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Aug 14 2009, 9:28 AM EDT (current) chachabooth 48 words added
Aug 8 2009, 10:03 AM EDT chachabooth 1 word added, 26 words deleted

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Purpose:To try to analyse the personal dimension for a conflict case study.
To identify challenges for conducting an analysis of the personal dimension.
Participants:4 to 20

Time: 90 min. (more if needed)

Materials:Flip charts
Marker Pens
Handouts with the case study
Process:1. The session will be structured around the two-part case study "Not just a river on a map", taking place in Lesotho. Give a brief introduction to the case.

2. Organise participants in groups of 4-5 and assign the task: After having studied the case, the groups should analyse the personal dimension of conflict and how the conflict has brought about change. The following questions can guide the analysis (provide them to participants on a handout):
Attitudes:
  • How has the conflict affected the attitudes of people?
  • What attitudes increase the likelihood of destructive patterns of conflict? (e.g. superiority, lack of respect, fear if contact with the other side/sides in the conflict, prejudice or bias).
  • Do attitudes exist that promote constructive patterns of conflict?
  • How do attitudes differ between individuals of different “sides in the conflict”?
  • What attitudes need to be changed? If this attitude/these attitudes would change, what difference would it make to the situation?
Behaviour:
  • What behaviours contribute to destructive patterns of conflict?
  • What behaviours contribute to constructive patterns of conflict?
  • How do behaviours of the actors differ?
  • What destructive behaviours could be changed (such as reaching out to other groups, listening well, avoiding negative stereotypes in language, increasing contact with the other sides, reconsidering perceptions)? What difference would such a change make in the situation?
3. In plenary, let groups report back to plenary what the major results of their analysis are.

4. Participants will most likely find that the information provided in the text is not sufficient to analyse the personal dimension. Use this conclusion, in order to identify challenges for analysing this dimension with the group. Challenges could include: How do we measure attitudes of people? How can we observe the behaviour of single individuals and how it changes due to conflict over time? How do we deal with the sensitivities involved in analysing the personal dimension?

Note:
The case will be used also for the analysis of the relational, structural and cultural dimension.

Instead of using this case study, you can also encourage the groups to analyse a "real" conflict from their context.

The case study is relatively long and this might pose a challenge in mixed groups, or groups where English is not first or second language. You can consider translating a summary of the case or present the case to participants in another, more visual and less text-based method.

Handout(s): Moeketsi, Tello, Not Just a River on a Map, Centre for Conflict Resolution, Case Studies of Conflict in Africa, in: Track Two. Constructive Approaches to Community and Political Conflict, Vol. 12, Nos 3 and 4, University of Cape Town: 2003, pp. 70-74. <http://www.ccr.uct.ac.za/fileadmin/template/ccr/pdf/TT12-3_4_Sep05.pdf> (accessed 4 August 2009).

Guiding questions for analysis (see process description above)
Source(s):chachabooth@gmail.com



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