A New Political Paradigm
© 1996 by Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson

Around the country, the political groups which are being most effective in providing new solutions to social problems are based on a new political paradigm, a spiritual approach to politics:
 

	Respecting the interconnection of all life
	Thinking in whole systems
	Searching for common ground and the good of the whole
	Creating nonviolent, win/win solutions to problems
	Civil dialogue--learning to truly listen to other points of view
	Transcending old definitions of Left and Right
	Creating a higher synthesis out of adversarial positions
	Matching rights with responsibilities
	Synthesizing the best of hierarchy and democracy in a new form of leadership
	Examining the psychological roots of problems
	Releasing enemy images
	Promoting initiatives that develop self-reliance and self-esteem
	Using intuition and "attunement" in decision-making
	Exploring the deeper causes of world events based in consciousness
	Studying the collective lessons learned from crises

There are many examples of groups that successfully apply these approaches. For example, The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy in Washington D.C. started by Ambassador John McDonald and Dr. Louise Diamond, works to resolve conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Cypress from a multi-disciplinary, "multi-track" whole-systems perspective. In addition to the official "Track One" diplomacy of governments, they also invite representatives of other tracks-- business, religious, philanthropic, educational, activist, media-- to sit at the table together and find creative solutions to a conflict. Each track in the system brings its own problems, perspective and resources which are needed in the peacebuilding process.

This type of whole systems approach used by many of these new groups is often called a "multi-stakeholder dialogue" because it brings in all the stakeholders in a conflict. It needs a trained facilitator who can establish an atmosphere of trust and make sure each voice is heard. It teaches participants how to listen for the grain of truth and the positive intent in an opponent's position. It focuses on current interests and real human needs, not dogmas, rigid positions, or past history. It helps participants search for common ground and brainstorm options for mutual benefit. Just as scientists have found that the observer affects the experiment (The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle), so the way to more clearly see full truth of a conflict situation is to get more viewpoints.

This approach is also being used effectively in some places in the Federal Government. Corinne experienced this approach as a Task Force Coordinator for President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development. Its 25 members were drawn from Clinton's Cabinet and CEO's of major environmental, corporate and social justice justice groups, with a mandate to build a consensus around economic and environmental issues that divided them. The Council not only built a consensus around 36 policy recommendations and measurable indicators of a sustainable future, but the process itself transformed many of the participants, who learned a great deal by dialoguing with their former adversaries. This type of dialogue to build consensus is happening among many adversarial groups around the country and is the seeds of a new politics of the future.

Search for Common Ground in Washington D.C. and Public Conversations Project in Boston are among the groups that have been working to find common ground on one of the most difficult conflicts in the U.S. today--the abortion issue. They have brought together pro-choice and pro-life advocates for dialogues, and found common ground by reframing the debate to go beyond differences over when is the fetus life. When the time frame is expanded to the causal level--conception-- both sides want to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Both sides want conscious conception. Likewise, both sides want to see adoption become more easily available. So these are two issues they can work on together.

Sincere people of goodwill on both sides of every issue today need to sit down together to find common ground to resolve their conflicts. The real evil in the world today is those who would "divide and conquer"-- keep us fighting each other, manipulating while they maintain power and control behind the scenes. The real evil keeps us addicted to materialism, working ever harder to try to achieve happiness through our possessions, rather than through a deepening connection to Spirit and to a sense of community with each other. As Edmund Burke once said, "The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for enough good men [and women] to do nothing."