INTRODUCTION TO PEACEMAKING AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION | Servants University

Conflict is everywhere

Conflict is everywhere. Literally. You are either in a conflict now, coming out of a conflict, or ready to enter into one. Humans are relational beings. We live through relationships. All our relationships succumb to conflict, even the relationship with God!

We have conflict with a spouse or significant others, parents, siblings, friends, relatives, coworkers, bosses, government, conflict with God, conflict with everybody. Sometimes, people even have conflict with non-human things!

Life is relational. Our ability to enjoy life depends significantly on our peacemaking abilities. Without excellent peacemaking skills, life will be miserable. This course is aimed at equipping you with life skills for peacemaking, especially conflict transformation and effective negotiation.

What is Peace?

How the bible uses the word peace.

Peace in the Bible

If we are going to make peace Biblically, it is important to be clear about what Biblical peace means.

The word peace or its variant occurs at least 353 times in the NASB

Peace in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament (OT), the Hebrew word Shalom is used.

Shalom is a very important term in the OT. In fact, it has been described as “one of the most prominent theological concepts in the Old Testament.”

Shalom is used 237 times in the OT

What does shalom mean?

Shalom means more than the cessation or absence of conflict or hostility.

It means more than an emotional, psychological, or mental state.

It means Wholeness, completeness, personal welfare, personal health, peace, sound.

It refers to “a condition or sense of harmony, well-being, and prosperity.”

It refers to living “in tranquility,” “at ease,” unconcerned.”

It means to be whole.

Shalom means “Unharmed” and “unhurt.”

It refers to “ a state in which one can feel at ease, comfortable with someone else.

It describes a relationship of harmony and wholeness between two parties, which is the opposite of the state of strife and war (Ps. 120:7)

Shalom is a harmonious state of the soul and mind.

It is an internal and external state of being at ease.

Shalom refers to peace, a prosperous relationship between two or more parties.

It encompasses deliverance, preservation, salvation (Septuagint translation).

A related verb means to “repay” or “fulfill a vow,” and so refers to completing or repairing a relationship.

Shalom means “uninjured, safe, complete, peaceable.”

Shalom refers to “harmony between friends or allies, triumph in war, success in one’s endeavors, good health, and security.”

To go in ‘shalom’ means to go with an assurance of friendship and favor.

A treaty of shalom between two parties as in Joshua 9:15 meant that both parties promised to 1) stop hostilities and attack against the other 2) seek the other’s welfare and 3) help fight to defend the other if the other party were attacked

“God’s covenant of shalom with his people involves the assurance of an enduring relationship with the One who is our peace (Isa. 9:6; Mic. 5:5) and a pledge to protect their welfare and to abundantly bless them by His divine grace, wisdom, and power (Num. 25;12; Isa. 54:10; Ezek. 34:25; 37:26; Mal. 2.5)”

“Walking with the Lord in shalom and uprightness’ (Mal. 2:6) means to maintain harmony with Him by faith and obedience so as to enjoy his peace (cf. Number 6:26; Job 21:25; Ps. 125:5; Prov. 3:17; Isa. 48:18; 57:2; 59:8; cp. Luke 1:79”

Shalom is the opposite of the ultimate experience of the wicked (Isa. 48:22; 57:21; 59:8)

A sense of confident awareness that all is well (Gen. 15:15; 2 Kings 22:20; Ps. 4:8; Isa. 26:3)

Shalom is the salvation of the Lord spoken of in the OT (1 Kings 2:33; 1sa. 9:7)

Shalom is associated with the coming of the Lord, the covenant of grace, the Davidic covenant.

Peace in the New Testament (NT)

The word “eirene” is used.

“eirene” occurs in every book of the NT except 1 John.

It is used to translate shalom in the Septuagint.

Like Shalom in the OT, eirene meant more than just the absence of hostility, war, strife, disorder (1 Cor. 14:33).

It also meant more than a sense of confidence in God.

It meant “the condition and sense of being safe and secure.”

It painted a picture of the fruit of the work of the cross of Christ, his death, his resurrection, and his victory over sin.

It described a state of either physical or spiritual well-being.

Jesus used it as a blessing (Luke 24:36; John 14:27; 16:33).

The apostle Paul used it at the beginning of his letters.

