Conflict Transformation

I. Dealing with Conflict

Conflict is essentially an aberration of relationship. Conflict resolution is actually restoration of relationship. When we adopt methods that are by nature ‘exclusive’, to resolve, it turns conflict into violent and bitter experience of win / lose kind. When we handle conflict by means of ‘inclusive’ methods, conflict turns into creative experience.

Conflict is unavoidable, integral part of life. Hence, instead of running away from it, let’s take it up proactively.

The process of pro-actively taking on the conflict can be as follows:

1. Scan the conflict to find out which of the factors is defective and particularize the issue. That will help you deal with the problem without hurting the person much.

2. In a conflict all the factors stated above (in section XIII) come into play. Each factor has two options: one is positive another negative. For instance,

a. The ‘alter’ can be viewed as your antagonist or partner in life; the first view is likely to embitter the conflict and the latter may ease tension.

b. Means: right and wrong means are available as options. (you can either persuade the opponent or coerce; you can educate him to understand and cooperate or compel him to submit these or options available. The first is nonviolent and the later one is violent) The outcome is in correspondence with the means we choose.

c. This way, methods: for example: you have decided to speak to the other person, ie., you have taken the ‘verbal’ means. Verbal means can be ‘persuasive’ and ‘polite’ or ‘coercive’ and challenging. These are methods… The outcome is in correspondence with the method we choose.

d. This way all the twelve factors has two options: one is positive and inclusive and the other negative and exclusive. The outcome is in correspondence with the means we choose. The outcome of conflict is in correspondence with the nature of the factors we chose.

3. We saw that conflict has to be proactively handled, actively dealt with. Few conflicts and conflicts on few occasions has to be dealth with ‘non-action too. We can understand this through the ‘Four ‘A’ method: Avoidance, Accommodation, Analysis and Activation.

II. Avoidance

Many a while we prioritize our life and ignore some irritants in life. That is prudence. For eg. we would avoid quarrelling with the rickshaw puller who demands more than agreed upon amount if we are on our way to an interview and there is hardly any time. Such avoidance of conflict benefits us.

Grown up and seasoned professionals adopt this methodology. They solve the problem by not fighting it out. For, they keep the negative catalysts such as anger, enmity out of bay as they can lead only to detrimental end. For an accomplished shop-keeper even a misbehaving buyer is not an enemy, but a partner with whom, he cannot fight, and he would not fight.

Generally, common sense says that, one does not fight with people who are not their match (old war ethics : swordsman fights with swordsman, horseman with horseman…), don’t quarrel with young children, neither with very old people, nor with the lunatic, or those illogical and brutal. They always succeed in making you behave one like them)

 III. Accommodation:

Those conflicts that cannot be actively solved (those endemic and inherent conflicts) can be accommodated, cohabited. For example, alcoholism is an immoral behavior. In India once, it was totally banned. Some of the states found quite a few people violate this ban. Police and Judiciary action could not set the problem right. Those States later decided to solve this problem by accommodating it. They lifted the ban and now Drinking is no more a law and order problem.

Another part of Accommodation is Assimilation.

These are subtle tools that enable us to handle minor irritants.

IV. Analysis:

Analysis begins with introspection (conversation with oneself)

Introspection helps us identify what is the defective factor in a conflict, what is our share in it, and what is our role in it.

Introspection makes us logical and reasonable and enable the other view us as ‘sensible’. Introspection also helps us avoid the ‘spurt’ of the moment which invariably manifest in aggressive and violent way, triggering the conflict to spiral. That is why people say if there is any conflict first count 1 to 10 and then respond.

Introspection can be done only if we have our positive catalysts purified and negative ones purged (or caged at least). The tools of reasoning – the mind and heart need to be kept clean and the eye (sharp observation) and ear (keep listening) too so that it can process the information (contention) available in the warmth of the values that bind us with the larger and desirable goal.

The second part of analysis is in association with the other party or in the company of the third party which come as part of Action. Identifying the other party, interested parties (third and neutral parties), the strength and weakness of the other party; means of communication, the language, mode…, action to correspond our communication.

Analysis helps us identify: the actual Cause; the parties (core person, associating persons, incidental partners; the faults, weakness, compulsions…); the reasons; intentions. Analysis also helps us to identify Questions to Be asked:

 1. Is : Is the FIR correct?

 2. Who: who is the core person; associated persons and incidental partners? Who: who are the witnesses, neutral and partial?

3. What: What is the reason: actual; perceived; implanted reasons?

What are the Structural / contributory reasons /

What is the spill over?

 What is the intention?

 4. Why : Why is the attack?

5. When: When is the attack? Timing

 V. Activation - I: Creative Conflict

Once the cause is identified and if it lies with the other party, then it is essential we activate the conflict.

1. Inform the other party that you perceive a conflict and what is Alter’s stand on that

2. Listen to the Alter’s view carefully and based on the new data introspect once again to see if your perception of conflict is realistic or what

3. Clarify the ambiguity

4. Fix the issue

5. goal setting, means identification

6. encapsulate

7. fractionate

8. persuade, negotiate, mediate

9. bargain

10. adjudicate, arbitrate

11. constant introspection

12. Re-instate the common goal, ensure defeat is not the goal, but welfare is.

VI. Activation - II: Constructive Dissolution:

Structural Conflict and Structural causes of Direct Conflict can be dealt only by means of structural intervention. Development campaigners, HR campaigner (including knowledge empowerment) are actually fighting against what are structural conflicts.

Gandhi stated that satyagraha (creative conflict) and constructive programmes (structural redressal) are like two wings of a bird. They are equally important to bring the society up to a healthy habitable status.

 A habitation with poor education facility, health guarantee, employment opportunity, one which suffers acute poverty, unemployment and illiteracy is more likely to fall into intense conflict more often than a society whose basic needs are well taken care of. Hence it is essential, when a society is facing endemic conflict, we need to initiate constructive programmes to lift up their social good so that they cease to be additional causes/frustration, and also stop creating the situation for conflict.

Prepared and shared By: D John Chelladurai, Prof. and Head, Dept of Gandhian Studies, MGM University; djohnchelladurai@gmail.com ; hod.gandhianstudies@mgmu.ac.in