This chapter deals with the process and essentials of public issues, what are public issues, and what defines them. Indeed public issues represent a failure of negotiation, a problem of conflicts becoming more complex and costly that it starts to worry almost everybody. The world is going through a number of challenges and natural catastrophes, wars, global warming, tsunamis and still we live wondering whether there is any help from anywhere in the world. There is the failure of governments to contain these situations has led to various public issues, indeed statistically at least 10% of public agreements only are reached leaving the matter to the 90% of the issues in the public alleys, matters that are really worrying and bringing problems to the public. Hence this chapter looks at the 90% of the public issues that have been left to the world. The paper will base these issues on the Middle East which is currently facing a number of social, economical and political challenges that are plunging the nation down. In the Middle East negotiation on public issues seems to be a hard task since the area has always been faced with a number of complex issues. In the chapter the writers talks of his expedition to the Middle East to train soldiers and solve a number of conflicts particularly in Afghanistan. Therefore to evaluate these issues carefully we shall look at various objectives and essentials that are relevant and important in effective public issues negotiation.
Main Factors of Effective Public Issues Negotiation
One of the major factors is communication, communication is a major issue and theme in the book getting more as it looks to solve the basic issue where by parties don’t talk effectively to each other to realize a sustainable agreement. Hence communication seeks to solve the major complex challenge of lack of communication which includes where parties do not want or don’t value each other to sit and negotiate. The parties should be put together for dialogue and those individuals who don’t wish so should be replaced to achieve good results. A major example is an Israel-Palestine conflict which escalated for a long period since both parties never wanted to sit down and talk when ordinary citizens of each state were engaged in conversations daily. The first step should be that there should be no preconditions before dialogue as these thwarts the process, both parties should sit down and discuss the crucial matters immediately. Another factor should be perceptions; perceptions are to follow after successful communications so as every party to understand each party perception. These are important to understand the pictures in both parties’ heads so as to be able to persuade and talk with them easily. There are three clear objectives that are crucial in this matter, first is the understanding of every party’s perception, then is the process of articulating these perceptions and lastly is the discussion of these perceptions on each side of the parties. These values will guide in identifying the possible perceptions of each side and then sit down and discuss the relevance and truth that can be found in both parties. The third factor is the attitude of the parties that are to sit down and discuss, Attitude is crucial in managing both negotiations as confrontational attitude and any other attitude will surely lead to the fail of the negotiation hence escalation of the public issues. To allow a sustainable negotiation matters of blaming each other, pointing fingers and grumbling should be put aside so as to introduce a collaborative environment where each party will present ach issue in a smart and presentable manner so that every party is listened and questions are raised on every issues that are raised by each of the party. Therefore each party with the right attitude could achieve a possible sustainable agreement.
Negotiations for solutions to issues have to involve by first of all looking at those issues that needs consideration for the process to take place. For negotiation process to take place there must be a process to be followed such as that of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which will be of much help as basis for negotiation of major issues. People’s basic needs such as food, security, shelter, water, safety of their families must come first and less important issues such as politics, achievement, morally and prejudice come at a later time while those big disputes around the world start from the top such as peace, democracy and really ideals that occupy humanity. When you want to solve most of the social evils and unrest provide enough food to the people because its evident that hunger begets violence and social unrest. If you opt to solve such issues in the world such as terrorism, nuclear weapons among other issues that influence humanity against act that endanger is to provide them with enough food, give them medical care, clothing, education, shelter and jobs that will be a good negotiator for them. The use of better negotiation tools so that agreements are reached is vital because people have to be satisfied. When people are deprived, they become emotional and when they are emotional nothing can be attain because they tend to become less persuadable: they only respond to the people who provide with them with emotional attachments: that is the basic necessities of life.
In conclusion, public issues are based on the basic s of identifying certain issues that are affecting two sides, and then a proper procedure is taken to take these parties to the take and negotiate a possible solution. Indeed, the Middle East is one of the major victims of a number of public issues and we have experienced how negotiations which is based on proper communication, right attitude, understood perceptions have lead to sustainable agreements which have brought peace an liberty.