It referred to Christ’s work to bring peace between God and man (Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20), peace between all who are in Christ (2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:3), and a state of being spiritually whole again (Rom. 14:17; Gal. 4:22).

The gospel is called “the gospel of peace.”

Peace in the Bible

The meaning of peace, as used in the Bible, is much deeper and broader than we often think of. It’s not merely the absence of conflict. It means more than that.

The Biblical meaning of peace has a lot to do with wholeness, completeness, and harmony of relationships within self, with others, with God and with the rest of the creation. It touches on the whole being, body, soul, and spirit.

What is peacemaking?

…based on the understanding of shalom …

Peacemaking is the ushering of God’s shalom, in all its fullness, into every aspect of life by relying on God’s grace. It is especially the creation, nurturing, repair, and maintenance of whole and harmonious life-giving relationships between self, others, God, and the rest of creation.

Peacemaking tills the soil, adds manure, waters the ground, plants the seed of life-giving harmonious relationships, and serves as the pruner in that garden of healthy relationships. Peacemaking cuts down any tree that doesn’t yield the fruits of peace and prunes those that do so that they yield even more fruit. Peacemaking doesn’t merely stop conflict; it creates an environment that fosters shalom in all it’s meanings and works in that environment to usher shalom into all relationships.

What is a Peacemaker?

A peacemaker is a person who trusts God and relies on His grace to usher God’s shalom in all its fullness into every aspect of life.

She is like a tree planted by the streams of the water of God’s grace. His root lies deep, and she draws continuously from the oceans of God’s grace. She produces fruit in season; its leaf does not wither but is always green year-round. The fruits she produces by continually drinking the waters of God’s grace and love are grace, mercy, love, wisdom, and the shalom of God. God is glorified that she is producing amazing fruit and so showing herself to be a disciple of Christ (John 15:8). She is only able to produce fruit because she is abiding in Jesus. She knows that without Jesus working in her and through her, she can do nothing by herself (John 15:1-11).

Jeremiah writes about this person like this:

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Psalm 1:1-3 explains how this person abides in the water of God’s grace.

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

What is Conflict?

The Bible says a lot about conflict. In fact, it is a conflict and peacemaking manual.

The Bible shows us many examples of conflict, the consequence of unresolved conflict, and offers principles for solving all types of conflict.

One of the principal themes that the Bible illustrates is conflict. The Bible shows us conflict between man and God, between humans, within families, within nations, and between nations. It even shows us conflict within individuals. In fact, the Bible story is the story of a conflict and its transformation. The conflict between Satan and God, then God and Adam. The rest of the story is a story of peacemaking and the transformation of that conflict. The high point of that transformation is the death and resurrection of Christ!

Examples of conflict in the Bible include:

Satan and God
Adam and Eve with God
Cain and Abel
Abraham and Lot
Jacob and Laban
Joseph and his brothers
Joseph and Potiphar (and his wife)
Jacob and Esau
Saul and David
The Israelites and the Philistines
The book of Esther illustrates several conflicts.
Paul and Barnabas
Brothers over diving inheritance (Luke 12:13-15).
The Corinthian believers

The list is endless.

Definitions of conflict

Some definitions of conflict:

“Conflict is a perceived incompatibility of interests, needs, and wants between individuals or groups.” ^[1]Berghof Foundation.

“Conflict is a difference in opinion or purpose that frustrates someone else’s goals or desires.” Ken Sande

“An expressed struggle between interdependent parties over goals which they perceive as incompatible or resources which they perceive to be insufficient.” Hocker & Wilmot

“Conflict is incompatible behavior between parties whose interests differ.” Unknown

“Social conflict is a relationship between two or more parties who (or whose spokesmen) believe they have incompatible goals.” Louis Kriesberg

“A state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash.” http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

“A psychic struggle, often unconscious, resulting from the opposition or simultaneous functioning of mutually exclusive impulses, desires, or tendencies.” http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

“A state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war.” http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Also, notice that conflict is not merely the presence of a difference in opinion, difference in goals or expectations, etc., Conflict only exists when such difference affects a relationship (either intrapersonal, interpersonal, or both).

Before I give you my definition of conflict, I first want to talk to you about four foundational relationships that we have and four foundational causes of conflict. Then we will return to my definition of conflict.

