- Empowerment is the shift from weakness to strength: when parties regain clarity, confidence, and agency over their decisions. Conflict often leaves people feeling helpless and confused; empowerment means they recover their capacity to act deliberately and articulate their own perspective, rather than relying on the mediator or reacting defensively.
- Recognition is the shift from self-absorption to responsiveness—when parties become more open, attentive, and understanding of each other’s perspectives.
These two are meant to create a virtuous cycle: the more empowered one becomes, the more capable they are of recognizing the other, and vice versa.