UNDERSTANDING

CONFLICT
Confict Resolution
Banto
HI Unpar - 8 Feb 2014

Key Concepts

Actors Individuals, groups and institutions

who contribute to conflict/affected by conflict
(+ or
Causes Factors that contribute to peoples
grievances
Structural (pervasive factors that have become
built into policies, structures or fabric of society eg
corruption, ethnicity
Proximate (factors contributing to a climate
conducive to violent conflict e.g. landlessness,
unemployment,
Triggers (single key acts, events or their
anticipation that will set off violent conflict e.g.
rigging of elections
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Continued

Violent conflict resort to psychological or

physical force to resolve a disagreement

Conflict prevention Actions, policies,

procedures or institutions intended to avoid
the threat or use of armed conflict.

Conflict sensitivity understanding the

context in which you operate, understanding
the interaction between your intervention
and the context and avoid negative impacts
and promote positive impacts
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Cont

Context operating environment

Humanitarian Assistance
Activities designed to rapidly
reduce human suffering in
emergency situations
Positions Actors stances on
key and emerging issues in a
given context
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Conflict Management
The identification and control of conflict
within an organization. There are three
main philosophies of conflict management:
1. all conflict is bad and potentially
destructive;
2. conflict is inevitable and managers
should attempt to harness it positively;
3. conflict is essential to the survival of an
organization and should be encouraged.
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Conflict Transformation
Self-images, relationships, and social
structures improve as a result of conflict
instead of being harmed by it. Usually
this involves transforming perceptions
of issues, actions, and other people or
groups

Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution is defined as the
processes by which the system
handles
and resolves conflicts within the
system,
and between the system and the
community. E.g negotiations, legal
process, contracts.
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Arbitration
The hearing and determination of
a dispute by an impartial referee
agreed to by both parties. The
third party renders the final
decision labor or management
disputes
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Mediation

A negotiation to resolve differences that

is conducted by some impartial party.
Neutral party called to propose an
agreement
They gather information from both
parties
Filter the information
Strategically adds noise to it
Consults
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Litigation
Disagreement heard and decided by a judge or
jury in a court. The term "litigation" is sometimes
to distinguish lawsuits from alternate dispute
resolution methods such as "arbitration" in
which
a private arbitrator would make the decision, or
mediation which is a type of structured meeting
with the parties and an independent third party
who works to help them fashion an agreement
among themselves.
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Negative Peace
Negative peace is defined as a state requiring a set of social
structures that provide security and protection from acts of
direct physical violence committed by individuals, groups or
nations. The emphasis is ...on control of violence. The main
strategy is dissociation, whereby conflicting parties are
separated...In general, policies based on the idea of negative
peace do not deal with the causes of violence, only its
manifestations. Therefore, these policies are thought to be
insufficient to assure lasting conditions of peace. Indeed, by
suppressing the release of tensions resulting from social
conflict, negative peace efforts may actually lead to future
violence of greater magnitude.

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Positive Peace
Positive peace, is a pattern of cooperation and
integration between major human groups....[It] is
about people interacting in cooperative ways; it is
about social organizations of diverse peoples who
willingly choose to cooperate for the benefit of all
humankind; it calls for a system in which there
are
no winners and losers--all are winners; it is a state
so highly valued that institutions are built around
it to protect and promote it

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What is conflict?

Incompatibility between two or more persons or

groups

The incompatibility may be real or perceived.

Example of perceived conflict. Two children are
arguing about who will get an orange. Each says
she needs the entire orange, half will not do.
Further exploration of their interests as opposed
to their expressed positions or desired reveals
that one child wants the peel to make a cake
while the other wants the fruit to eat.

Conflict may be latent (it exists, but is not

expressed) or overt (expressed in actions or
words)
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What causes conflict?

Unmet needs for economic resources

or the perception that economic
resources are not distributed fairly
Unmet needs for safety, respect, and
participation in social life or a
perception of unjust relationships
Unmet needs for identity, culture,
religious values or a perception that
these are threatened
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How is conflict acted out?