Four foundational relationships

…Humans are relational beings …

Like God, we Humans are relational beings. God lives as a trinity and is a relational being existing as one God in three persons. Because we have been made in God’s image, we are also relational beings. The truth about us being relational is a generally accepted truth in the social sciences. It is common practice in social sciences, particularly psychology and anthropology, to see humans viewed relational beings. In medicine, we talk about the biopsychosociospiritual model of health or the four dimensions of health.

Poverty and Conflict

Bryant Meyers, a Christian poverty alleviation expert, argued that “the nature of poverty is fundamentally relational.”^[2] Meyers wrote, “Poverty is a result of relationships that don’t work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings.”^[3] Myers pointed out that “The scope of sin affects every one of the five relationships that make up our lives: our relationship with ourselves, with our community, with those we call “other,” with our environment, and with God. Each of these broken relationships finds expression in the poverty systems we have covered earlier in this chapter.”^[4]

Click here to view a reproduction of a diagram from Meyers’ book showing the five relationships marred by sin and how they together contribute to keeping individuals poor.

I agree with Meyers that poverty is relational. His work brought a new paradigm to the field of poverty alleviation that allows practitioners to target the root causes of poverty, which are broken relationships. As one who has led a poverty alleviation organization since 2005, Meyers’ views made a lot of sense to me. My research and work with conflict transformation has led me to believe that like poverty, conflict is relational. The same five relationships described by Meyers that have been marred by sin are at the root of all conflict. The work of conflict transformation pioneers like John Paul Lederach and others emphasizes the importance of relationships in conflict transformation and indirectly strengthen this belief in me that conflict is a result of relationships that don’t work, not simply relationships with other humans but relationships with ourselves, God, and the rest of creation as well.

Following the biopsychosociospiritual model, I summarize the five relationships into four fundamental relationships that are our foundational relationships. Relationships with:

God
Others [those within our community and others, e.g. of a different race, country, etc.)
Self
Rest of material creation (environment, material resources, etc.)

The Bible illustrates all these four interdependent relationships that are the foundation of all of life.

I summarize these relationships into an acrostic I call MESS

Material – the managerial relationship we have with the material world.
Emotional + mental (psychological) – Relationship with self.
Social – Relationship with others.
Spiritual –Relationship with God.

*Note that all of these relationships, though foundational are not of the same importance. The spiritual relationship or relationship with God is the first and paramount relationship. It gives life to all others and controls the rest. It puts the other relationships in the right perspective. If the relationship with God is well, the rest will eventually fall in place.

My Definition of conflict

I view conflict as a poverty of relationship and define it as follows:

Conflict is an incompatibility in desires that leads to a poverty of shalom within interdependent relationships.

From my definition, we see conflict as a perceived incompatibility (difference) in heart desires. These desires are interests, needs, and wants. Desires can show up as expectations, goals, purposes, opinions, ideas, values, preferences, principles, mindsets, paradigms, roles, needs, etc. that are different or incompatible.

This incompatibility of desires must lead to a poverty or deterioration of shalom within an interdependent relationship.

Conflict involves incompatibility (difference) over what people want (desire) or over the means for them to achieve it. John wants A, whereas Mary wants B. If either both can’t have what they desire at all, or they can’t each have what they want to the degree that they would desire, conflict will arise.

Conflict is a phenomenon that only occurs between or among people who are in interdependent relationships. That is, who need each other to accomplish something. If they can get what they desire without each other, they may differ in how they do so, but they won’t come into conflict. If there were no interdependent relationships (even with self), conflict as we know it would not exist.

The conflict we see results from a poverty of shalom in relationships. In other words, conflict is a symptom of a poverty of relationships. Adapting Bryant Meyers’ poverty language to this situation, conflict is the result of “relationships that don’t work, that are not giving life, that are not harmonious and enjoyable. Conflict is the absence of shalom in all its meanings.”^[5]

Since interdependent relationships seem to be where conflict happens, is it possible to live outside of relationships so that one can avoid conflict? No. We need love and connection to live. Love is relational. Without it, a desirable life is not possible. C.S. Lewis once said, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” According to Lewis, even though relationships bring conflict with it, the cost of living without relationships is worse.

