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From Sulha to Salaam: Connecting local knowledge with international negotiations for lasting peace in Palestine/Israel
Author(s) -
Gellman Mneesha,
Vuinovich Mandi
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
conflict resolution quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.323
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1541-1508
pISSN - 1536-5581
DOI - 10.1002/crq.227
Subject(s) - dignity , honor , negotiation , human rights , argument (complex analysis) , international community , political science , sociology , palestinian refugees , conflict resolution , law , refugee , politics , computer science , operating system , biochemistry , chemistry
Abstract In this article, we survey conflict resolution in the Arab world and then turn to sulha , a Palestinian peacemaking process, for an in‐depth analysis to distill lessons for Palestinian‐Israeli negotiations. We identify key features of the community‐based practice of sulha that could be invoked at the international level: restoration of honor and dignity, reconciliation in the wider community, and public demarcation of the end of violence. Our argument is that culture is crucial in fostering mutual understanding in conflict resolution, and that ensuring the basic human right to dignity should be an essential component of international third‐party interventions. Sulha is promoted as a technique for addressing the right to dignity within contentious multiparty discourse through the tactic of education and community exposure at both the local and international levels. We conclude that reembedding the essence of dignity and honor expression at the community level is a critical component of sustainable nonviolent coexistence sought through international relations.