The Spirit of Dialogue: Lessons from Faith Traditions in Transforming Water Conflicts

Speaker:  Aaron Wolf, Professor of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University

In the West, we are generally trained to base our approach to managing water conflicts on rationality, and tools typically focus on what is measurable and quantifiable. Over Wolf’s 25 years as a facilitator and scholar working through and studying conflicts over shared water resources around the world, he has come to appreciate both the limitations of the rational models on which we in the West base our understandings of conflict and cooperation and the wisdom, constructs, and practical tools of the world’s faith traditions in working toward deep and healthy interactions around contentious issues.