Through words which may also include

the use of silence
Through actions which may include
avoiding, contending, or collaborating to
find mutually acceptable solutions
Through the creation of social institutions
that protect ones own interests or needs
at the expense of anothers
Through resistance to institutions that
deny ones own interests or needs
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What we DO with conflict.

C o n f lic t - - e n e r g y
N e g a tiv e
E x p r e s s e d d e s t r u c t iv e ly

V io le n c e
d e a th s
in ju r ie s
d e s tr u c tio n o f p r o p e r ty
e n v ir o n m e n ta l d a m a g e

P o s itiv e
E x p r e s s e d c o n s tr u c tiv e ly

P e r s o n a l/ p o litic a l/ s o c ia l c h a n g e
b e t t e r liv e s
b e tte r p e r s o n a l/s o c ia l r e la tio n s h ip s
b e tte r g o v e rn m e n t
b e t t e r s o c ia l o r g a n iz a t io n
g r e a te r s o c ia l ju s tic e

A d a p t e d f r o m " C a p a c it y B u ild in g W o r k s h o p s "

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Positive aspects of conflict

Directs attention to social injustices

that need to be addressed

Promotes needed change in social

organizations and systems

Can lead to creative problem solving

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Negative aspects of
conflict

Can lead to destructive

behaviors
Can tie up resources that
would be better spent on
creative activities
Feels painful to the parties

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What is violence?

Overt violence involves direct strikes

(verbal or non-verbal) against others;
is intended to do actual harm to the
other
Structural violence emerges out of
the creation of social structures and
institutions that deprive some people
of their rights and the ability to
satisfy their basic human needs
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Structural violence denies the needs of

individuals, communities, and nations in
one or more of the following areas:
Need for economic resources
Need for safety, respect, participation
Need for identity, culture, religious
values
Overt violence frequently emerges as a
response to the experience of structural
violence, which creates shame,
humiliation, and despair among victims

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Types of conflict
Conflicts present as
Inter- (between) Group (e.g: political parties,
religious/ethnic communities, interest groups, etc.)
Nations/States
and intra- (within)

Self (personal)

Group

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Spheres of Conflict
Whether from proximate or structural causes,
conflicts are played out at various spheres and
levels of intensity:
Personal (e.g. Substance abuse,
unemployment, lack of satisfaction of basic
needs)
Domestic (VAW, child abuse & neglect, rights
denial, poverty)
Community (negative ethnicity, rights denial,
marginalization
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Spheres of Conflict (cont.)

National: (Bad governance, divisive

politics, negative effects of
globalization, plunder of national
resources, lack of land policy)
International: Inequalities and
inequities in global governance
geopolitics, global warming)

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IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER THAT
Conflict

NOT EQUAL TO
Violence

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CONFLICT ANALYSIS
Systematic study of the profile, causes,
actors and dynamics of conflict.
To understand the background and history
of the situation as well as current events
To identify all the relevant groups
involved, not just the main obvious ones.
To identify factors and trends that
underpin conflicts.
To explore the root causes of the conflict.
Explore possibilities of peace
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Key questions for conflict

analysis

Profile
What is the political, economic and
social cultural context
What are the emergent political,
economic and social issues
What are the conflict prone areas
Is there a history?
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Causes

What are the structural causes

What are the proximate
causes
What are the triggers
What factors can contribute to
peace
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Actors

Who are the main actors

What are their interest, goals,
positions
What actors can be identified as
spoilers
What capacities for peace can be
identified
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Dynamics
What are the current
conflict
trends
What are the windows of
opportunity
What scenarios can be
developed
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(II) Conflict Tree

Poverty

Primary Parties

Injuries
History

Destruction
IDPs

Diseases

Secondary Parties
Death
Hatred

CORE Problem
Land
Root causes

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This is an analogy of a tree which shows key issues

involved in the conflict. The conflict tree helps to;

Stimulate discussion about causes and effects of

the conflict.
The parties to make decisions about priorities for
addressing conflict issues.