My definition of conflict as a “poverty of relationship” makes reconciliation and restoration of relationship a key goal of conflict resolution, which is how it should be. Peacemaking then should make much of teaching people how to form and maintain healthy life-giving relationships.

This requires emphasizing reconciliation (i.e., the restoration of friendly relations) over complete resolution of the details of a conflict. Sometimes, just getting to know the other person well and their interests can increase understanding and allows both parties to heal the poverty of shalom that existed within their interdependent relationship without actually making any changes to the issues of the conflict or the differences in desires that produced the poverty of shalom in the first place.

It’s important to remember that God’s universe is a diverse place. Everything has been created uniquely. The diversity and differences between us are here to stay. The differences between us don’t have to cause conflict. It’s how we manage the differences that causes conflict, not the differences themselves. In fact, as we will see later, when properly managed, conflict can provide many opportunities to do good and to produce superior results.

Four Primary Types of conflict

…deriving from the four fundamental relationships …

Acrostic is MESS

Material conflict – Conflict over the material things.
Emotional + mental (psychological) conflict – intrapersonal conflict (conflict within a person).
Social – Interpersonal/relational conflict
Spiritual – Spiritual conflict (Conflict with God)

These two can often be summarized into two types: Material and personal (relational) conflict. I.e., conflict over material things and conflict over relational/personal matters. More will be said about these later in this book.

Four Primary Causes of Conflict

…deriving from the four fundamental relationships …

We discussed earlier that conflict results from failure in four key relationships. Four major causes of conflict fall neatly under the four types of relationships.

The four fundamental relationships give us the four primary causes of conflict.

Material – Fighting or competition over scarce or limited material resources (such as money, property, time, space, food, etc.) is a big source of conflict.

Emotional + mental (psychological) – Differences between us (perceived and real) cause conflict. Failing to understand differences between people feeds conflict. People are unique, with unique paradigms, views, perceptions, personal values, goals, gifts, calling, priorities, expectations, desires, interests, or opinions. Mishandling of differences in being between humans, who are all uniquely created, causes conflict. Because of brokenness, these differences, which should make for beautiful and healthy relationships, become a source of conflict.

Some examples of differences between us include differences in:

Personal goals, gifts, philosophies, thoughts, beliefs, values, worldviews, callings, etc.
Plans, goals, methods
Race, class, gender, age, ethnicity, language
Communication styles, dress styles
Identity

Social – Poor communication leading to misunderstandings is a significant source of interpersonal conflict.

Spiritual – Sin or rebellion is a major cause of spiritual conflict. Sin was the cause of the first and most significant conflict (between God and Adam) and has remained the most significant cause of conflict.

The Four Dimensions of Peace

Just as there are four primary types and causes of conflict, there are four dimensions of peace we must seek.

Peace with God
Peace with others
Peace with self
Peace with the rest of creation.

What is conflict resolution?

…based on the essential nature of conflict as a poverty of relationships …

At the core, conflict is relational in nature, i.e., conflict is fundamentally a relational phenomenon

Following the definition we gave for conflict – i.e., “Conflict is an incompatibility in desires that leads to a poverty of shalom within interdependent relationships.” we say that:

Conflict resolution is a restoration of harmonious relationships that seeks to glorify God by enabling people to live in shalom with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation after these relationships have been disrupted by conflict.

* Notice that I have defined conflict resolution in terms of reconciliation, which is the restoration of harmonious relationship. Why? The following will help explain.

Important Terms: Dispute, Conflict, Violence, Peacemaking, Prevention, Management, Resolution, Settlement, Transformation, etc.

What is the difference between a dispute and a conflict?

What is the difference between peacemaking, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, conflict management, and conflict settlement?

Dispute vs. Conflict

Scholars and practitioners in peacemaking often distinguish between a dispute and conflict. Even though not every practitioner distinguishes between these terms or uses them in the same way, the difference is important to know. The best way I can summarize the difference is to consider the difference between a battle and a war. A dispute is seen as a short-term disagreement with issues that are relatively easier to resolve while conflict is usually a long-term disagreement with deep-rooted issues that are difficult to resolve. Just as there are often many battles that need to be fought within the larger context of one war, there are often many disputes that exist (and need to be addressed) within the larger context of one conflict.^[6] Read this article for more.

