Wired for Conflict, Training for Peace: How Conflict is Hard-Wired and What We Can Do About It
June 30, 2021
Our brains are hard-wired for antagonism and strong emotion. Social discord can seem inevitable, and often leads to social conflict. Fortunately, there are practices for meaningful communication, behavior change, and emotion and bias management available to all. This conversation discussed the neuroscience of conflict and approaches for its management. Our panelists presented on the science of breaking cycles of animosity, while offering practices for developing effective communication strategies and fostering relationships.
Speakers:
Liz Hume (Moderator), Acting President and CEO, Alliance for Peacebuilding
Mari Fitzduff, Professor Emerita, Heller School, Brandeis University and author of Our Brains at War: The Neuroscience of Conflict and Peacebuilding
Lisa Swallow, Executive Director of Crossing Party Lines, Inc and author of Yes, You CAN Talk Politics: A Workbook for Talking Across Party Lines
Michelle Barsa, Program Director, Democracy & Social Identity, Beyond Conflict