Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.960501214014.5677D-100000@fox.ksu.ksu.edu> Date: Fri, 3 May 1996 20:57:36 -0500 From: kerry miller <mailto:astingsh@KSU.KSU.EDU> Subject: Re: Unity (was re: Massacre & Devt.) To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Don Osborn wrote:> As we know, innocent people suffer while extremists drag a society into a
> spiral of violence. This is everyone's concern. Moreover, what is often
> needed in cases of violent conflict is some kind of help to break the spiral
> of violence. This may require some kind of intervention and mediation.
> Conflict specialists can address this point better that I. Furthermore, I am
> dubious about the "some sort of unity" which would eventually result from
> letting violent conflicts run their course...
>
It's a shame to snip such an excellent post - but I wanted to amplify the thought here, as I (not a conflict specialist by any means) read it: the 'spiral' seems to describe a situation where the causes of conflict change over time. Perhaps then the best intervention is simply to make sure the grounds of dissent are clear to everyone (enter the media...) , and let the factions go at it. The end result may be closer to unity than the "unity" of forced (!) settlement - after all, that's how the world has proceeded for several thousand years.>
> James concludes:
> >Just one point of view...I'm sure there are many others. Please keep
> >in mind the difference between reality and idealistic optimality.
>
> Reality has its positive as well as negative aspects. And aspiring to
> idealistic optimality is necessary, or else what hope have we? One needs
> both realism and idealism--isn't that why we are involved in development?
>
> Don Osborn mailto:osborndo@pilot.msu.edu
>
Coming to terms with the negative aspects is something like maturity - isnt that the goal of development?kerry mailto:astingsh@ksu.ksu.edu ... you cannot do just one thing...