People who use Do No Harm continually analyze their situations according to the issues and factors that divide individuals and groups from each other and the issues and factors that connect individuals and groups. These two basic categories of Dividers and Connectors provide them with a depth of understanding of the contexts where they work and of the impacts of their work on those contexts. Using these two categories for the basis of their program designs makes a significant difference in understanding, insight, and effectiveness.

“That person or group is a Divider/Connector”

By identifying a person as a Divider or Connector, it becomes difficult to respond to that person’s behavior. We know that warriors become peacemakers, guerrillas become farmers, politicians become environmentalists. Peace occurs because people change their behavior. If we label people, we interpret their behavior through that label and we may miss changes that signal opportunity.

“But Nelson Mandela is a Connector!”

Nelson Mandela had become a symbol and as a symbol he has been used as a Connector to promote peace. Nelson Mandela the person did in fact become quite adept at using his symbolic presence. However, as a person, he was not a Connector.

“Hamas is both a Divider and a Connector”

No, Hamas does things, some of which are Dividers and some of which are Connectors. Indeed, it is especially difficult working in such a situation where an organization like Hamas creates an agenda which contains both Dividers and Connectors, so that by supporting some Connectors, one appears to be supporting the full agenda. The challenge in working in a situation where an organization like Hamas (or the Israeli Defense Forces) is also operating is how to do our work in such a way that, first, we avoid supporting the Dividers and, second, we support Connectors in that environment without also supporting or being seen to support Hamas’ agenda. This is not easy.

Previous Page “We can create Connectors to bring people together”
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Related Topics
Assumptions about Dividers
Assumptions about Connectors
“Our organization is a Connector/Divider”
Common Misunderstandings about Dividers and Connectors
Understanding Dividers and Connectors
Do No Harm SAVES: Categories for Disaggregating a Context

“Nelson Mandela is a Connector . . . Hamas is both . . .”
 
Mandela and Hamas have come up as challenging examples in workshop after workshop, no matter where or with whom we happen to be working. Of course there have been other challenging examples, usually local, but these two are by far the most cited. This is a testament to how widely known both examples are that participants in workshops assume they can use them without much (if any) local reference.