CONFLICT MANAGEMENT, PREVENTION AND RESOLUTION

By Ifeanyi Peters

INTRODUCTION
Conflict is a situation in which people, groups or countries are involved in serious disagreement or argument. Conflict is a necessary process of life. Within the individual, there is always conflict of thoughts, choice and interest, to mention but a few. This is known as intra-personal conflict. This not only makes decision taking difficult, but also has been identified as one of the major sources of stress. On the other hand, the inter-personal conflict occurs between individuals, states, groups and organi ations or members of an organi ation, groups and states. Conflicts can also be either constructive or destructive. Whenever disagreement arises, we say there is a conflict. While conflict is universal and occurs naturally, crisis !or violence" is almost always the key by-product of conflicts. #f conflict is properly managed or resolved, there will be peace. #f on the other hand, resolution and reconciliation fail, the conflict will degenerate to chaos, crisis or war.

STAGES OF CONFLICT
There are four established stages of escalation of conflicts to crisis$ %. DISPUTE (or Latent) STAGE$ when there is a bitter argument, but no fi&ed position taken. Conflict situation e&ists, but not yet recogni ed. '. POLARISATION (or Perceived) STAGE$ When bitter arguments still go on and fi&ed positions are becoming discernible. We say conflict situation is recogni ed at this stage. (. SEGREGATION (or Tension) STAGE$ When the disputants have taken fi&ed positions that cannot be compromised and they are ready to fight to maintain their positions. ). DESTRUCTION (or Manifest) STAGE$ The disputants take steps which are usually violent, to maintain their positions. #t is important to note that conflict is not the only factor responsible for crisis*violence and that crisis*violence is not just limited to breaking of limbs and bones and spilling

of blood. #n fact, violation of various constitutional and civil rights of individuals !and groups" constitute violence against these persons. Thus apart from physical violence, we have$ - +ocial ,iolence !social ine-uality. denial of right to education, etc." - /conomic ,iolence !state-induced poverty, etc" - /nvironmental ,iolence !noise, degradation, pollution, etc" - 0ental*1sychological !keeping one in-communicado, etc" - +e&ual ,iolence !rape, weird se&ual practices, etc" - ,erbal ,iolence !foul and aggressive language, curses, etc" - Cultural ,iolence !unfair and discriminatory cultural practices, etc" - #ntellectual ,iolence !plagiarism, using the intellect to glorify violence" - 2omestic ,iolence !child abuse, spouse battering, etc"

CAUSES OF CONFLICTS AND CRISIS

3ll over the world, conflicts, crisis and violence are midwifed by inordinate desires for political and economic advantages, greed, ego-related problems and plain mischief. #njustice and ine-uitable distribution of resources cause resentments, which invariably give rise to conflict situations. These factors are at play in contemporary 4igeria.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
This deals on how to control or manage an e&isting conflict so that it does not escalate, thereby leading to chaos, crisis and war. 3t this, efforts are made to ensure that constructive conflicts do not degenerate and become destructive, in which case they will be difficult to manage. Conflict management differs from Peace !i"din#, which aims to prevent conflicts from even arising in the first place, by engaging individuals, groups, parties and stakeholders in processes that enhance peaceful coe&istence outside conflict situations.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

This deals with settlement of conflict that may have already taken shape. #t can be by reconciliation or alienation. Conflicts should be resolved before they get to the destruction !or action" phase.

MET$ODS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION

There are two major classes or methods of resolving conflicts. %. 5egular 2ispute 5esolution '. 3lternative 2ispute 5esolution

REGULAR DISPUTE RESOLUTION

This includes the regular system of reporting a case to the police, getting the offender prosecuted, convicted and sentenced. #t also covers civil litigations. This is basically by litigation in court, that is, through legal process. 6nder this system, the winner takes it all. There is always a winner*loser ending.

ALTERNATI%E DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR)

3s its name implies, this includes the methods that are alternative to the regular system. #n this type of dispute resolution strategy, people are encouraged to go for a win-win solution !instead of a win-lose or lose-lose situation".

