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An open field of inquiry

Questions for proposed dialogue

The Initiative does not begin with predetermined answers. It begins by reopening questions that inherited assumptions, institutional habits and immediate pressures may have prevented us from examining deeply enough.

  1. What if mistrust is not our safest defence, but one of our greatest shared dangers?

  2. What if the fear and insecurity intended to protect one side inevitably deepen the fear and insecurity of the other?

  3. Are today's negotiations addressing only the conduct of wars, or also the fears, grievances and failures of trust that allow them to continue?

  4. Can lasting security be achieved against one another, or must it ultimately be built with one another?

  5. Are victory and peace always the same destination? If not, which one are our strategies actually pursuing?

  6. Which inherited assumptions continue to imprison diplomatic thinking, and which of them should now be courageously reviewed?

  7. Can citizens and civil society help leaders articulate possibilities that political pressure and institutional routine frequently leave unspoken?

  8. Which fears, insecurities and failures of trust continue a war after its original causes have been overtaken by retaliation, pride or the search for victory?

  9. What credible and reciprocal steps could reduce fear without asking either side to surrender legitimate security?

  10. What if peace must be prepared as deliberately, patiently and seriously as war?

  11. In an interdependent world, must access to land, energy, water and vital resources still depend upon territorial control, or can cooperation, shared development and equitable exchange provide greater security?

Continue the inquiry

Bring your perspective to the First Circle

These questions are starting points rather than conclusions. We welcome thoughtful challenge, additional questions and proposals for how the inquiry should develop.

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