Description
Despite the need to replace distrust with dialogue, leading trust-building theories in International Relations have focussed on how to build trust between adversaries. Drawing upon conceptualisations of distrust as distinct, but related to trust, we argue that the trust-building assumption fails to recognise the importance of distrust-reduction as a distinct area of academic and policy inquiry. Noting the absence of trust does not equate to distrust, we develop a Distrust-Ambivalence-Trust model to show actors can transition from relationships of complete distrust to shared appreciation of vulnerability by engaging in an empathic dialogue.
