Conflict Mediation Across Cultures: Pathways and Patterns (Book)
David W. Augsburger, Author.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1992.

David Augsburger takes the view that conflict is natural and necessary in human relations, and that it can be positive. As Speed Leas says in the introduction, Augsburger asks his readers to aim beyond conflict resolution or management to conflict transformation, a way of interacting that calls for the disputing parties to be empowered to "join together in a search for their future." For this to happen, Augsburger suggests we must learn about ourselves, our culture, and the cultures of others, recognizing that diversity is a positive force in the world and that we have much to learn from one another.

Toward that end, the author offers a thoroughly researched presentation of the conflict resolution approaches used in a variety of cultures. He begins each chapter with folk tales, myths, and proverbs from a wide variety of cultures, each of them illuminating the culture from which they spring. Flow charts, tables, and diagrams present results from many studies worldwide, and case histories from African, Asian, Latin American, Native American, and western European societies give a human face to the unique wisdom of the different cultures explored.

Although this book is not a step-by-step guide for mediating cross-cultural disputes—offering instead a broader view of the value of considering cultural diversity—diverse congregations in multicultural areas might find long and careful study of this book especially rewarding. Congregations with little experience of other cultures can benefit from its thought-provoking conclusions, which may be eye-openers for mission possibilities.

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