The Journal of Deliberative Democracy has published a new thematic collection on the theme of ‘deliberation amid deep conflict’. Societies marked by deep divisions post challenges for deliberation. They may have entrenched interests, power inequities and a history of ill-will and misconceptions – yet deliberation also potentially transforms intergroup conflict and promotes reconciliation, mutual respect and cooperation.
Drawing on articles from the last ten years, this collection spotlights the functions, practices and limitations of democratic deliberation during conflict, exploring how deliberation can cultivate recognition and understanding of opposing views within the political system, how it can promote peace, stability and integration in deeply divided societies, the importance of adapting deliberative democracy to local contexts, and the need for empirical investigation by researchers in order to contextualise assumptions about deliberation’s impacts.
You can access the collection here.
University of Westminster Press blog 