Promoting resolution of conflicts through peaceful negotiation, with the goal of finding beneficial results for all parties to the conflict.

Modern society necessarily involves conflict. Selfish individuals often intentionally generate these conflicts as a way of enhancing their own prestige or power. Groups sometimes emphasize their difference, and alleged superiority, over a neighbor, because of religion, ethnicity, or other quality. Racism, sexism, and other “–isms” only reflect weakness in the character of the persons displaying those attitudes. Differences, no matter what they are, almost never really amount to superiority over another. Each group has its own right to decide what is best for itself. Too often, conflicts escalate into hostilities that polarize groups and interfere with thoughtful analysis of the underlying issues. In every case, there will be a way to recognize mutual benefits of ending hostilities and resolving the conflict for the benefit of all concerned. That resolution will seldom, almost never, be easy, but is always worth the effort and deserves to be encouraged as much as possible.