Silence in Western Models of Conflict Resolution
Silence in Western Models of Conflict Resolution
This chapter takes up the issue of silence. Examining processes of building peace after violent conflict, the chapter shows that Western approaches place great emphasis on speech and dialogue, often to the point that nonverbal forms of communication are largely ignored. But the latter are of crucial importance. Leaving unexamined or even unnoticed a large part of silent interactions leads to major shortcomings. Add to this that some stories about conflict are never told — and thus also never addressed by prevailing ways of solving conflict. The ensuing peacebuilding efforts remain fraught and could fuel new forms of conflict unless a conscious effort is made to deal with silence and to understand nonverbal forms of communication. Drawing on thus-far-neglected local traditions of conflict resolution has the potential to recognise the importance of silence and unconventional ways of conveying knowledge, such as dance and other rituals.
Keywords: silence, nonverbal communication, speech, dialogue, silent interactions, unconventional conflict resolution
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