Fear is a natural response to recognize and respond to danger “Healthy Fear” -- a fear that has a protective function “Unhealthy Fear” -- a fear that leads to exaggerated and violent behavior

Fear and Conflict The most common fears in intractable conflict are: Loss of identity Lack of security Group fears often translate into individual fears Fear can cause extreme and seemingly irrational behavior Leaders sometimes use fear to garner public support

Deal with fear by: Becoming aware of it (in oneself and in others) Identifying ways you express fear Recognizing situations which trigger fear Using behavioral techniques to reduce stress Sharing your fears with your adversaries Empathizing with others’ fears and doing what you can to reassure them

Exploiting Fear Think HARD before using fear as a motivational tool: It is very powerful, but also hard to control It often backfires, causing a great deal of damage to one’s own group