When I was writing my book The Loop, I was looking for experts in the ways we misunderstand one another, and several people pointed me at this week’s guest. He and I had an hourlong phone conversation, and while he undoubtedly doesn’t remember it (but is too polite to say so), for me it was a deeply formative experience.
Lord John Alderdice grew up the son of an Irish presbyterian minister in and out of Belfast, and has been a psychiatrist, a politician, and a researcher into violence and peace. His work on the Good Friday Accords helped to end the troubles in Northern Ireland, and he’s been a trusted source of insight and scholarship for those seeking an end to violence in dozens of conflicts around the world ever since.
In this week’s episode, he discusses the deeply misunderstood power of really and truly listening, over long periods of time, in correcting disturbed historic relationships and setting them back on a path toward peace, and our conversation is a very interesting accompaniment to my interview with John Patty and Elizabeth Penn about the frailty of democracy from a few weeks back.
Lord Alderdice is refreshing not just for his optimism that we can find a way to peace, but because that optimism is based in decades of hard experience pursuing it. I hope you enjoy it.
00:00 Introduction to the Rip Current
01:16 Meet Lord John Alderdice
02:25 Understanding Honorifics and Titles
06:19 Growing Up in Northern Ireland
11:28 The Path to Psychiatry and Politics
18:17 The Good Friday Accords
23:05 The Complexity of Historic Conflicts
33:26 The Role of Statesmanship in Conflict Resolution
38:23 The State of Global Institutions
38:47 Career in Conflict Research
39:23 Middle East Peace Process Challenges
42:53 Research on Palestinian Perspectives
45:57 Young People and Radicalization
51:29 Cultural Perspectives on Individualism vs. Community
01:04:36 Historical Context of British Aristocracy
01:18:00 Exploring Irish Presbyterianism
01:19:37 The Role of History in Understanding Politics
01:20:17 From Medicine to Politics
01:22:17 Political Leadership and Negotiations
01:24:41 The Good Friday Agreement
01:25:40 The Importance of Relationships in Politics
01:27:32 International Perspectives on Conflict
01:53:31 The Role of Apologies in Healing
02:05:33 Reflections on Leadership and Conflict Resolution
02:07:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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