Breaking down the barricades will be only way to get a happy inding
Expert Social media creates more polarisation
Scotland’s independence row will never be won “dragging each other over the barricades”, according to a Middle East conflict resolution specialist.
Psychotherapist Gabrielle Rifkind has helped facilitate powder keg negotiations between factions in the Palestine-Israel dispute as well as in Syria, Iran and Lebanon.
And she has warned the only way of resolving the divisive battle between nationalists and unionists is by each side understanding views so ingrained they have been “passed on with mother’s milk”.
Rif kind, who is the cousin of former secretary of state for Scotland Malcolm Rifkind, said: “We are living in a climate of polarisation – where our leadership, to a degree, is encouraging that.
“What we need to do more is try to create a climate where people can listen to each other respectfully without trying to persuade others to think like them.
“These are issues tied up with identity, it is deep, it is passed on with mother’s milk and people don’t want to be robbed of their identity.
“So instead of trying to persuade people, you try to manage differences.
“Instead of trying to convince people of your point of view, take some time to genuinely listen to a different point of view and take time to respect and tolerate that. Then out of that say, ‘OK, where are the areas where we can find some mutual self-interest’.
“Scottish nationalism is about identity, something much more emotional than a rational calculation such as deciding if the country will be better off f inancially.You need to unpack and understand what are these identity issues that make people sit in different camps. Because that is one of the reasons why they can’t hear each other.”
Support for Scottish independence has polled as high as 58 per cent in recent weeks, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also riding high for next May’s Holyrood election. A landslide win for the SNP on a clear second referendum pledge would be considered by nationalists a mandate for IndyRef2. Rifkind, 67, f rom London, praised the First Minister’s ability to bring Scotland together to fight coronavirus.
She said: “Nicola Sturgeon is skilled at talking for Scotland. A high percentage of the population have confidence in her treatment of Covid-19.
“In the end, if you are a government, you need to speak for all the people not just a political party, your job is to rule for everyone, including those you don’t agree with.
“That is what the Western democratic system is all about, you protect the
group that you beat as well.” But Rifkind warned that there were similarities between the UK’s divisive Brexit vote and the drive for Scottish independence.
She added: “Behind these things is the march of globalisation, people have felt out of control and they want smaller units of government.
“Whether these political solutions will mean you are in more control is the question.
“Democracy as we know it seems to be failing, people no longer feel that they are being heard or being allowed to participate. Perhaps we have higher expectations – what does it look like to listen properly, for people to feel they are being heard, protected and their lives improved.
“Paradoxical ly, author itar ian governments seem to be better at bringing about improvement.
“That is a big challenge now, how do we live with difference, how do we live with different points of view?
“What we want to do is persuade, we want to drag people across the barricade, we want them to think like us, but people don’t just cross the barricade.” Rifkind identified social media as a driver of conf lict over understanding and respect.
She added: “It creates much more polarisation and much more extreme language and it is not an arena in which people exchange and deepen their ideas – it is more an arena where people are going to abuse each other.
“It is not only social media but part of the polarisation that we are seeing in society is being exacerbated by social media. People don’t need to take responsibility for what they say, they don’t see people face to face, they don’t need to face the consequences and so they can be much more destructive from their hermetically ll sealed bubble.
“They don’t want to exchange views so they can understand the other side, it is much more likely to exacerbate each individual position. There is less of a culture of trying to understand what other people think.”
Rifkind is a founder of Oxford Process, which works behind the scenes in conflicts to build relationships, reduce tensions and prevent escalation of violence between warring factions.
She compared the SNP’s internal battle between Sturgeon and Alex Salmond supporters to factions in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
She added: “The rivalry of small differences. Often the closer you are the closer the competition and rivalry is. At some point that emerges and, in fact, the ability to have a coherent view to the outside world is very tarnished by your internal rivalries.
“Having worked on the Palestine-Israel conflict, a lot of the rivalries within the Palestinian and Israeli camps were often the biggest problem. And, in fact, you can’t negotiate any kind of deal without dealing with those rivalries. “It is a normal part of human behaviour but we need to become better ata managing these internal tensions, which are inevitable.”
She also warned that if Brexit negotiations were going to be successful it would require the UK to accept the European Union’s stronger position. Rifkind added: “Conflict resolution is very different to political negotiation. Political negotiation is about power – winners and losers. You can see with the EU it is about going to the cliff edge, it’s about bluffing and counter bluffing – it is more like a poker game. “From a conflict resolution point of view, I am always thinking about getting into the mind of the other – understanding how the other side thinks.
“So if you are negotiating with Europe, you need to be realistic, you are negotiating with 27 other countries. “It doesn’t mean that you don’t want to get the best possible deal for your country but you are constantly moving in and out of your own position and understanding the position of the other side. I think that is one of the reasons why it is so painful.”