Being at a loss as to how to manage the political conflicts within my own social circle I reached out to my old professor, Tatsushi Arai, to learn how Americans might apply the principles of Conflict Transformation to our interactions at the personal, professional, and community levels, whatever the outcome of the US election. 

But it should be noted that this discussion is not specific to America, and that Dr. Arai has worked all over the US and all over the world as both an educator and as a field practitioner, mediating conflicts in West Asia, East Asia, Africa, and between more groups, and in more places, than we have room to list. Every community stands to benefit from a better understanding of this much undervalued, underutilized, and much misunderstood field of the social sciences. So, wherever you’re listening from, and whoever you’re voting for in your next election, or if you’re simply hoping to have a free election, you’ll likely find something in our conversation that can make engaging with your fellow citizens both more civil and more productive.