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Dialog among Civilizations: Whytalksfail? Part-1
by Zahir Ebrahim
This analysis explores why dialogs among civilizations continually fail to produce results by showcasing one short dialog as an illustrative example. The showcased dialog is meant to illustrate the depth of passion, preconceptions, and self-interests that often formulate opposing view points such that if ever they come together for a discussion, they fail to communicate despite all the rationality and compassion they can muster in the best of cases, friends. The Preamble is informally structured into three seamless sections. First section is the narrative that highlights vast disparity in views, emotional affiliations, and cultural attachments, as exemplary of any deeply contentious and dichotomous problem space that is insoluble and irresolute under current best practices among nations and peoples. The second section is the analysis that points towards a rational approach that can potentially make this problem tractable and make contentious dialogs among civilizations actually work despite jealously coddled self-interests. It further examines a snippet from a dialog between former American President Jimmy Carter and his detractors on his own new book "Palestine, Peace not Apartheid" to extend the analysis. The third section develops the rational solution space by proposing a strangely commonsensical algorithm that has hitherto been ignored by nations and statesmen alike, like the proverbial trumpeting elephant in the bridal suite. It further makes suggestions on how to globally deploy this algorithm to validate its premise. The Preamble is followed by a short illustrative dialog in the form of letters and replies to demonstrate how dialogs fail. The illustrative sequence showcasing where it succeeds is left for Part-2. Hopefully that will happen - by employing the commonsensical algorithm developed here - before another civilization is made to hit the dust at the hands of hectoring hegemons!