Prenegotiation Problem-Solving Discussions: Enhancing the Potential for Successful Negotiation

The world is beset by a host of severe and protracted communal and international conflicts that appear intractable. Traditional approaches to conflict management have proven ineffective, and the parties pursue with intransigence their strategy of threat, intimidation, and violence in attempts to attain their goals. Negotiation, mediation, or arbitration are difficult to implement or fail when attempted. There appears to be a gap in both the thinking of conflict theorists and the practice of diplomatic practitioners with regard to the question of how to facilitate movement towards negotiation which is meaningful and ultimately successful. More specifically, there is a lack of knowledge and expertise regarding the process of prenegotiation by which hostile parties move from stalemate to negotiation. Effective negotiation is difficult, if not impossible, in the poor relationship which is typical of a protracted conflict. Mistrust, selective and distorted perceptions, negative attitudes or images, poor communication, and a competitive win-lose orientation that attempts to force or extract capitulation from the adversary all undermine negotiations in such circumstances. The negotiators are usually under pressure to maintain and operate from the views held by the constituencies to which they are responsible. Thus positive changes in the perceived or actual