T&PES OF ADR
AR ITRATION$ The parties appoint a neutral person*body to adjudicate on their differences. The resolution !award" is enforceable by a court of law. 7owever. the procedure is different from the usual court process. MEDIATION$ the parties appoint a neutral person who will guide them in their resolution of the conflict. The mediator does not adjudicate or give judgment. 0ediation is guided by negotiation. The mediator is not a party to the negotiation but a contributory observer. NEGOTIATION$ The parties meet without a third party and work at resolving their conflict. One very popular negotiation strategy !especially at the international and diplomatic levels" is the $arvard Ne#otiation Pro'ect. This strategy has the following ( cornerstones$ - +eparate the people from the problem

- 8ocus on interests not positions - 9enerate a variety of possibilities before deciding on what to do - #nsist on some objective standards

MEDIATING IN A CONFLICT
:earing in mind that the essence of mediation is to reconcile the disputants, as well as maintain or improve on their social relationship, the mediator must not do or say anything that can escalate the conflict. 8urthermore, the mediator has no authority to lay down decisions or enforce verdicts. 7e should therefore not force his opinion on the disputants. )$AT A MEDIATOR MUST DO 7e*+he must$ - 0aintain neutrality - :e diplomatic but honest - :e kind and friendly but firm, calm and disciplined, patient and optimistic - Treat contenders as matured e-uals and give each person an opportunity to e&press him*her self in a calm manner and controlled environment - :e a good listener and observer - Withdraw as soon as you become emotionally involved - :e confident - ;now when to withdraw. )$AT A MEDIATOR MUST NOT DO 7e*+he must not$ - 3ccept any form of gratification from any of the disputants - +tretch the issues - 2iscuss the issues with any of the disputants in the absence of other party - 0ediate on matters he has personal interest in, prejudice or bias against - 3ssume authority or pass judgment - 2abble into any conflict without invitation - 5ecount what you heard somewhere else - Call the attention of the law enforcement agent*agency to the conflict - 3dvise them to go to court.

STEPS TO PROPER MEDIATION

- 5emember that all conflicts are all about power - Take into consideration the cause and urgent purpose of each conflict. What people want to accomplish through a conflict has to be understood properly and taken seriously - Take into cogni ance the e&tended and complicated series of happenings - Observe and consider the actions and reaction of the people involved - +elect details and choose your words carefully.

)$& RESOL%E CONFLICTS

There should be sincere and continuous dialogue amongst all stakeholders where issues threatening peaceful coe&istence should be resolved. #t is always better to talk over it than to fight over it. 3ccording to a special report by the World :ank, crisis and violence arising from unresolved conflicts have very high costs, destroying past development gains and leaving a legacy of damaged assets and corrosive mistrust that impedes future progress. Conflicts, crisis and violence beget more conflicts, crisis and violence. They destroy our present and our future. They are ill winds that do not blow anybody any good. 3nd while conflicts are natural and even crisis to a lesser e&tent, we can minimi e and manage conflicts and by so doing eliminate crisis*violence or reduce them to an insignificant minimum.

$O) NOT TO RESOL%E CONFLICTS

1eople should also appreciate that the optimal conflict resolution strategy is problem solving*collaboration !that is, looking for mutually satisfactory solution" as against$ - Withdrawal * 3voidance !neutrality, avoiding the conflict" - +moothing * 3ccommodation !ignoring the conflict" - 8orcing * Competition !confrontation, win or lose" - Compromising !which fails to satisfy either party"

RECONCILIATION
3nother important element in conflict resolution is 5econciliation, it is an activity within the practice of conflict resolution and focuses on transforming relationships at the personal level and therefore refers to reconciliation as a process. #t is rooted in the theological tradition as well as psychological concepts of reconciliation but does not refer to specific programme activities.

