A SUMMARY REFLECTION ON THE FORMATIVE PERIOD
Looking back on this period when the foundations for dialogue as a process for conflict transformation were laid, Ronald Fisher in his 1996 study of this new field summarized: “The past thirty years have seen the development and proliferation of small- group discussion methods for analyzing social conflict and creating alternative directions toward management and resolution.” He continued:
I have recently identified this scholarly and professional field as interactive conflict resolution to emphasize that effective and constructive face- to-face interaction among representatives of the parties themselves is required to understand and resolve complex intercommunal and international conflicts.
In a focused manner, interactive conflict resolution (ICR) is defined as involving small- group, problem-solving discussions between unofficial representatives of identity groups or states engaged in destructive conflict that are facilitated by an impartial third party of social scientistpractitioners.... The method also takes a social psychological approach by asserting that relationship issues (misperceptions, unmet basic needs, and so on) must be addressed and that the conflict will be resolved only by mutually acceptable solutions that are developed through joint interaction.. 'Conflict resolution' therefore is not seen as a single or time-limited outcome, but as a complex process of de-escalation and reconciliation that develops overtime to the point where new qualities and mechanisms exist in the relationship to allow for the constructive resolution of disputes (Fisher, 1997: 7-8).