Conflict reminds us of our humanness and gives us an opportunity to stop and look around. What is happening? What is changing? What opportunities are available to us? Without conflict, life would be static, never changing and simply boring.
John Paul Lederach reflects on the life-giving opportunities and continuity of conflict in his definition of Conflict Transformation.
Conflict transformation is 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, The Little Book of Conflict Transformation.
Listen to interview with John Paul Lederach
As has been stated, conflict is a normal and natural part of life. We experience it on all our relationships, in our families, at our work, in church and in the communities in which we live.
While we tend to view conflict as a destructive force, we can also view conflict as a healthy experience leading to positive and constructive change.
Conflict is a motor of change that can lead to deeper interpersonal relationships, propel stagnant groups and organisations forward, and challenge and overturn injustice and oppression within a society. When conflict is viewed as an opportunity, it can help facilitate positive change.
Source: Lederach, John Paul. The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. Intercourse, Pennsylvania: Good Books, 2003.
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