Conflict processes...

Conflict resolution and transformation I

Wednesday October 13 2010

Lecture 6: Conflict Resolution and Transformation I

PS 2A03: Conflict Transformation

Dr Colin Salter, Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University

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 Outline

• Terminology • Conflict Maps

• ABC Triangle • The Onion

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 Practitioners and scientists in the field of conflict
studies often use key terms in loose and opposing
ways, mirroring the reality that concepts have not been
clearly defined.

Ruth Mischnick (no date)

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 Terminology.

...there is a definitive conception of ‘conflict

transformation’ and a clear distinction between that
term and other terms used to describe modes of
addressing conflict, primarily ‘settlement’, ‘management’,
and ‘resolution’. However this is not the case at all...

E. Franklin Dukes (1999)

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 Terminology

• Conflict Management • Conflict Settlement

• Conflict Prevention • Conflict Transformation
• Conflict Resolution • Peacebuilding

Berghof-Handbook for Conflict Transformation (2004)

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 Conflict resolution

Activities undertaken over the short term and medium

term dealing with and aiming at overcoming, the deep-
rooted causes of conflict, including the structural,
behavioural, or attitudinal aspects of the conflict. The
process focuses more on the relationships between the
parties than the content of a specific outcome.

Berghof-Handbook for Conflict Transformation (2004)

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 Conflict Transformation

A generic, comprehensive term referring to actions and

processes which seek to alter the various
characteristics and manifestations of conflict by
addressing the root causes of a particular conflict over
the long term.

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 Conflict Transformation

It aims to transform negative destructive conflict into

positive constructive conflict and deals with structural,
behavioural and attitudinal aspects of conflict. The term
refers to both the process and the completion of the
process.

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 Conflict Transformation

As such, it incorporates the activities of processes such

as Conflict Prevention and Conflict Resolution and goes
farther than Conflict Settlement or Conflict
Management.

Berghof-Handbook for Conflict Transformation (2004)

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 Terminology

...resolution carried with it a danger of co-option, an

attempt to get rid of conflict when people were raising
important and legitimate issues. It was not clear the
resolution left room for advocacy.... ‘Is this resolution
idea just another way to cover up the changes that are
really needed?’

John Paul Lederach (2003)

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 Johan Galtung (2000)

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 ABC Triangle

Conflict work on Attitudes and Behaviour is a band aid.

Johan Galtung (2000)

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 ABC Triangle

Empathy nonviolence and creativity are the conflict

workers approach to ABC-triangles
Johan Galtung (2000)

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 ABC Triangle

Addressing attitudes is important as it helps people

become aware of and better understand the
contradictions. The more profoundly a contradiction is
understood, the easier it is to come up with creative
solutions to overcome it
Magdalena Anna Cruz (2006)

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 Conflict Transforms

[Conflict] transforms events, the relationships in which

conflict occurs, and indeed its very creators. It is a
necessar y element in transformative human
construction and reconstruction of social organization
and realities.
John Paul Lederach (2003)

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 Transforming conflict

...to envision and respond to the ebb and flow of social

conflict as life giving opportunities for creating constructive
change processes that reduce violence, increase justice in
direct interaction and social structures and respond to real
life problems in human relationships.
John Paul Lederach (2003)

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 John Paul Lederach (2003)

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 Fisher et al ((2000)

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 Summary

• Terminology • Conflict Maps

• ABC Triangle • The Onion

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 Citations & further reading I

Magdalena Anna Cruz (2006) Applying the ABC Conflict Triangle to the Protection of
Children’s Human Rights and the Fulfillment of their Basic Needs: A Case Study Approach,
Masters Thesis, European University Centre for Peace Studies Stadtschlaining/Burg,
Austria. Available online at http://www.aspr.ac.at/epu/research/Czyz.pdf

Simon Fisher, Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, Jawed Ludin, Richard Smith, Steve Williams and
Sue Williams (2000) Working With Conflict: Skills and Strategies for Action, New York:
Zed Books

Johan Galtung (2000) Conflict Transformation by Peaceful Means (The Transcend

Method), United Nations Disaster Management Training Program.

John Paul Lederach (2003) The Little Book of Conflict Transformation, Good Books
Publishers.

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 Citations & further reading II

Ruth Mischnick (no date) Nonviolent Conflict Transformation,Training Manual for a trainer
of trainser course, Centre for Training and Networking in Nonviolent Action – KURVE
Wustrow (and others).

Various (2004) Berghof-Handbook for Conflict Transformation, Berghof Conflict

Research, available online at — http://www.berghof-handbook.net/

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 Image sources
Dave Boldingers Cartoons & Stuff —
http://www.dbaldinger.com/opinion_cartoons/second_page/dear_world.html

James Garvin Ellis. Rodney Powell (standing) talks with other sit-in participants at Walgreens drugstore in Nashville,
Tennessee, Friday March 25, 1960 — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_sit-ins

Marc Riboud. Jan Rose Kasmir, protest against the Vietnam War outside the Pentagon, Arlington County,Virginia, Saturday,
21 October 21, 1967 — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Rose_Kasmir

Shaney Komulainen. Canadian soldier Patrick Cloutier and Saskatchewan Native Brad Laroque alias 'Freddy Kruger'
come face to face in a tense standoff at the Kahnesatake reserve in Oka, Quebec, Saturday September 1, 1990 —
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oka_Crisis

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