Peacebuilder's Tools

Listening is perhaps one of the most important communication tools available to manage conflict. The degree to which people feel listened to or understood is often a significant cause of conflict and can determine how a particular conflict will evolve.

The specific skill of active listening focuses on both the content of statements in a conversation (what is being said), as well as the underlying emotions, values and needs (what is not being said). It involves encouraging the other party to share by asking open-ended questions, seeking clarification, reflecting and validating the other’s feelings, and restating what the person has said to confirm understanding. The purpose of using active listening as a tool when trying to manage a conflict is not just to ‘get the facts’ but also to support the speaker in understanding his or her own thoughts and feelings about the conflict. When people feel listened to and understood, they are more likely to listen to others, and to be more willing to deal constructively with a conflict.

When used effectively, active listening is a tool with the potential to defuse strong emotions, persuade someone to consider different perspectives, improve relationships, and manage conflict.

Every conflict—whether local, regional or international—is shaped by a unique and often complex set of factors that ultimately determine the effectiveness of a peacebuilder’s intervention. Conflict analysis is the process of looking critically at a particular conflict to understand its causes, context, participants, and other factors affecting the conflict. It can help provide a detailed picture of what is happening and help peacebuilders determine what they can do to manage or resolve a conflict.

There are many models of conflict analysis; each offers a particular set of questions about the people, the process, and the problem in order to understand a conflict. A sample of possible conflict analysis questions include:

1. Who are the parties relevant to the conflict situation?
2. What does each party want?
3. What are the needs and interests of each party?
4. What are methods that are being used to resolve the conflict?

Peacebuilders can then use the understanding derived from such analysis in order to help them develop creative solutions. In this way, conflict analysis for be valuable as a peacebuilder’s tool.

When faced with a conflict, each person has specific ways in which they tend to respond; these are known as conflict styles. The conflict style may be based on habits, learned patterns, belief systems, or factors such as mood, the nature of the relationship, the significance of the conflict to you, or how much time you have to address it. Learning how to respond constructively to conflict requires understanding what your tendency is when faced with conflict – this is why it is valuable to know your own conflict style.

There are five commonly identified conflict styles:

1. avoiding - knowing there’s a problem and choosing not to deal with it
2. confronting/ competing - pursing your goals to make the other give in without regard for the needs of the other person
3. problem solving - working together to satisfy the needs of both parties
4. accommodating - putting your interests last and letting others have what they want
5. compromising - identifying a quick solution partially satisfactory to both, but not completely satisfactory to either

There are particular uses for—and advantages and disadvantages to—each of the conflict styles, depending on the situation. Generally, a problem solving approach is most likely to result in a win-win solution, where the needs and interests of all parties are sufficiently met.

Peacebuilders can use their understanding of conflict styles in order to respond intentionally to a conflict, rather than just react impulsively. This is a tool that can help seek the most appropriate response to conflict that will best contribute to its management or resolution.

Negotiation is a process of communicating and bargaining between parties trying to reach a mutually acceptable outcome on issues of shared concern.

In negotiation, the parties themselves resolve conflicts that arise from competing needs, interests, and goals. A negotiation occurs when the parties in a conflict both agree that working together will have a better result than acting alone. Negotiation processes often involve getting beyond stated positions (or wants) to uncover each party’s interests or needs (why they want what they want). By exploring interests, parties can often find common ground which can open up possibilities for a creative solution. In this way, negotiation can be a valuable peacebuilder’s tool.

Mediation is a kind of negotiation in which a mutually acceptable third party helps the individuals or groups in conflict find a solution that they cannot find themselves. It is a process that allows those in conflict with one another to listen to and understand each other’s perspectives, discover common ground, brainstorm possible solutions and ideally come to an agreement.

Mediation has been used as an effective method of conflict management in many contexts: interpersonal disputes (such as disputes between neighbors, family members, classmates, roommates, or co-workers), community disputes, and international disputes. An effective mediator must be impartial, patient, and flexible. She or he must also be a good listener and be able to create a trusting environment in which to work.

Collaborative problem solving is an approach that encourages parties to a conflict to reevaluate their attitudes, and it involves both basic negotiation and mediation skills. Collaborative problem solving is a five step process in which those in conflict, often led by a mediator, attempt to:

1. define the conflict
2. analyze causes of the conflict
3. explore options for resolution
4. select the preferred option; and
5. implement the solution.

When mediating a dispute, a peacebuilder can use this skill or tool to encourage cooperation as opposed to competition among individuals or groups in conflict. This can help to reframe their focus towards creative, collaborative solutions.