Wired for Peace

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PRAISE FOR WIRED for PEACE “The most significant conflicts we face today trigger neurological ‘fight or flight’ reflexes that lead to escalation and impasse. To understand and successfully resolve these issues, we need to understand how the brain perceives, models, and responds to conflict. Over several decades, cutting-edge scientific research has brought hope that neurophysiology can help mediators reduce the chemical and biological sources of aggression. If you would like to know more about how to do so in conflicts on all scales, Jeremy Pollack has written an excellent review for non-scientists, showing how the brain works and how mediators can turn this information into practical techniques that expand our skills and make us more successful in resolving our disputes. It is packed with life- and game-changing information we can all learn from.” —KENNETH CLOKE, Author of The Dance of Opposites and The Magic in Mediation “In Wired for Peace, Jeremy has offered up a true gift that explains the complex and evolving understanding of neuroscience and practical guideposts for how we can mobilize this cutting-edge research to more constructively respond to both divisive and escalating conflict. I can think of nothing more useful in the current state of toxic polarization that seems to grip many of our social, identity, and political divides. A must-read for us all!” —JOHN PAUL LEDERACH, Professor Emeritus, University of Notre Dame, Author of The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace “This is an excellent read for those seeking tools to improve their ability to navigate conflict in their lives. It is full of practical tools to help readers understand their own and others’ conflict behaviors. Dr. Pollack offers a theoretically rich approach to working with conflict that will deepen understanding for scholars, leaders, and practitioners in local to global contexts. This book is well researched, easy-to-read, and at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary conflict resolution.” —KATY COLLIN, Director of Graduate Studies in Conflict Resolution, Georgetown University “In Wired for Peace, Jeremy connects neuroscience with real-life conflict in a way that feels accessible and immediately practical. He challenges us to look inward first—to understand our own nervous systems—before trying to change anyone else. The result is a deeply human, science-informed guide to resolving conflict and building lasting collaboration.” —PARAG SHAH, CEO of Miles Mediation and Arbitration A deep dive and exploration into the critical role of the nervous system in conflict resolution and peacebuilding Drawing from neuroscience, social neuropsychology, predictive-processing theory, and decades of applied conflict resolution practice, Wired for Peace: Using 7 Neuroscience-Based Principles to Resolve Conflicts presents a transformational model for understanding why conflict escalates and how sustainable peace is created. Moving beyond traditional communication-skills or mediation-only approaches, this book shows that lasting conflict resolution begins with the autonomic nervous system and the brain’s threat-prediction mechanisms. The book illuminates the internal neural architecture that determines how individuals perceive danger, construct narratives, react to stress, and attempt either protection or connection. Authored by Dr. Jeremy Pollack, an organizational psychologist, conflict resolution expert, and founder of Pollack Peacebuilding Systems, the work examines: How the autonomic nervous system, predictive processing, and neuroplasticity shape threat perception, emotional reactivity, and conflict escalation. Why conventional modalities such as facilitated dialogue, communication training, leadership coaching, or mediation often fail unless underlying neural dysregulation is addressed. How internal conflict, interpersonal conflict, group conflict, and organizational conflict share the same evolutionary and neurobiological foundations. The real organizational costs of dysregulated systems, including culture erosion, burnout, turnover, chronic mistrust, and impaired decision-making. A complete, research-grounded, multi-chapter framework for building more resilient individuals, teams, organizations, and communities through the science of safety, prediction, and connection. Wired for Peace is essential reading for anyone who is experiencing persistent conflict in their lives and looking to get to the root of the problem, as well as community and organizational leaders, conflict resolution practitioners, and coaches to add tools to their conflict management toolbox.

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Pages: 256, Edition: 1 armband, Hardcover, Wiley