INI's Approach is:
Interdisciplinary
There is no single "magic key" to prevent violent conflict.
No amount of financial compensation will erase collective memories of
the Rwandan genocide or the Holocaust. Nor can we sprinkle Prozac on
everyone. Conflicts can only be dealt with through an interdisciplinary
approach that takes into consideration both conflict dynamics and emotional
concerns. Hence, INI is:
- Based at the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard Law School, providing a multidisciplinary network of researchers focused on law, diplomacy, conflict, and negotiation; and
- Formally affiliated with the department of psychiatry at Harvard
Medical School/McLean Hospital, providing a network of researchers
focused on the emotional dimension of human interaction.
Systematic
INI generates useful ideas that can be implemented in real-world situations to improve the way people manage conflict. These ideas are field-tested and refined. The theory is then disseminated through trainings, as well as through INI's vast network of government officials, businesspeople, lawyers, teachers, and other professionals around the world.
For details see:
- Theory-Building: To build a platform of scholarship
- Education: To bridge scholarship with practice