Next: 2 About the Resource Pack
1 Understanding conflict
Central to this Resource Pack and the concept of conflict sensitivity is the definition of conflict.
Conflict is an ambiguous concept that takes on different meanings for different groups and in different contexts. In particular, conflict tends to be understood as a negative phenomenon, synonymous with violence. Within the framework of the Resource Pack, a broader and more positive approach to understanding conflict has been adopted: it regards conflict as a natural multidimensional phenomenon that is typically indicative of change within society. In this sense, the issue of prevention will focus primarily on the prevention of violent conflict, or the need to strengthen structures, processes and mechanisms within society that enable the peaceful and constructive management of differences.
Conflict occurs when two or more parties believe that their interests are incompatible, express hostile attitudes or take action that damages other parties’ ability to pursue their interests. It becomes violent when parties no longer seek to attain their goals peacefully, but resort instead to violence in one form or another.
Violent conflicts are thus not inevitable, nor do they happen overnight; conflict is a dynamic process, which may take differing forms and run through various stages of escalation and de-escalation, resulting from the complex combination and overlap of the various causes of conflict (see Chapter 2). The Resource Pack is concerned with the spectrum of conflict intensity from structural violence to violent conflict (see Box 1).
| Conflict is a complex term that is often used interchangeably with
‘violence’. The Resource Pack approach understands conflict as a
“multi-dimensional social phenomena1” essential to social change, and
transformation. Conflict may be violent or latent; the latter is often
referred to as structural violence. Violent conflict is used to describe acts of open hostility. In conflict theory it is but one stage of a dynamic conflict cycle, which may proceed from a situation of tensions, escalation, crisis phase (manifestations of violence), possibly resulting in a stalemate or de-escalation. A de-escalation may lead to a settlement/resolution and reconstruction/reconciliation, or alternatively to an unstable peace. Latent conflict is used to describe situations of tensions, which may escalate into violence. One form of latent conflict is structural violence, defined by Galtung to describe situations where unequal, unjust and unrepresentative structures prevent humans from realising their full potential, thus extending the definition of violence beyond direct physical harm to the organization of society2. Note: Chapter 2 builds on this spectrum of conflict intensity and describes the various causes of conflict. |
Next: 2 About the Resource Pack
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