Violence. It’s important to distinguish conflict from violence. They are not the same thing. Violence is a bad response to conflict but it is not the same thing as conflict.

Peacemaking or peacebuilding are broad terms that include strategies such as conflict prevention, conflict management, conflict resolution, conflict settlement, and conflict transformation.

The difference between peacemaking, prevention, resolution, management, settlement, and transformation.

Imagine a master artist like Michelangelo, the Renaissance painter. To make a painting, he takes the time to grind the colors and prepare the paints. He prepares the canvas, his brushes, and everything he will need. In other words, he prepares the environment.

Then he actually creates his masterpiece. For the painting to last, it needs to be preserved, maybe by vanishing, etc. He maintains the painting in perfect condition. That is a picture of peacemaking. As defined above, “peacemaking is the ushering of God’s shalom in all its fullness into every aspect of life. It is especially the creation, nurturing, repair, and maintenance of whole and harmonious life-giving relationships between self, others, God, and the rest of creation.”

Peacemaking creates the environment, then ushers God’s shalom into the relationships and all of life, painting a beautiful picture of peace in the process. It also involves sustaining that peace and restoring it when it is damaged (in conflict) through the restorative process of conflict resolution.

A conflict would be like a stain or hole that develops in the painting. When that happens, the painter needs to do something about the hole. If he can restore it so that the painting returns to the way it was before the stain, we say the conflict is resolved. As defined, “Conflict resolution is a restoration of harmonious relationships. ” Notice that conflict resolution doesn’t seek to enhance the image or the relationships. That’s something that, as you will see later, transformation seeks to do.

Conflict resolution leads to the complete resolution of conflict and restoration of the four key relationships as they were before (not better). Conflict resolution is a small part of peacemaking. It is the restorative step of peacemaking that is needed to restore peace (shalom) when conflict has come in and disrupted the steady-state of peace created by peacemaking. Conflict resolution involves activities carried out over the short term and medium term to resolve the conflict. It addresses the deep-rooted causes of conflict, such as the structural, behavioral, and attitudinal causes of conflict.

When you resolve the hole in the painting, harmony automatically and spontaneously returns to it. The relationship of that part of the image to the rest of the painting is automatically restored without any effort. Harmony returns immediately. The evidence that the restoration was done well comes from the fact that the relationship of the parts of the painting returns, and the image looks harmonious and beautiful again. You would not believe a painter had done a good job resolving the problem caused by the hole if after finishing the resolution of the hole the image didn’t look as good as it was before—i.e., the harmony among the parts was lost hasn’t returned fully. The same is true with conflict resolution. When conflict resolution is done well, reconciliation is automatic. The proof that the resolution wasn’t done well is found in the fact that reconciliation (the restoration of relationship) didn’t occur to the same level it was before.

Because I do not want to use words such as true resolution vs. false resolution or partial resolution vs. complete resolution to describe resolution that leads to reconciliation and one that doesn’t, I have chosen to call resolution only efforts that lead to restoration of relationship. If reconciliation is not achieved, I say the conflict has not been resolved yet.

In some cases, the lesion or stain cannot be removed. The hole cannot be mended. Resolution is not possible. In that case, it needs to be managed so that it doesn’t get worse, spread, and destroy more of the painting. That is conflict management. As such, conflict management refers to activities carried out to reduce, mitigate, and contain conflict.

In some situations, under poor conditions or a bad artist, the hole may be repaired in a crude fashion, with material that doesn’t match. Even though the problem of the hole has been taken care of, there is no harmony in the image. There is no peace; the relationship is damaged. That’s akin to conflict settlement.

Conflict settlement is different from conflict resolution. When conflict is settled, the physical struggle is ended, but there is no peace, the relationship is damaged. Litigation often leads to conflict settlement, not resolution. One person might simply give up trying and settle to accept one outcome to avoid the fighting, but there is no peace.

Conflict transformation is a different paradigm. The painter sees the hole as an opportunity to turn the image into something even more beautiful, more durable, and more resistant to damage. He digs deep and analyzes the problems at a structural, cultural, and relational levels. He seeks a way to make the parts of the image work in synergy and produce an image that is far better than there was before the hole destroyed the image. Conflict transformation realizes that often, conflict thoroughly affects the relationship between both parties in ways that merely seeking to resolve the conflict and go back to the way things were is not possible. However, joint-problem solving that seeks to build something that both parties desire has endless possibilities. As John Paul Lederach says in his Little Book of Conflict Transformation, conflict resolution’s guiding question is “how do we end something that is not desired?” while conflict transformation’s guiding question is “How do we end something not desired and build something we both desire?”