5econciliation is a Christian concept, but it is also found in many other religions and takes on different characteristics in different cultures. Co-e&isting in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society like ours there is the need to e&plore some of the diverse approaches to reconciliation. 7earing other traditions and faith perspectives on reconciliation and forgiveness often helps us understand our own tradition more fully. Rit!a" is commonly used in reconciliation process because it is a powerful way of recogni ing important events, employing multiple senses, and linking us to the past, present or even the future. The symbols used in rituals are able to convey much more meaning than words often are. 8or e&ample, lighting a candle is a powerful symbol of warmth and life that can change the ambience of an entire room without saying a word. We have simple rituals, such as how we greet each other and eat our meals, and more elaborate rituals, like funerals among others. +ome rituals for reconciliation are e&plored in the various tradition discussed below. Christianity 7ere Christ is placed centrally in the reconciliation process, Christ embodies the promise of 9ods reconciliation, which Christians try to follow. 6nderstanding how reconciliation occurs varies across Christian groups, the Catholics promotes the role of the victim in initiating reconciliation and offering forgiveness based on a restored relationship with 9od, whereas a more protestant perspective emphasi es that the process needs to start with the offender asking for forgiveness. 3nother way to understand reconciliation within Christianity is to focus on restoring relationships, there are four dimensions of relationships in which reconciliation occurs$ spiritual, personal, social, and ecological. /ach dimension must be addressed in order to achieve full reconciliation. S*irit!a"+ The spiritual dimension refers to creating harmony and restoring broken relationship with 9od. This relationship is central to the other relationships$ an individual needs to restore his or her relationship with 9od before moving on to restoring other relationships. Persona"+ The second dimension involves reconciling with the <self.= #n Christianity, renouncing personal sinfulness to 9od leads to forgiveness. When forgiveness is received, it is e&pect to lead to personal tran-uility, peace, and harmony > reconciliation with the self. Socia"+ 5econciling with those around us, our neighbors and the larger human community, is a third dimension. We need to restore relationships with our neighbors

and larger community to reflect justice, mercy, respect and love. 5elationships here reflect reconciliation at the other dimensions. if we are not spiritually or personally reconciled, it is unlikely that we be able to achieve social reconciliation. Eco"o#ica"+ The fourth dimension of reconciliation can be called reconciling with nature. 8rom a Christian perspective, this dimension recogni es that humans cannot be fully reconciled with 9od while disrespecting and abusing 9ods creation. 5econciliation at this level calls for respect of and care for nature and ecological system in which we live. Christian tradition employs different rituals that involve scriptural reflection, prayer, and songs among others to achieve reconciliation, but based on the principle of the respect of the dignity of the human person as the image of 9od. Islam 5econciliation and forgiveness are also e&plored in #slam and the ;oran. One of the most powerful uses of reconciliation in #slam is linked to two rituals$ sulh, or settlement, and musalaha, or reconciliation. Sulh is a ritual that consists of three stages, which incorporates musalaha. #n the first stage the families of the victim and offender choose respected mediators ! muslihs". #n the process, they publicly acknowledge that a crime is committed. The second stage is the reconciliation or musalaha itself. 7ere, the mediators work to produce a pardon and settlement. #n the process, the honour and dignity of both parties need to be upheld and restored. #t is important that both parties retain respect within the community even while a crime is acknowledged > this is particularly important because large groups of the community are involved, not just individuals as often is the case in western, individual cultures. #n the third stage, a public ritual is held that brings the community together as the main guarantor of the forgiveness. The public ceremony of sulh includes four stages$ !%" the act of reconciliation. !'" the parties shaking hands under the supervision of the mediators. !(" the family of the offender visiting the home of the victim to drink a cup of bitter coffee. and !)" the offenders family hosting a meal. The ritual of sulh does not necessarily emphasise either the victim or offender?s role in initiating the process, but does emphasise using a third party to help facilitate the process. #n this way, community relations are maintained and honour is preserved for both parties. 5ituals, such as sulh, can be very powerful for acknowledging and

resolving a grievance, and allow the victim and offender, and their families to resume some kind of relationship. @udaism, :uddhism and other religions including 3frican traditional religion have their own perspective on reconciliation, which is vital to conflict resolution.

This paper was presented by Ifeanyi Peters, Monitoring Officer Justice, Development and Peace Commission JDPC! "agos, at a #or$shop on Conflict resolution organi%ed by &igeria &etwor$ of &on'(overnmental Organisations &&&(O! held at The Institute of Medical )esearch and Training, *iode building College of Medicine, +niversity College ,ospital +C,! Ibadan, on Thursday, March -.th /00.1