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Ending the self deception paradox
Overcoming the biggest obstacle to conflict transformation – ourselves
The world is broken. By this, we do not mean that the world isn’t working. (Although it certainly is true that it could be working much better!) Rather, we mean that everywhere one looks one can see division, separation, disconnection. Estrangement is the plague of our day. Whether in families, communities, or on the world stage, people (and peoples) are breaking apart. While we can point our fingers in a number of directions, estrangement without is usually a manifestation of estrangement within. When we separate today—whether in our personal lives or on the world stage—we separate by choice.
This workshop is an exploration both of the choice that divides us and of the pathway to reconnection and reconciliation that an understanding of this choice makes possible. The model is based on the work of philosopher Terry Warner along with the books Anatomy of peace and Leadership and self-deception by the Arbinger Institute. The model amounts to a language with which to understand how it is that we as human beings separate ourselves from each other, why, when we do separate, we believe it is the fault of others, how we therefore condemn ourselves to lingering divisions and resentment, how we escalate the problem from ourselves to others and how this estrangement can be overcome—whether between individuals, between groups, or between peoples.
Podcast: Listen to John talk about this session (11 mins) >> Chad was unable to attend 'kon gres. So he did not give the session about his work in the Middle East called: |
Audio recording: Listen to this session (65 mins) >>
This idea has been coined 'self-deception' in philosophy. It is simply the problem of having a problem and not knowing you have a problem. And then resisting any suggestion that you might have a problem.
Through this course, you will learn how to improve the effectiveness of your peacebuilding initiatives by helping ourselves and those we try to help overcome the self-deception paradox so that we can become an agent of peace in every peacebuilding interaction.
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John Cosgrove John has been involved with Arbinger for the last three years and is passionate about finding ways to unlock human potential – beyond the constraints of conflict. He and his wife, Trish, have six children. He loves playing golf and helping people realise their potential. Chad Ford He and his wife, Joanie, were married in Hawaii nearly 20 years ago and he has four children, Makena, TK, Emerald and Summer. He enjoys surfing and playing basketball in his spare time.
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John Cosgrove
John Cosgrove is the Managing Director for the Arbinger Institute for the Oceania Region.
He worked for 18 years in the New Zealand Police with responsibilities that included, front line policing duties, leading a Police Negotiation Team for hostage type situations; commanding the Diplomatic Protection Squad; and leading major change projects. He spent five years working as an HR Manager at Police National Headquarters with responsibility for the performance appraisal system and for training supervisors in performance management skills. These duties also involved negotiations with the Union/Service Organisations around a number of issues – including design and implementation of a Code of Conduct.
He finished service at the rank of Inspector in charge of leadership training for staff who had been promoted within the organisation. After leaving the police in 2005 he set up a leadership development company that focused on transforming potential supervisors into influential leaders.
Chad Ford
Chad Ford is an assistant professor of International Cultural Studies and Director of the McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding at BYU-Hawaii. His emphasis has been in intercultural peacebuilding. He has led conflict resolution projects around the world, including in the Middle East, Africa, Northern Ireland and the United States.
Currently he's been working on a major project in the Middle East with the Arbinger Institute and PeacePlayers International to create sustainable peace among communities in Israel and the West Bank.
Chad has a bachelor's degree in History, a master's degree from the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law School. He also was the co-founder and former CEO of Sportstalk.com, a highly successful internet start-up that was purchased by ESPN in 2001. Chad spent several years as a senior editor and writer at ESPN before leaving in 2005 for his current posts with the McKay Center.
Chad is the author of a number of articles about peacebuilding in both academic journals and the popular press.
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