Alterity as Process in the Resolution of Ethnonational Conflicts: The Case of Estonia

The Center for the Study of Mind and Human Interaction (CSMHI) of the University of Virginia School of Medicine is an interdisciplinary center whose work in conflict resolution requires the collaboration of psychoanalysts, historians, diplomats and other scholars. Over the past decade, CSMHI has been invited to participate in the resolution of conflicts between nations as well as other related ethnonational and factional disputes. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Estonia wished to restore its political independence as well as its psychological independence. CSMHI had participated in other cases with participants from both Russia and Estonia and accordingly became an excellent credible candidate to assist both sides in the process of Estonia's psychopolitical independence from and co-existence with Russia as its neighbor. The methodology of CSMHI has been described elsewhere. One description of the methodology posits “four heuristic steps” (Apprey 199) in the conflict resolution process:

1. Intensive confidential interviews are conducted with a cross-section of leaders from all constituencies to ensure that CSMHI personnel understand the historical and contemporary concerns facing Estonians and Russians who have chosen to live in Estonia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

2. A series of psychopolitical dialogues is initiated between representatives of interested parties (20-30 people in large, plenary sessions, to open and close each day of talks, and 8-10 people in small work group sessions). During this step, lines of communication are opened, concerns shared, and hidden psychological barriers that separate interested parties are brought to the surface, discussed, and ultimately transformed so that they no longer impede negotiation and movement toward common goals. The process often involves recognizing how historical relationships and events influence current relationships, how these relat