When I think of the word resolution, I think of solving a problem. Most dictionaries concur with that. Transformation conjures change. A caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, something more beautiful. A conflict goes from a caterpillar to a butterfly stage. Lederach writes, “Transformation directs us toward change, how things move from one shape to a different one. The change process is fundamental to this guiding language. By its nature, when we add “trans” to “form”, we must contemplate both the presenting situation and a new one.” In my view, the caterpillar and the butterfly stages.

As the name implies, conflict prevention means doing things to prevent the image from being damaged in the first place. Conflict prevention refers to activities carried out to prevent or reduce the exacerbation of conflict.

Another metaphor that explains these concepts well is that of health.

To create and sustain health, we have to create and sustain healthy environments. It includes keeping our environment clean, developing, and sustaining a healthy lifestyle that includes healthy nutrition, exercise, hygiene, and other habits like appropriate sleep, rest, healthy relationships, etc. You have to create and then sustain these. You create a homeostasis or a steady state of health. Health creation and sustenance also involves disease prevention, cure, and management/treatment. Health creation and sustenance is akin to peacemaking. Disease prevention would be similar to conflict prevention.

If you take a healthy individual in whom the activities of health creation and sustenance have been ongoing, there may come a time when the steady-state of homeostasis called health is disrupted by disease. The disease is akin to a conflict interrupting a state of peace.

The response to that disease will be either of the following:

Curing disease: It is a restoration of health, recovery from illness to a state where there is no disease, as before. This is akin to conflict resolution.
Chronic Management/Treatment: Sometimes, the disease can’t be cured (resolved). Chronic treatment is the only option. The disease isn’t cured but health is maintained adequately. Diseases like type I diabetes that cannot be cured can be treated, allowing the patient to live a long life. Disease management is akin to conflict management. Diseases that are managed always retain the potential to escalate and cause greater harm if management is diminished in some way.

Conflict transformation would not only cure the disease but include strategies that train the body to leave it stronger and healthier than it was before the disease disturbed the steady-state of health.

Conflict settlement would be akin to addressing disease in a way that halts damage but doesn’t reverse damage that has already been done. It leaves a person worse off than they were before the disease. However, the same disease “loses” its potential to progress.

Read this short article on Beyond Intractability to further your understanding of the differences discussed above. ** That article is required reading as part of this lesson.

Conflict Transformation

Conflict is a gift, not a curse

Conflict transformation is a new paradigm for approaching conflict. It’s a shift from seeing conflict as a problem to seeing conflict as a catalyst for constructive change or transformation. It provides new lenses for viewing conflict.

Hugh Miall writes this:

Conflict transformation theorists argue that contemporary conflicts require more than the reframing of positions and the identification of win-win outcomes. The very structure of parties and relationships may be embedded in a pattern of conflictual relationships that extend beyond the particular site of conflict. Conflict transformation is, therefore, a process of engaging with and transforming the relationships, interests, discourses, and, if necessary, the very constitution of society that supports the continuation of violent conflict. Constructive conflict is seen as a vital agent or catalyst for change. People within the community or region affected and outsiders with relevant human and material resources all have complementary roles to play in the long-term process of peacebuilding. This suggests a comprehensive and wide-ranging approach, emphasizing support for groups within the society in conflict rather than for the mediation of outsiders. It also recognizes that conflicts are transformed gradually, through a series of smaller or larger changes as well as specific steps by means of which a variety of actors may play important roles. In the words of Lederach: Conflict transformation must actively envision, include, respect, and promote the human and cultural resources from within a given setting. This involves a new set of lenses through which we do not primarily ‚see‘ the setting and the people in it as the ‚problem‘ and the outsider as the ‚answer‘. Rather, we understand the long-term goal of transformation as validating and building on people and resources within the setting (Lederach 1995).^[7]

The Berghof Foundation defines conflict transformation as “a complex process of constructively changing relationships, attitudes, behaviors, interests and discourses in violence-prone conflict settings. Importantly, conflict transformation addresses and changes underlying structures, cultures and institutions that encourage and condition violent political and social conflict over the long term.”^[8]

John Paul Lederach is considered one of the key leaders in the conflict transformation movement. According to Lederach, to transform a conflict (i.e., conflict transformation) is to

“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.

