Dougherty and Allyn both emphasized how people must remain informed about history to prevent relations between the U.S. and Russia from deteriorating.
Allyn, however, also noted that people should not write Putin off as an “old Soviet.” Understanding the historical tradition he comes from, Allyn said, is crucially important.
“We need to understand where Putin’s coming from,” Allyn said. “The West...has to understand what he’s thinking and why he’s thinking it. He is unpredictable only because we’re not paying attention.”
Allyn also highlighted many emotional or psychological ways to approach negotiation on an international level. According to him, the keys to successful negotiation are listening and leading by example, along with empathy and constructive media coverage.
James F. Kerwin, assistant director of the Harvard Program on Negotiation, attended the discussion as well. He said that the speakers offered unique insights.
“I think people have lost sight of U.S.-Russia relations, and Bruce Allyn spoke of the nonviolent history of negotiation in a new light,” Kerwin said.