William Ury:
The Walk From "NO" to "YES".
In the later half of today's class we watched a clip from what I am assuming was a "TED" talk, in which a man named William Ury was speaking to his audience about Abraham's path and it's significance in regard to peaceful negotiation and hospitality.
Years ago he was told by naysayers, "you can't walk Abraham's path, it crosses too many borders." To them he said, "we will see." And so, Ury (and friends) traveled across the world and set out on a mission to chart and travel that very path which they were told they couldn't walk. And they did it! Along the way, they found that the people of the villages they crossed through were so welcoming, so inviting, so giving.. they would take the travelers into their homes, feed them, give them food and water, allow them to spend the night.. you'd NEVER see that in North America, and frankly, if someone asked me to rest at their house I would be deeply afraid.
Today, because of Ury's excursion, people all over the world who, for whatever reason, cannot walk Abraham's actual path instead hold annual walks or runs in their own towns and cities in honor of the great biblical journey.
How does this relate to negotiation you say?
Ury is a world leader in negotiation, and has been brought in to help mediate between nations and stop some of the world's most horrific disagreements. He was trained as an anthropologist (anthropology: "the scientific study of the origin, the behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans." -thefreedictionary.com), and is currently somehow involved with Harvard University, he didn't elaborate on his association.
He talks about the "3rd side" of an argument which, in his theory, is the key component to ending a conflict. Here is a diagram of what he means.
According to this picture there are two third sides, Ury didn't mention this in the video (that I remember) but it seems to make sense, so I'll go with it.
a) Basically, you have the two parties involved in the dispute (first side and second side), these are the people who are arguing over whatever the dispute is about.
b) After them comes their friends, family, or other close associates (inside third side), these people are directly bias due to their relationships with sides one and two, so they will likely take sides and not contribute to solving the problem.
c) Last, come the neighbors, neutrals, and bystanders (outside third side). These people are not directly associated with either the first or the second side, and so, they are usually not bias to the situation and in most cases can offer a clear headed solution to the persons disputing.
As Ury said in the film, "the secret to peace is us, who act as a surrounding community around the conflict."
Also, Ury references an ancient African proverb which says, "when spider webs unite they can hault even a lion!" By referencing this, Ury is further confirming his point (people must unite in order to bring about positive change in the world).
Finally, he speaks about something called "the balcony". He defines this as a place for reflection, and overview of a situation. So, if someone reaches the balcony he is able to clearly see all sides of the situation and create a solution based on what he sees from each side.
That is all I have for notes about that, thank you for taking an interest in my spewing of information.. it's almost over, I promise. Only two entries left (Friday's class and a final goodbye).
Sincerely,
Natasha. <3
Years ago he was told by naysayers, "you can't walk Abraham's path, it crosses too many borders." To them he said, "we will see." And so, Ury (and friends) traveled across the world and set out on a mission to chart and travel that very path which they were told they couldn't walk. And they did it! Along the way, they found that the people of the villages they crossed through were so welcoming, so inviting, so giving.. they would take the travelers into their homes, feed them, give them food and water, allow them to spend the night.. you'd NEVER see that in North America, and frankly, if someone asked me to rest at their house I would be deeply afraid.
Today, because of Ury's excursion, people all over the world who, for whatever reason, cannot walk Abraham's actual path instead hold annual walks or runs in their own towns and cities in honor of the great biblical journey.
How does this relate to negotiation you say?
Ury is a world leader in negotiation, and has been brought in to help mediate between nations and stop some of the world's most horrific disagreements. He was trained as an anthropologist (anthropology: "the scientific study of the origin, the behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans." -thefreedictionary.com), and is currently somehow involved with Harvard University, he didn't elaborate on his association.
He talks about the "3rd side" of an argument which, in his theory, is the key component to ending a conflict. Here is a diagram of what he means.
According to this picture there are two third sides, Ury didn't mention this in the video (that I remember) but it seems to make sense, so I'll go with it.
a) Basically, you have the two parties involved in the dispute (first side and second side), these are the people who are arguing over whatever the dispute is about.
b) After them comes their friends, family, or other close associates (inside third side), these people are directly bias due to their relationships with sides one and two, so they will likely take sides and not contribute to solving the problem.
c) Last, come the neighbors, neutrals, and bystanders (outside third side). These people are not directly associated with either the first or the second side, and so, they are usually not bias to the situation and in most cases can offer a clear headed solution to the persons disputing.
As Ury said in the film, "the secret to peace is us, who act as a surrounding community around the conflict."
Also, Ury references an ancient African proverb which says, "when spider webs unite they can hault even a lion!" By referencing this, Ury is further confirming his point (people must unite in order to bring about positive change in the world).
Finally, he speaks about something called "the balcony". He defines this as a place for reflection, and overview of a situation. So, if someone reaches the balcony he is able to clearly see all sides of the situation and create a solution based on what he sees from each side.
That is all I have for notes about that, thank you for taking an interest in my spewing of information.. it's almost over, I promise. Only two entries left (Friday's class and a final goodbye).
Sincerely,
Natasha. <3
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