ABSTRACT
The third chapter delivers a clear definition, an overview of its history and the main characteristics of public conflict resolution. By broadening the view of conflict solving to include the public and democratic dimensions, I will give a more complete picture of the purposes of public conflict resolution than has previously been done. In doing so, I demonstrate the multiple facets of social disputes, the political feasibility of agreements and their integration into the policy cycle vis-à-vis powerful lobby groups and decision-makers. This is not only to familiarize the reader with the procedure of mediating public conflicts, but also to lay the groundwork for understanding factors and conditions that are crucial for overcoming social divisions in times of polarization and democratic disconnection.
