Mission
Polarization represents a defining crisis of our time. Fueled by dehumanizing rhetoric and us-versus-them discourse and hate-filled interactions, polarization has weakened democratic principles, ruptured social bonds, and contributed to rising political violence. Situated within the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, the PiVoT Peace Lab is committed to mitigating the civil unrest and violence as well as promoting transformative practices that foster dialogue without contempt, deliberation without disrespect and cooperation without coercion across the social and political divides. This lab offers a space for students, scholar-practitioners, and academic researchers to dive deeply into polarization and violent conflict from multiple perspectives. Lab members examine why it has surged, and how to transform conflicts by mitigating and possibly reversing the damage these trends have caused.
Programmatic Focus
- Relationship-building. Promote pro-social interaction across the political divide.
- Research. Assess tactics of polarization and strategies of depolarization through evidence-based investigations.
- Skills-Enhancement. Provide training in skills of depolarization
- Public Engagement. Promote models for fostering cooperative pluralism.