2. *
*ABC Triangle, or the triangle of conflict, is one of the most
popular and useful way to investigate and to illustrate the
complexities of conflict.
*First developed by Johan Galtung, based on his research on
the definitions of conflict, the triangle summarizes the
elements or dimensions of conflict.
*ABC Triangle provides a useful framework to analyze the
stakeholders/actors in a conflict situation, by going deeper
into three important aspects of conflict dynamics: context,
attitudes, and behavior.
3. * C: Context and Contradiction
*Refers to the incompatibility of goals (needs, interests) between parties to the
conflict.
*Possible sources of incompatibility is different from conflict to conflict.
Examples:
*Social structure vs. social values (caste system; patriarchy; rich-poor; ethnicity;
religion)
*Scarcity (of oil, water, elected offices)
*Competition (for market share; in election; for power)
*Migration (rural to urban; north African countries to Europe)
*Change (social; political; economic; globalization; climate)
*Sources of incompatibility may overlap, creating more tension and increasing
the stakes.
*Questions:
*What contradiction precedes the conflict you are dealing with?
*How is the contradiction built into the society?
*What are the contentious issues emerged from the incompatibility?
*How development programs build incompatibility into the society?
4. *
*Refers to parties’ perception and other psychological conditions experienced
by the parties in a conflict situation. Attitudes include cognitive aspects such
as misperception, enemy construction, negative stereotypes, and feelings
such as anger, hate, suspicion,
*Possible sources of conflict attitudes:
*Aggressive drives
*Intra-personel tensions
*Aggregate frustrations
*Dehumanization
*Parties to a conflict develop different feelings, emotions, perceptions (and
misperception) toward the other.
*Questions:
*What negative feelings and emotions developed among parties to the
conflict you are dealing with?
*How do these maintained and sustained and through what processes?
*Do certain programs and policies created negative attitudes among the
parties or beneficiaries?
5. *
*Refers to the polarizing – and sometimes destructive – activities
or actual behavior of the parties in a conflict.
*Examples: throwing, burning, killing, intimidating, shooting,
demonstration, war, &c.&c.
*Questions:
*What conflict behaviors are used in a conflict situation you are dealing
with?
*What strategy and tactics are used?
*What weapons are used in the conflict?
*What conflict behaviors emerged due to certain development programs
and assistance in a community?
6. *
*Conflict can be negative/destructive in its process
and outcome; it can be positive/constructive. Conflict
does not equal violence
*Possible benefits of conflict:
* It create or foster social change
* Transform latent conflict into manifest conflict amenable
for resolution and transformation
* Focus energy and policy to important problems in the
society and then to problem-solving
*The key is whether there is conflict
management/transformation and if yes whether it is
good or poor and whether it lead to violence or
peace
7. *
Deal with
the
attitude
Deal with
the
context
and
situation
Deal with
the
behavior
Building a culture of peace
Creating a peace constituency
Friendship
Healing
Forgiveness
Acceptance and recognition
Moderating public discourse
Democratization
Elections
Majority rule
Minority rights
Youth
Economic reform/conversion
Security sector reform
Humanitarian pause
Cessation of hostilities
DDR
SALW
Leadership
Skills in nonviolence
Positive social contacts
