Room for negotiation on mosque

January 13, 2017

The controversy over the siting of a mosque in Basking Ridge will probably continue despite the costs–and limitations–of litigation.  It’s sad, because the conflict is “ripe” for a negotiated settlement.  The parties have an opportunity to step away from a lawsuit’s adversarial positioning  and attempt to work out a resolution that can meet their interests.  The process of devising a solution they can live with, moreover, provides an opportunity to mend fences, to reach for a more profound outcome than simply settling the lawsuit.  The conflict, after all, is one within a community, among neighbors who will continue to live side by side.  A win/loss outcome, which is what litigation provides, will not help to heal this community.

We are in a time, unfortunately, where divisiveness rather than cooperation is the prevailing ethos.  But, perhaps Basking Ridge can rise to the need of the moment–a solution arrived at in good faith negotiations.

Linda Stamato and Sandy Jaffe, co-directors of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University

nj.com, January 12, 2017

Recent Posts

Heldrich Report Examines Effect of New Jersey TAG Program

Researchers from the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development analyzed the impact of financial aid on student success. A new report, Building a Comparison Group for Tuition Aid Grant Recipients Using the New Jersey Statewide Data System, examines the effect of the...

NJSPL: Report of Child Well-Being in New Jersey

by Angie Nga Le The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its 36th Kids Count Data Book, providing updated insights into the well-being of children in New Jersey and across the nation[1]. The report assesses child well-being in all 50 states using 16 key indicators...

Elizabeth (Libby) Vinson (MPAP ’02) Named CEO of NJACP

From New Jersey Business Magazine, July 15, 2025 Vinson Named CEO of NJ Association of Community Providers The New Jersey Association of Community Providers (NJACP), Ewing, the statewide not-for-profit organization that represents community-based providers who care...

From Fear to Freedom and Hope: Rafael Escalante (UG PP ’26)

Pursuing a college education and the American dream, Rafael Escalante departed the embattled South American nation and made his way to New Jersey Rafael Escalante escaped politically motivated persecution as a teenager in Venezuela to find his place – and a brighter...

NJSPL: Mapping Corporate Landlords in New Jersey

by Eric Seymour As part of our ongoing research project supported by the New Jersey State Policy Lab, we are examining the growth of corporate ownership in the state’s small residential property market. Our focus is on 1- to 4-unit properties, which, in addition to...