
trying, evaluating, and revising the ways in which they approach conflict.
For this reason we have built a feedback loop into our Internet-based
information management system. We actively solicit comments and ideas
from system users through questionnaires and case study descriptions.
Their responses will then be added to a user information component of
the system. User Support The Consortium administers an on-line discussion group
through which participants could exchange information both about the
course and about conflict in general. Program materials also include
modules describing ways in which users can, once they have learned how
to use the system, help make it available to others within their communities.
Boulder-based training in the use of the system is also available to
foreign visitors who can then return to their countries and serve as
local liaisons for the project. Easy Access Guides Also available is a guide describing how to access the
system in different parts of the world. These guides describe options
ranging from high-end, state-of-the-art computer systems to creative
uses of older, low-cost technologies. This effort builds off the accomplishments
of both the Internet and the Association for Progressive Communications,
the international affiliate of PeaceNet and ConflictNet, which has made
impressive progress in extending the benefits of computer networking
to poorer regions of the world. COURSE-BASED INTERFACE The course is organized following the model of intractable
conflict that we use in our training programs for foreign visitors and
in our graduate seminars. We go beyond a discussion of ways of negotiating
mutually acceptable, win-win solutions to tractable conflicts and consider
more constructive ways of dealing with deeply-rooted, intractable conflicts:
those that have an irreducible win-lose element. We help the parties diagnose specific conflict-related
problems and then identify moderating strategies designed for implementation
by either intermediaries or the parties themselves. Some of these strategies
can be used unilaterally, while others require the cooperation of contending
parties or the intervention of intermediaries. While we discuss the
role alternative dispute resolution (ADR) strategies can play, we also
discuss conflict approaches (such as non-violent action) that rely upon
coercive power and force. The course raises important and difficult
issues about the difference between legitimate and illegitimate sources
of power. Course modules are offered in the following sequence: Conflict Assessment and Mapping Conflict is a complex process involving 1) people in widely
varying roles, 2) different issues and sub-issues, 3) a continuing series
of dispute episodes within the context of the long-term, underlying
conflict, 4) numerous complex interactions, and 5) legal, political,
military, economic, religious, and other institutions. Our goal is to
give students the common vocabulary needed to discuss alternative approaches
to conflict. We then use this vocabulary to show users how to map the
key features of typical conflicts. Control of Overlying Conflict Problems In our teaching we distinguish between core issues at
the root of a conflict and a series of overlying problems which exacerbate
the conflict and obscure the core issues. This course segment explores
possible solutions to overlay problems in the following areas:
Negotiation Opportunities and Limits This segment first discusses how and why negotiation and
meditation facilitate the pursuit of options for mutual gain: win-win
solutions. It then shows how to identify conflicts which are less amenable
to negotiation because of their zero-sum (win-lose) character. We explain
how, in such cases, alternatives to a negotiated agreement may reduce
negotiation potential or delay the time when a dispute is "ripe" for
resolution. Power Alternatives To Negotiated Agreements Although alternative dispute resolution (ADR) has often
been sold as an alternative to power-based dispute resolution, it is
often unable to deliver on that promise. Rather, negotiation and ADR
must operate within the context of ongoing power struggles. If one or
more parties thinks they can achieve a better outcome through force,
they will use that approach, not negotiation. In examining power contests,
the course concentrates upon non-violent alternatives to military force
and confrontation, building on the traditions of Gandhi and King. The
goal is to help users develop less violent power options for pursuing
justice. Legitimating Power The use of power to advance principles which are broadly
regarded as legitimate tends to reduce the backlash effect, which usually
results from the illegitimate use of power. Since backlash can greatly
exacerbate conflict, strategies for its moderation or avoidance are
crucial. Conflicting parties need to understand how to develop sources
of power which are widely viewed as legitimate. Bringing It All Together The final course segment considers strategies for creatively
mixing trading power, persuasive power, and forcing power, and for moving
back and forth between power contests and negotiation strategies. PROBLEM/SOLUTION-ORIENTED INTERFACE We recognize that many potential users will be involved
in crisis situations and will simply not have the time needed to take
the full course. Their need is for quick and helpful suggestions on
how to deal with immediate problems. For these individuals we are offering
an optional, problem/solution-oriented interface where users will be
asked a series of questions identifying typical conflict problems. Users
could indicate which specific problems they were encountering, and the
program would provide them with information explaining typical sources
of the problem, and general strategies for dealing with it. The system
will also give concrete examples of successful efforts to mitigate various
problems with citations to sources of further information (which may
either been written descriptions or people or organizations to contact).
Examples of these problems/questions are listed below. All the user
needs to do is "click" on a problem to see the analysis of possible
solutions. Stereotypes RELATIONSHIP WITH FACE-TO-FACE TRAINING Use of telecommunications-based distance learning programs
is new, especially for those who have relied on face-to-face training
programs in the past. While we do not pretend that this on-line system
is as good as face-to-face training, we do believe that its low-cost
allows it to fulfill an important void. We also believe that it is an
important supplemental resource for face-to-face training programs.
