The State of Conflict Conference 2021

A conference to explore political practice and social relations through the lens of conflict. Organised by the Public Mediation Programme (PMP) at the University of Amsterdam, Public Mediation (PM), and WesselinkVanZijst.

The Public Mediation Programme of the University of Amsterdam (PMP), Public Mediation (PM), and WesselinkVanZijst are pleased to invite you to take part in the fourth annual State of Conflict Conference. This year the Conference will take place online on the afternoons of 28 May and 4 June. We seek, as in prior years, to bring together a diverse group of practitioners, professionals, and academics to reflect on Dutch society and institutions through the lens of conflict. The sessions will be chaired by prof. dr. Alexander Rinnooy Kan and organised to provide opportunities for exchange in small group discussions. 

The State of Conflict Conference 2021
Friday 28th of May & 4th of June
14.00- 17.00
The event will take place online and will be in English this year to accommodate international participants.

Register now!


Embracing creative disruption

The events of the past year have disrupted routines and pushed us to reflect on working assumptions and conventions that we take for granted. We hope to engage this reflection in the Conference and extend it in discussions about how goals and practices might need to change. We have framed three areas in which the disruption of routines may lead to new insights that can renew an important element of public life.  

  • Conventional ways of organising citizen participation have been stretched not only by the Covid pandemic, but also by the demands posed by policy issues like the energy transition. As the strains on the system from these disruptions, frustrations, and disappointments accumulate, we are confronted with a lack of trust and legitimacy that cooperation and public action requires. In two sessions we explore what insights and inspiration the working form of restorative justice offers and how these might push us to find new meaning and new possibilities in the interaction between citizens, stakeholders, and government.  
     
  • In light of developments as climate change and the encroachment of our cities on green areas and nature, conflicts between humans and non-human forms of life are increasingly brought to the foreground. Decisions by governments and organisations directly affect the well-being and interests of non-human life. The Zoöp, short for Zoöperation, is a new organisational model for branches of government and organisations (profit and non-profit). It disrupts our normal repertoire by including a (human) representation of the interests of non-human life in its board. A Zoöp integrates these interests in decision-making and empowers to contribute to ecological regeneration. In this session we will explore how this affects narratives, agendas and processes around spatial planning. How can we work towards redefining unproductive frameworks and dichotomies, such as agriculture versus nature?
     
  • The disruption of routines at work and in daily life over the past fourteen months has prompted many of us to reflect on these routines, on what we miss, what we value, and what changes we may wish to carry forward from this experience. In this session we will explore how reflection on these questions can inform the agenda for change that we embrace as we move forward. What can we learn about the insights that have been promoted by reflection on this experience? What priorities will we, should we, carry forward? What are the views of individuals who are working for change in the Netherlands and globally? Is it possible to draw on our experiences together to frame some key elements of an agenda for change that we can carry forward?

We will examine these three themes and learn about them together in sessions organised with partner institutions. 

About The State of Conflict Conference

The annual State of Conflict Conference is committed to the proposition that reflecting together in an open and critical way on the conflicts that engage us can produce useful insights about the challenges that our public, private, and civic institutions face. Conflict can provide a revealing perspective from which to view these challenges, particularly in a diverse society that is committed to democratic principles. The challenge of dealing with the differences in the grounded context of conflict can shed light on the potential for impasse and polarization, the risks this poses for sustaining social and political relationships, and the practical options for moving forward. It can also help us see how efforts to limit conflict—and thereby groups’ ability to articulate grievances—can also undermine the health and resilience of democratic institutions and practices. It is in light of these overlapping challenges that we hope to develop insights into a very practical democratic question—how, not whether, to have conflicts.

We look forward to seeing you on May 28th and June 4th!

David Laws
Alexander Rinnooy Kan
Marc Rijnveld
Martien Kuitenbrouwer
Hans van Zijst 

REGISTRATION
 To allow for exchange in small group discussions, the number of spaces available is limited. We kindly ask you to reserve a place and register for the sessions of your choice in advance here. 

The State of Conflict Conference 2021 is organised and made possible by