The conflict Tree enables mediators to see the

problem or
the issues on the surface. To enable the issues to be
addressed wholistically since the root causes will be
addressed. If the root causes are not addressed the
problem is likely to occur in the future.

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i. STAGES OF CONFLICT

1997

2002

2005

2008

2010

PRE-CONFLICT

POST-CONFLICT
-Reconstruction

Latent conflict

-Build r/ships

Below the surface

Tension, mistrust

OUT COME
-Death
-Displacement

CONFRONTATION

-Ceasefire

-open conflict
-surface
confrontational
-confrontational
behaviour

CRISIS
(peak of the conflict
-war

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(III) Force Field Analysis

Positive or Driving forces

Negative or restraining forces

This is a tool for analyzing both positive and negative forces in

a conflict.
The purpose;
To

identify those forces which either support or hinder a plan

of action or a desired change.
To

assess the strength of these forces

To

determine ways of increasing positive forces of decreasing 34

Contd..
The forced Field Analysis works from the premise
that whenever a party has good intentions, there
are other parties with bad intention. In any
innovation there are forces that support and forces
that oppose the innovation. It therefore means
that in any conflict situation, there are parties
that are perpetrators and there are those that
are against violence. A peace builder needs to
identify these positive and negative forces so
that proper strategies may be put in the right
places.

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STRATEGIES FOR PEACEBUILDING AND TRANSFORMATIO

THE PYRAMID

FEW

TOP
-Cabinet
-Donors
-Un
MIDDLE

-Military
-Academicians
-NGOs
-Religious leaders
-District leaders
--CBOs/NGOs

BOTTOM

-Local leaders/elders
-Women/Youth leaders

MANY

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PEACE BUILDING FROM BELOW

The Top Level peace building process is
expensive, not people driven, has timelines
and
involves outsiders.
The pyramids above show that it is easier to
transform the grass-root based communities
than
the top level actors.
Within rural communities, the people
themselves
should be facilitated to resolve their conflicts
through their home grown methods.
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POST CONFLICT RECONSTRUCTION

Physical damage is very noticeable; destruction of
buildings, displacement of individuals and
communities,
absence of public services and deaths.
Psychological damage is below the surface and is,
most
dangerous. This is usually ignored in favour of
physical reconstruction.
The principles that underpin the recovery process
should acknowledge the local cultures and way
of life as basic to all planning. People with their
diverse traditions need to be involved at all
levels and their expertise and resource is the
first priority. Any intervention should be based
on full consideration of the realities on the
ground.
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Practices and Methods

in international conflict resolution

Practices and Methods

in international conflict resolution
Diplomacy
Negotiation
Conciliation
Mediation
Arbitration
Adjudication
Intervention

Practices and Methods

in international conflict resolution
Diplomacy
Negotiation
Conciliation
Mediation
Arbitration
Adjudication
Intervention

Peace making
Peace enforcement
Peace keeping
Peace building
- from above
- from below
Reconstruction
Reconciliation
Conflict prevention
Crisis management

Practices and Methods

in international conflict resolution
Interactive conflict resolution
Unofficial diplomacy
Preventive diplomacy
Problem solving workshops
Open forum
Creative peacebuilding
Environmental peacebuilding
Truth and reconciliation commissions
Early warning systems

A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION

TRUTH
-Transparency
-Revelation
-Clarity

MERCY
-Forgiveness
-Compassion
-Support
RECONCILIATION

JUSTICE
-Equality
-Restitution
-Rights

PEACE
-Harmony
-Unity
-Respect
-Wellbeing
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PRINCIPLES OF PEACE BUILDING

COMPREHENSIVENESS: Peace building should be

comprehensive by encompassing all aspects of
human lives be they social, political, economic or
cultural.

INTERDEPENDENCE: Peace building is an all inclusive

activity that depends on all factors and actors in the
society. Peace is a group effort e.g. police &
community policing, involvement of churches, NGOs,
private/corporate sector.

SUSTAINABILITY: Local peace structures should be

maintained at all times even when there is harmony.

STRATEGIC: Peace building is a process whose

activities are planned towards achieving harmonious
co-existence of people
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