Resolving Public Conflict: Transforming Community and Governance

The book presents “ways of thinking about mediation and facilitation, about community and governance, and about the requirements of democratic society, which may have a real impact upon the public conflict resolution field” (p. ix). In doing so it identifies existing goals and function of PCR by providing a crucial analysis of the field, and offering credible direction as bridges between its practitioners, researchers, funders and participants, administrators, elected officials and community of people we serve. Key themes: • Inability of traditional institutions of governance to address problems of contemporary democratic society • Potential offered by practices of public conflict resolution • Dangers posed by emerging ideologies of management • The social crisis of governance and intended consumers of the product: authorities in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches • The importance of addressing public policy conflict