The Book of Real-World Negotiations

IIIGovernment and Daily Life Cases

A tremendous number of negotiations happen all around us every day – whether it is between civil society entities, hostage situations, or at the governmental level between warring factions. Akin to the business cases that have been previously presented, these cases cover a vast array of areas. What is interesting is the similarities involved despite the disparate nature of the examples.

From a governmental point of view, whether it is within governments, between agencies, or between governments and opposition groups, negotiation is used to solve budget problems, interagency disputes, or charting a new course between parties that have been fighting for decades. That stated, governmental negotiations can be distinct from other types of negotiation processes due to a number of factors – including the number of actors involved, the varied constituencies they serve, and the bureaucracy they must manage.

The first case in this section has to do with a very unique situation between a United Nations entity and a sovereign government over the holding of hostages. Through a serendipitous series of events, along with thorough follow-through by the people involved, a situation involving refugees was resolved effectively. The negotiation required walking a very fine line between freeing the refugees without blaming the government and the captors involved. Furthermore, having a deep understanding of the cultural norms that underpinned the negotiation process ...