From controversy to compromise - finding common ground in divisive times | interview w/ Albie Sachs

Whether in politics, at work or in private life, solving problems requires cooperation and compromise. It is not uncommon for different views and interests to clash; only compromises between all parties involved usually tend to bring about any lasting solution.
But in times of growing polarization, making concessions appears to have come out of fashion, even though this is a prerequisite for finding solutions for (seemingly) intractable conflicts. Certain pioneering political processes would never have come about without a willingness to compromise. So how can we find common ground despite opposing views today? And how can journalists cover divisive issues when the audiences they report for are polarized and unwilling to make concessions?
Albie Sachs, former South African Constitutional Court judge (1994-2009), began practicing as an advocate at the Cape Bar at the age of 21, defending people charged under the racial statutes and security laws of apartheid. He endured detention in solitary confinement, leading to exile in England where he earned a PhD and worked in Mozambique, where apartheid agents blew him up. Following his return, he played a crucial role in drafting South Africa's democratic constitution until the first democratic elections in 1994. He is now a board member of the Constitution Hill Trust, promoting constitutionalism and the rule of law. His works as an author include "The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs" and "We, the People: Insights of an Activist Judge.
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