PRESS RELEASES
- All
- International Peacebuilding
- Psychological and Social Repair
- Strengthening American Democracy
How Do We Get Through This?
The United States is facing the most consequential election in its history. Fewer than 100,000 Americans will decide the outcome. And whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump win, half the population will view the results in existential terms. Anger, fear and division run deep.
Democracy and rule of law are under threat in a way we haven’t seen in decades or perhaps centuries. But if we look around the world, we can learn from countries that faced their own bitter divisions and came out on the other side with their democracies intact and strengthened based on shared values.
On How Do We Get Through This?, a podcast mini-series, we speak with leaders who were key to shaping their countries’ futures at times when everything was at stake. In our first episode, we speak to two leaders who helped bring an end to Apartheid and establish a multiracial democracy in South Africa (out October 21, 2024) In episode 2, we go to Northern Ireland, and speak to a Protestant and a Catholic who negotiated an end to decades of war (out October 31, 2024). In our third episode, to be released after the election, we invite a global panel of guests to help us figure out where we go from here (out November 21, 2024).
We hope the lessons they learned when all hope seemed lost, when continued violence seemed inevitable, will help Americans navigate this moment and apply these lessons as we work to keep our country whole and build a more inclusive democracy and nation.
Oct 21, 2024
The story of South Africa’s transition provides powerful lessons that Americans can apply to find common ground, re-humanize the “other” and safeguard democracy.
Access the full transcript here.
PRESS RELEASES
- All
- International Peacebuilding
- Psychological and Social Repair
- Strengthening American Democracy
EXPERTS
Conflict Resolution, Reconciliation, and the Intersection of Experience and Brain and Behavioral Science
Tim Phillips | Founder and CEO
Tim Phillips is the founder and CEO of Beyond Conflict. Using the unique approach of shared experience, Tim helped catalyze the peace and reconciliation processes in several nations, including Northern Ireland, El Salvador, and South Africa. In recent years, Tim has led Beyond Conflict’s work with scientists and community leaders to apply lessons from brain and behavioral science to address a range of challenges, such as toxic polarization, racial justice and inclusion, conflict resolution and reconciliation.
Expertise: Peace and reconciliation, conflict resolution, the role of leadership, and political polarization in the U.S.
Preventing Identity-based Violence
Karen Bernstein | Program Director
As Program Director for Beyond Conflict’s work on Preventing Identity-based Violence, Karen Bernstein leads the strategy and execution of initiatives focused on peacebuilding in the U.S. and abroad. For most of her career, she has worked in entrenched violent conflict and post-conflict reconstruction contexts, specifically in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory, Cambodia, Nepal, Ireland/Northern Ireland, and South Sudan. Karen has 20 years of working in conflict zones including as a UN civilian peacekeeper and as the Middle East Peace Process Advisor to the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Expertise: Evidenced-based peace-building, conflict mediation in entrenched conflicts, and programming focused on vulnerable communities.