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Dissertation Proposal Defense: Sahar Namazikhah
Conflict Prevention through Dialogue
January 20, 2015
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Metropolitan Building, Room # 5145
Chair: Sandra Cheldelin
Committee Members: Susan Hirsch
Carl Botan, Dept of Communication
This study is designed to test an innovative dialogue model as an approach to conflict prevention between two states. The purpose of this project is to understand if and when elites and citizens can become significant actors in helping to transform an intractable relationships from enmity to mutual understanding between two hostile countries. It addresses the question: “How can the testing model of dialogue facilitate bridging among enemy citizens?” This question captures two key aspects of the dialogue’s influence on citizens of conflicting countries. The first explores how citizens as main actors of early-warning may react to the other side’s citizens. The second indicates how long and what factors are necessary to make the two parties’ citizens trust one another, feel safe to share thoughts and fears, and view yesterday’s enemy as today’s potential friend.