Sentence:  "You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to <WSD>negotiate</WSD> is forced to confront the issue." 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To confer with others in order to come to terms or reach an agreement.