Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONTENTS
Read this first. 7 Introduction 9 Nonviolence 10 What is violence ?..........................................................................................10 Physical violence.11 Structural violence..13 Cultural violence.15 What is nonviolence?....................................................................................16 Nonviolence A positive word!.......................................................16 The body of nonviolence Methods principle and strategies ..17 The Flower of nonviolence 21 Nonviolence An expounded academic definition..22 Strategic Nonviolence. 26 Understanding Power...28 The discipline of Nonviolence...29 Political Jujitsu....31 Civil Disobedience..32 Gender and Nonviolence..33 Prominent Figures...38 The History of Nonviolence.42 The periods of historical development of Nonviolence....42 Historical examples of Nonviolence.45 Worldwide Nonviolence..52 The Future belongs to Nonviolence.54 Large Scale Nonviolence..55 The Philippines 1986...55 East Germany 1989.55 Serbia 2000.56 Small scale Nonviolence....58
Colombia.61 Guatemala ..62 Some organisations working for peaceful change..63 The KAOS Model . 64 Peacekeeping Pairs.66 Conflict Management.68 Introduction to the Conflict Management section.68 General Knowledge about Conflict....69 What is a conflict69 Conflict Terminology.70 Conflicts, good or bad for us? ............................................. ...............72 The Accordion theory conflicts on different levels..73 Fear of conflict and conflict avoidance74 Understanding and analysing conflict.75 The dynamics of conflict, Galtungs ABC model.75 Glasls Nine stage model of Conflict Escalation... .76 To think Needs......83 Managing conflicts in a creative manner.85 The unconditional constructive strategy...86 GRIT, or the art of starting a positive spiral..87 The zoo of conflicts, conflict managements five dimensions...88 Working with conflict on different levels.91 Conflicts and Communication.92 Active/empathetic/controlled listening..92 A non-violence strategy for social change93 Exercises..95 To carry out training.95 The group..95 To contribute to learning...97 Evaluation.98 Interviewing one another...99 Training in values and judgment.....100 Examples of presentation....113
The International Decade of Peace and Nonviolence For The Children of the World
2001 2010 is the decade to overcome violence. We are The Christian Peace Movement, PeaceQuest , CIVIS and Swedens Teachers for Peace. In the co-operation project we have accepted the challenge of the decade. The book you have in your hand is a result of several years of development, earlier together with The Swedish Christian Council and The Swedish UN Organisation. Our purpose is to spread the knowledge, commitment and skills to be able to work for peace, nonviolence and constructive conflict management. We arrange training programs in peaceful conflict management and nonviolence. We also encourage and stimulate local initiative in these subjects. We wish to show the possibilities and gains of working constructively and violence-preventively between individuals and groups of people irrespective of where they are in the world. Peace in our Hands is a national project with local activities in over ten places in Sweden. Welcome! Nonviolence or Non-existence -Martin Luther King-
Introduction
More wars took place during the 20th1 century than at any other time in the history of the world. Between 1990 and 2001 there were 57 larger conflicts in the world, the majority in Afrika and Asia. Approximately 3.6 million people have died as a result of war since 1990. Violence is not only direct violence, but indirect, as structural violence resulting in starvation and epidemics. Each year 6.3 million children younger than 5 years old die of starvation2. Each day 30,000 children die of illnesses which could be prevented3. In the present situation, wars and armed conflicts are fought within states, rather than between states and are a main cause of stopping development at the same time as they increase poverty. Working for peace and human rights by preventing armed conflicts and combating injustice with nonviolence methods is all about thinking about war, conflicts and violence in a new way. Thoughts and values where democracy, human rights and equality are included, together with the insight that conflicts on all levels international, local and individual can be solved without weapons and violence. We are all hit by violence in the world and should therefore contribute to creating a peaceful and non-violent culture, even here in Sweden. The requirements for a peace and non-violent culture exist already. Methods and models to prevent violence and manage conflicts have been developed and tested on an ever increasing scale since around 1970. Nonviolence4 has under recent decades received a stronger recognition and has been used, for example, as a form of protest against economic injustice by Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (SMT- de Jordlsas rrelse) in Brasil .The UN general assembly has declared 2001 2010 as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World. The UN realises that it is important that the whole of the civil society organisations, churches, schools, professions, business and media actively contribute to the international work for a peace and non-violent culture. Four organisations; The Christian Peace Movement, Peace Quest, CIVIS and Swedens Teachers for Peace work together to spread information, knowledge and skills in creative conflict management and nonviolence as a method of actively preventing oppression and injustice. Training in conflict management and nonviolence is carried out, this book being the basic material. Through training and reflection over our own attitude and action in the face of injustice and conflicts, a greater credibility is created in preventive work in other countries. Our hope is that the material will give you inspiration and commitment to think about your role in working for a more peaceful world at home and even internationally. When we include ourselves in a nonviolent culture we have dedicated ourselves to an understanding of ourselves and our ability to influence situations. Conflicts are not avoided without us having learned how to meet, sort and manage them in a creative and constructive way. Perhaps you can use some of the exercises or examples in your own organisation, workplace or school, and continue the work that Gandhi, Alva Myrdahl, and Martin Luther King among many other women and men have started. As each of us is influenced by and influences the violent culture around us contribute to a non-violent culture.
