Deliberative communication and ethnopolitical conflict

The author develops an expanded notion of democratic communication, its four main qualities, and how they relate to the situation of divided societies: 1) collective choices must be made deliberatively, 2) members of divided groups must have equal opportunity to participate in various formats of interaction, 3) conflicting groups working on problems seek rationally motivated consensus, and 4) democratic solutions are relational in the mutuality and individual respect are necessary for democratic discourse. He argues that there is a close relationship between principles of democracy, communication, and conflict resolution in ethnopolitically divided groups; assuming the principles of democracy to be the most desirable and legitimate foundation for human relationships.