The Institute’s interactive conflict intervention and counselling is specialised on interactive and dialogical methods of conflict resolution and transformation. It is based on insights generated by an integrative conflict analysis that combines social-psychological, sociological and cultural anthropological theories of interpretation. The HKI approach for services is constantly in progress and re-adapted – foremost in cooperation with interdisciplinary research networks, in dialogue with schools and approaches of conflict transformation. At the heart of its re-developments rests the participatory action research in partnership with key persons and dialogue projects in diverse conflict regions.
In the last years, the Institute’s focus of activities was on dialogue projects in crisis regions. These efforts centred on the preparation of conflict parties for negotiations, mediation and reconciliation (Sri Lanka 2002 – 2010, Carinthia as of 2006, Israel-Palestine as of 2005 and increasingly since 2012, under aegis/direction of Prof. Kelman). Additional areas of engagement are capacity building and training (Central Asia, Colombia, Eastern Europe and Western Balkans), as well as the conceptualisation and implementation of university courses as in University of Vienna and Klagenfurt. At the moment, Dr. Wilfried Graf is forming a hub between the HKI and the Alpe-Adria University of Klagenfurt in form of the focus programme “Interactive Conflict Transformation”.
