
The Structure or Order of our societies and their power relationships define our human experience. Our common struggle in this Order is to seek freedom from exploitation, a sense of place, status and dignity. This is our common human goal. In some contexts these struggles lead us to seek to deny equal power and dignity to others.

The process through which our struggle for power and dignity in human relationships is made real to ourselves and others. Identity facilitates our defining and expressions of a variety of different versions of ourselves that are often contradictory. It is natural for people to have many configurations of themselves that they employ in different contexts to suit particular ends.

The matrix of ideas, concepts and images that provides the material that fuels the Identity process. Despite sharing cultural backgrounds, individuals differ widely in their choice of which cultural concepts they use to build discourses and positions that express Identity.

The idea that we can engage with the world of human Organization, Identity and Culture to positively affect human society. By understanding how certain configurations of organization, identity and culture give way to divisive, destructive and violent behavior, and, conversely, cohesive and positively reinforcing and fostering behavior, we can act intelligently to counter identity-based divisions and promote peace, cohesion, inclusion and growth.
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Reflections on Identities in History- Identities in Blood
In his fascinating and disturbing article ‘Red Cross, Double Cross’ (published in June 2010’s
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Book Showcase - The World of Yesterday: Memoirs of a Europea
by Oliver Puckey The Jewish-Austrian author Stefan Zweig’s memoir The World of Yesterday: Memoi
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Pandemic Identities
Pandemic Identities with Pamela J. Stewart and Andrew Strathern: How COVID-19 is affecting 'us' and
Unlocking Human Potential
The OICD approach to expand identities and promote social cohesion follows evidence-based research on maximising social and economic inclusion and growth.
Advancing the Human Sciences
OICD experts advance understanding of how identities function and develop tools for engaging and positively transforming identities based on peer-reviewed findings from the Human Sciences.
Countering Conflict, Promoting Peace
OICD tools work to increase the number of ways people can express identities, an approach proven to reduce conflict and power cohesion.
Identity is a core issue for peacebuilding work, but also a very
Phil Vernon, Director of Programmes, International Alert, London, UK
complex one. What I found interesting and relevant about the
OICD approach is the way it combines a high level conceptual
model with practical application.
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