In the Eyes of the FARC

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

-Sun Tzu, The Art of War

In order to understand the ongoing conflict in Colombia, we need to understand the complex and often enigmatic views of the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC). And by improving their understanding of the FARC, government negotiators might be better able to achieve a negotiated prisoner swap.

Published in the Semana weekly magazine on June 10, the article entitled "In the Eyes of the FARC" (Spanish/English) offers a thoughtful reflection on some of the motivations behind this powerful movement. (Many thanks to Adam Isacson at the Center for International Policy for making this article available in English.)

The Importance of Understanding the Five "Core Concerns"

Whether we are negotiating a hostage exchange or simply deciding where to go for dinner, emotions can play an important role during negotiations. Fischer and Shapiro would recommend that Colombian negotiators study the FARC and strive to address their five "Core Concerns." The "Core Concerns" provide a way for us to understand the basic "human wants that are important to almost everyone in virtually every negotiation." And by focusing on these wants, negotiators can be more effective. The "Core Concerns" are appreciation, affiliation, autonomy, status, and role.

Appreciation is the desire we all have to feel understood and honestly valued. Mutual appreciation can increase the level of cooperation during negotiations.

Affiliation describes the sense of connectedness with another group or person. By recognizing the commonality between groups, negotiators can bridge the gap between the parties and enhance their ability to work together.

Autonomy refers to the "freedom to affect or make decisions without the imposition of other." Promoting autonomy is essential and requires that we also guard against impinging upon or interfering with the autonomy of others. When we impinge upon the autonomy of the other, we essentially take away their ability to make decisions independently.

Status refers to our perceived standing in comparison to the standing of others. Positive emotions can be fostered when our own status contributes to rather than detracts from our self-esteem. On the other hand, negative emotions can be generated through competition for status. Fischer and Shapiro point out that people tend to cooperate when there are more positive than negative emotions during negotiations.

Role describes the process of choosing a fulfilling role in the negotiation that satisfies your needs and standards of appreciation, affiliation, autonomy, and status.

This past week, President Uribe released dozens of FARC guerrillas from prison in an effort to stimulate the release of hostages held by the guerrilla movement. However, FARC leaders have vehemently rejected all offers of a unilateral government prisoner release, saying they would only negotiate a prisoner-for-hostage swap if the government created a demilitarized zone in two southwestern Colombian towns. In an interview with the so-called FARC "Chancellor," Raúl Reyes stated that the president's unilateral decision was viewed positively, "just as long as it is done without any conditions, any pressure, or any tricks." This sounds a lot like the FARC leadership is trying very hard to assert their autonomy, doesn't it?

To learn more about the "Core Concerns", you might pick up a copy of Beyond Reason: Using Emotions As You Negotiate by Roger Fischer and Daniel Shapiro. Or, you might like to check out this concise summary written by Hollie Hendrikson.