Often these programs are of short duration, with either students or
trainers returning to the other side of the world once the program is
completed. The proposed program provides a valuable follow-on resource
which students users can use to answer the inevitable additional questions
which arise as they try to apply their new skills. The program also
provides much more information than could be included in a face-to-face
program. ACCESSIBLE ENGLISH Course materials are written in a simple style, which
can be easily understood and translated by persons with limited English
skills. We minimize the use of jargon, idiomatic phrases, overly complex
sentence structures, and illustrations unlikely to be widely understood.
All terms essential for the understanding of conflict processes are
carefully defined using vocabulary commonly found in translation dictionaries.
Special attention is given to common terms (such as escalation, conflict,
or dispute) which are used in precise ways which differ from common
dictionary meanings. We are also seeking funding beyond the United States
Institute of Peace to translate the core materials into principal international
languages: French, Spanish, and Russian. Multi-lingual fliers and electronic
announcements advertise the potential benefits and easy translation
features of this program. Supplementary resource materials also include
non-English works. CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING CONSIDERATIONS While some processes of conflict and conflict resolution
are human universals, some are society-specific. Despite our best efforts
to develop a truly multi-cultural program there is, inevitably, a bias
toward the United States' view of the field. An introductory course
module acknowledges this bias and suggests ways in which users might
adapt the materials to their particular situations. This module summarizes
multi-cultural conflict research and illustrates how different cultures
approach similar aspects of conflict in different ways. We also include
in supplementary resource materials articles, books, and exercises exploring
the multi-cultural character of conflict. USER SCENARIOS In closing, we offer three scenarios describing how we
hope that the system might be used. Scenario #1 Narayan is the mayor of a small city in Southern India.
In 1997 he participated in a tour of conflict resolution institutions
sponsored by the United States Information Agency and Meridian International.
As part of this tour he came to the University of Colorado where he
witnessed a demonstration of the on-line training system and received
a brochure describing ways of accessing it in Southern Asia. On returning
to India, Narayan began to work with others with similar interests to
establish a conflict resolution center to build on Gandhian conflict
approaches while incorporating more recent ideas from around the world.
Based upon information provided by the Consortium, he was able to identify
someone working with the regional affiliate of the Association for Progressive
Communications, and a person in the computer science department of a
nearby university. This group was able to arrange several hours of access
to the global computer networks each week. They were also able to obtain
modest funding for acquisition of printed resource materials from the
Consortium. Thanks to a small "scholarship" grant the Consortium was
able to provide these materials at affordable prices. Over the next
several years, the Center increasingly used the system to teach people
better ways of dealing with difficult conflicts. The users' comments
enabled the Consortium to improve the system by incorporating useful
ideas which the Indians had developed into the system. Through the system's
electronic discussion groups, the Indian group made contact with a similar
organization operating in Pakistan. This relationship has since developed
into a significant non-governmental effort to reduce tensions between
the two countries. Scenario #2 Shimon, an Israeli, and Abdul, a Palestinian, are members
of a citizen's organization established to reduce Palestinian/Israeli
violence and to constructively address the issues which divide their
two societies. They wish to learn what they can from others who have
had to deal with similar ethnic, religious, and territorial conflicts.
They recognize that their situation is unique and that "turn-key" systems
imported from other nations will not work. What they need is an efficient
way to learn how others might have approached similar problems so that
they can begin the work of selecting the most useful ideas and adapting
them to their needs. They obtain modest funding for computer access,
supplementary resource materials, and translation services and become
a training group in the Consortium network. Study groups of Palestinians
and Israelis then begin using the system to develop a better background
in the conflict resolution field. They write several essays outlining
how specific ideas might be adapted to their specific situation. These
essays then serve as a basis for an electronic discussion, which further
advances the knowledge base offered by the Consortium program and provides
an opportunity for several people to work simultaneously on the Israeli-Palestinian
problem. The ability of electronic networks to span political divides
also permits the two sides to conduct an online discussion that would
be very difficult to conduct in a face-to-face format. Scenario #3 Maria is a human rights activist in Guatemala. Through
her work with Amnesty International, she has been using the global electronic
mail capabilities of the Internet for years. She first became aware
of the Consortium system through an advertisement distributed to users
of the Amnesty International system. Since she knew that escalation
dynamics play an important role in sustaining the cycles of violence
that encourage human rights abuses, she was very interested in exploring
strategies for breaking these cycles. Through the course materials,
she began pursuing a new approach to her human rights work, which she
based upon one of the course assignments posted by the Consortium. She
has persuaded a number of her associates to use the Consortium system
as a basis for more effective community conflict moderation. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect views of the United States Institute of Peace, which does not advocate particular policies. This paper was prepared for the Virtual Diplomacyconference hosted by United States Institute of Peacein Washington, D.C. on April 1 and 2, 1997.
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