Conflict Transformation as envisioned by John Paul Lederach is to view conflict as normal and continuous and an opportunity for transformative and constructive change. In order to do this, he suggests, we must learn to view conflict through three different lenses.
Lens 1: We need to look at conflict and see the immediate situation. What are the immediate problems and expressions of the conflict? What is happening now?
Lens 2: We need to look at conflict and see the underlying patterns and context. What is the nature and history of the relationships involved? Over time, how has the conflict been expressed or changed?
Lens 3: Finally, we need to be able to look at conflict and see a framework that connects lens 1 and lens 2. How can we address the immediate situation and problems while at the same time address the deeper underlying issues?
The goal of Conflict Transformation is to end something destructive and to create something we mutually desire.
Watch the video clip above and view it using the three lenses of Conflict Transformation. What is the immediate conflict situation? What might the underlying relationship and issues look like? In what context is the current episode of conflict being played out? How can we address the current conflict situation, but also look at the deeper overall context in which the conflict is taking place?
Source: Lederach, John Paul. The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. Intercourse, Pennsylvania: Good Books, 2003.
Next: Bound Together or Divided through Conflict?
Further Reading:
Essay by John Paul Lederach on Conflict Transformation
No comments:
Post a Comment