HOW DO WE HANDLE

CONFLICTS?
ATTITUDE refers to parties’ perceptions and
misperceptions of each other and of themselves, e.g.
demeaning stereotypes, influenced by emotions.

• BEHAVIOR includes cooperation or coercion, gestures

signifying conciliation or hostility. Violent conflict
behavior is characterized by threats, coercion and
destructive attacks.

• CONTRADICTION refers to the underlying conflict

situation, which includes the actual or perceived
‘incompatibility of goals’ and means between the conflict
parties.
Conflict = A + B + C
• What is Conflict? (Johan Galtung)
• • A process through which two or more actors
• (parties) try to pursue incompatible goals while
• trying to undermine the goal-seeking potential of
• the others
• • Has a life cycle of its own (appears, reaches an
• emotional or even violent climax then tapers off
• and disappears and often reappears)
• Conflict has to do with incompatible goals and
means….
• Not About Incompatible Persons
 Myths About Conflicts
• Myth #1:Conflict is bad and can never lead to anything
• positive. While confrontation is a risk, it is often a
• learning experience for those involved.
• Myth #2: Conflicts are the result of clashing personalities.
• Personalities do not conflict, behaviours do! Different
• people can work together for years without having
• conflict - until their behaviour conflicts. Differentiating
• personality from behaviour makes conflict bearable
• because if conflict is based on personalities, we can do
• little else but tolerate it or kill the other.
• Myth #3:Conflict and anger go together. Conflict with
• people does not mean that there is anger involved. There
• are a whole range of emotions that surface in conflict
• situations.
• Mainstream Narrative in Conflict Theory
• *The Problem: there are evil forces out there waiting for their
time;
• *When time comes their evil is articulated as violence;
• *The Remedy: be strong enough to deter evil and crush it if
needed;
• *If strong enough there is a gift: security.
• Alternative Narrative in Conflict Theory
• *The Problem: there is a difficult unresolved conflict out there;
• *The conflict leads to frustration leading to aggression-
violence;
• *The Remedy: conflict resolution with empathy-
nonviolencecreativity;
• *If acceptable-sustainable-equitable enough there is a gift:
peace
 • Conflict

• is both

• A Threat and A Challenge

• Conflict is a relationship between two or more
parties
• (individuals or groups) who have, or think they have,
incompatible goals
• Violence consists of actions, words, attitudes,
structures or systems that cause physical,
psychological, social or environmental damage
and/or prevent people from their full human
potential.
• Conflict is Not Equal to Violence
• Whether the resolution requires negotiation,
mediation or some other process, taking direct
control over the potential outcome and the process
to reach it requires strong doses of leadership,
vision, determination, innovationand often,
courage.
• “It is often the failure to transform conflicts that
leads to violence”
How are Conflicts Handled
Today?

• Criminal court is after who is guilty

• Civil court is after who is liable

• The security sector is mainly after physical

safety and security

• Government addresses mostly peace and order

( Lawyers is said to have won many cases but not
conflicts?)
•Conflict Sensitivity
• Conflict Sensitivity is Raising our Antenna
Higher On CONFLICT (actual or potential)
• Ang Lihok ug Pamatasan adunay gidangatan/
sangpotanan/hingatoan.

• Unsa Kaha? (Unsa ang mahitabo kung?)

 • DNH
•A+ B = C

• Action and Behaviors have Consequences

(Ang atong Lihok ug Batasan naay

Gidangatan)
 7 Steps of Do No Harm
1) Understand the context of conflict (CA)
2) Analyse the divisive factors and the sources of
tensions (DNH)
3) Analyse the connecting/unifying factors and
capacities
for peace (DNH)
4) Analyze the (planned) project (DNH)
5) Analyze project impacts on the conflict context,
particularly on the divisive and unifying factors (DNH)
6) Possibly, seek other options for project activities
(DNH)
7) Examine alternatives and re-design project activities