INTRO #1 - A New Strategy
There is a growing sense of hopelessness,
Political institutions have failed to deliver any meaningful change,
But we have an answer.
Governments deal with conflicts through a combination of the four established tracks of engagement.
The Typical "4 Track" Approach Includes:
- Diplomatic - Dispatch diplomats to negotiate a resolution.
- Political - Use political & political maneuvering to implement those agreements.
- Economic - Apply carrot-and-stick pressure to the process with economic trade or sanctions.
- & Military - Deployment of peacekeepers or threats of military engagement (the big stick).
A "5th Track" = A personal and spiritual track that addresses more than just self interests, but the hearts of people.
We refer to this as "TRAC5"
So What's Missing?
The Fatal Flaw in this approach:
- No matter which tracks are used, or in what combination; they do not strike at the heart of the matter — The people involved.
If we are going to solve complex problems... it has to be personal, leading to genuine reconciliation.
- Signing a peace treaty or petition does little to nothing when it comes to addressing the often deep seeded hatred and brokenness of the people involved.
- A personal and SPIRITUAL track is needed!
- Starting with the divide between Muslims and Christians; a person-to-person effort is needed. Put friendships first.
- Muslims and Christians make up approximately half of all people in the world, yet this demographic is clearly one of the most divide; where most conflict comes from.
Is There A Solution?
Political Solutions ALONE Will Never Work:
- They deal solely with the outer symptoms rather than addressing the causes of the problems in the first place. This is not unlike a medicine that hides the symptoms of a disease but does nothing to heal the patient.
- Even worse, this political "medicine" does not account for the root causes of war, radicalism and hatred.
- It seems then a logical conclusion to begin defining and addressing the foundations of these problems.
- BUT there is HOPE... God is already working in wonderful ways in every corner of our world!
The definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing over and over… and expecting different results.
What Difference Does It Make?!
Because repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results is insane:
- Long-term solutions will never be found in our flawed and failing worldly institutions alone.
- People are waking up to the inadequacy of these institutions and the response is reflected by the trends of the Brexit vote, the Arab Spring and the Trump election.
The movement starts with us:
- Despite growing conflict and a general sense of frustration, millions are hungry for spiritual fulfillment including a desire to know God.
- A personal and spiritual track of engagement is desperately needed to help redirect these fruitless frustrations into a constructive and redemptive movement.
The Golden Rule:
- Personally engaging with one’s "enemy" (or anyone who has a different worldview / religion) in a selfless and relational-centric way opens a door to the heart, often leading to a tangible impact.
- You can learn more about how this functionally looks in the context of Muslim/Christian relations throughout our toolkit. See the 'Algorithm of LOVE'
- Building friendships first and foremost means that we will be more likely to succeed at conflict resolution. This friendship must go deeper than the average professional or diplomatic relations.
Uncover The Cause:
- Negotiating with ones "enemy" in a professional context does NOT address the personal and spiritual roots of the problems.
- Addressing the factors causing these problems is a critical first step.
- Are we focusing on the symptoms of these problems or the causes?
- A personal and spiritually based approach seems to be missing from our current strategy.
Worldly Weapons ALONE Will NOT Work:
- CIA Director John Brennan and several other senior policy makers affirmed, “we cannot kill our way out” and therefore "must" address underlying factors and conditions [causing radicalism].”
- Repeating the same mistake and expecting a different result is an accurate definition for insane behavior (according to Einstein)
- Do you believe that our political institutions are effective at resolving problems today?
Sounds Nice...But Can It Actually Work?!?
- Trac5 is a spiritual approach, an approach that addresses both the personal and spiritual nature of these problems.
- You do NOT need any special training or qualifications to engage in this personal and spiritual track.
- It works well when applied in complex international conflicts and also average everyday family dramas.
Take note of your strategy as it relates to dealing with problems big or small.