In this course, we will use Lederach’s view of conflict transformation. If we adopt elements of his definition and put it within our context of shalom and conflict as a poverty of relationships, we get the following. First, as a reminder, we defined peacemaking and conflict resolution as:

We would then say this about conflict transformation:

Conflict transformation is a paradigm shift that transforms the way we view and approach conflict from a problem to be solved to life-giving opportunities to learn, grow, and create constructive change that addresses the root causes of conflict and allows God’s shalom and harmony to reign more abundantly within relationships that have been hurt by conflict.

How did Conflict Transformation Start?

There is a significant overlap between conflict prevention, resolution, management, and transformation, etc. Overlap occurs in the purpose of addressing conflict, in the tools that are used, and even in the view of conflict. Because of this, the terms conflict transformation and conflict resolution are sometimes used interchangeably in some circles. However, there is a movement of scholars and practitioners who are embracing conflict transformation and distinguishing it from conflict resolution.

Both the term and field of conflict transformation are relatively new when compared to other terms, e.g., conflict resolution, within the broader field of peacebuilding and conflict studies. There have been in use for only a few decades. The term conflict transformation first appeared in the literature in the 1990s.^[9]

Many practitioners in the field were beginning to see that the meaning or connotation carried by the word resolution was impacting practice. For example, resolution implies finding a solution to a problem. It often meant that deep-rooted issues were not addressed as superficial resolutions were reached.

Practitioners saw that conflict was a natural part of life and so could not be prevented. They saw that conflict resolution wasn’t going far enough toward addressing deep-rooted issues. Management of conflict was only to be a last resort, not a goal.

The conflict resolution framework was treating conflict as an isolated problem and, therefore, not adequately addressing conflict in the long-term. Many practitioners who were working in situations of significant power asymmetries discovered that simply seeking to resolve the problems at hand wasn’t enough if the underlying causes weren’t addressed.

Conflicts have a history and underlying causes. Conflict resolution was treating the symptoms without identifying the underlying disease.

Practitioners in the field noticed things that worked in the long-term were things like:

Addressing deep-rooted underlying root causes of conflict
Not only seeing conflict as a problem that needs to be fixed (as resolution did).
Seeing conflict as a symptom of larger issues
Seeing conflict as a means of constructive change.
Seeing conflict as an opportunity
Seeing conflict as a natural and necessary part of life.
Seeing conflict as a catalyst for constructive change.
Seeing conflict as a nested phenomenon (as opposed to an isolated issue). Conflict as being embedded in relationships and history.
Engaging conflict to create constructive change instead of solving.
Emphasizing relationships
Engaging local wisdom as opposed to simply bringing outside experts.
Engaging and transforming the relationships and social structures that cause conflict.
Distinguishing conflict from violence

This work amalgamated into conflict transformation. This was a new paradigm shift away from resolution and towards the transformation of the relationships, the people, and the societies within which conflict exists.

Conflict resolution was one way of viewing and approaching conflict. Conflict transformation was providing another more effective way of seeing and responding to conflict.

[1] https://www.berghof-foundation.org/en/publications/glossary/conflict-dynamics-escalation-radicalisation/ Last Accessed 1/7/2020

[2] Bryant L. Myers, Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2011), Kindle edition, Ch4.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5]Bryant L. Myers, Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2011), Kindle edition, Ch4.

[6] https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/conflicts-disputes Last Accessed 1/10/2020

[7]https://www.berghof-foundation.org/fileadmin/redaktion/Publications/Handbook/Articles/miall_handbook.pdf Last Accessed 1/12/20

[8]The Berghof Glossary on Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding https://www.berghof-foundation.org/fileadmin/redaktion/Publications/Books/Berghof_Glossary_2019_eng.pdf last accessed 1/8/2020

[9] https://www.gmu.edu/programs/icar/ijps/vol8_2/botes.htm Last accessed 1/12/20