What do I not understand that makes this make sense to you?

As we get deeper into Environmental Conflict Resolution (ECR) I continually think about a Fredericksburg City Council meeting in which a citizen group spent several minutes explaining the frustration they felt in their neighborhood. The housing area near Dixon Park is "on the other side of the tracks" and CSX had been storing chemical tanker cars literally 50 feet from homes within the community. The plea for assistance to the City Council caused triggered several news articles covering the story and I'm not sure that CSX has done much to make this community feel better about the situation (or even stopped storing chemical tankers in this area).

This situation seems like a perfect opportunity for the community members/leaders, CSX, and the City to ask the question posed by Dr. Dukes in our discussion on Monday, "What do I not understand that makes this make sense to you?" Even more importantly how do you get parties that not only don't agree, but feel disdain for each other to communicate and build trust? These questions are not meant to be answered, but to be thought of during the ECR planning process.

I like the way of thinking about conflict presented by "Getting Disputes Resolved" by Leary and will probably have to pick up a copy. The idea of power - rights - interests in circle form is a good way to think about conflict. Adding "relatedness" that is, relation to a place adds a new dimension to a dispute. If you can get the parties involved to feel a connection to a physical location (such as the Chesapeake Bay) it can be much easier to come to a solution. The example of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation bringing Shenandoah area farmers to the Bay and have them spend time with Watermen is an excellent way to forge this connection. Getting groups of kids together to float one of the rivers into the Bay is another great example. When you have a connection to something and take pride in it the feeling takes over your life...think about it the next time you see trash in your front yard, bet you pick it up don't you?
Lastly, defining or refusing to define ECR and discussing what the greater community thinks of it important. While the process depends greatly on the topic and people involved it's important to know - in general - what people expect.