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Source: Human Development Report 2003 Source: World Situation 2002, Swedish UN Organisation 2002 Source Human Development Report 2002 Non-violence is written as nonviolence to underline the fact that it is not just an absence of violence, but an active nonviolence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence is the law of the human race and is infinitely greater than, and superior to, brute force Mohandas K. Gandhi What is violence?
To understand what violence is and can be, we begin with thoughts around the term violence. In the same way that it is difficult to clearly define what nonviolence means, there are different definitions of violence. The experience that words can hurt is a phenomenon we all have experience of. Words used with the purpose of doing damage are sometimes used in non-hurtful situations but hurt anyway. Violence exists on different levels, both open and hidden. The Norwegian peace researcher Jrgen Johansen has defined violence partly as to consciously reduce another human beings possibilities of a full life. It can be of interest to reflect around what could be included in that term. Another definition we will be using here as a complement to Johansens is the Norwegian peace researcher Johan Galtungs division of violence in three categories: Direct violence, Structural violence and Cultural violence. These types of violence are illustrated in the iceberg below. 5
In a warm and loving environment the iceberg of violence melts, in cold surroundings it remains.
Cultural violence
Structural violence
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Direct Violence
Direct violence is the form of violence in which there are one or more discernible perpetrators who, through word or action injure one or more individuals. This takes the form of physical violence, such as assault or war, or psychological violence, such as mobbing or degradation. Direct violence is perhaps the most obvious and visible form of violence. In figure 5) above, direct violence is symbolised by the area of the iceberg above water.
Violation
On a relations level, the risk is great that in a conflict situation we tend to see one another as a problem. Violation can also occur when we do not even have a subject on which we disagree. Example of violation is: Talking badly about someone behind their back (rumour spreading and bullshit) Freezing a person out of a group, being condescending, ignoring, harassing and in other ways abusing (mobbing and isolating) Physically hurting one another. It is important not to blame the injured party, irrespective of events prior to the violation. Bullshit, mobbing and violence should always be stopped. The main responsibility for this lies with the third person (not involved in the conflict), who can create an intervention. The following passage is about common problems and violation in places of work.
Mobbing
The word mobbing based on the word mob, means crowd. Disobedient slaves in the Southern States of America were hanged by lynch mobs. In Sweden the term was introduced by Peter-Paul Heinemann in his book Mobbing: Group violence among children and adults in 1972. How can mobbing be explained? It is not just those who are particularly cruel who mob, seemingly anyone can. Mobbing occurs in groups, something which probably the majority of group members dislike. There is a difference between group morals and individual morals. In the group, responsibility is common to all in the group, whereas individuals behave differently as themselves. Mobbing can comprise of both physical and psychological violence. A British investigation shows that the most dangerous form of mobbing is isolation and neglect, that is to say psychological violence. According to the investigation those who survive mobbing best are those who are subjected to physical violence only. An example of mobbing can be a person who is made suspicious, marked as a deviant or continually ridiculed. The victim has great difficulty in escaping from the situation. Should the victim defend her/himself or show signs of being influenced by the mobbing then this becomes a part of the mobbing. It is therefore the passive members of the group who, in the first instance, can act to prevent the mobbing. In a group with mobbing tendencies, it is often the minority who are the driving force the rest being more passive. Those who are passive may pity the victim, but dare not take action as this could mean loss of face or make the situation even worse. It is because of this passive behaviour that mobbing is possible. Violation perpetrated by one or more, becomes representative for the whole group. It is this which gives a mild violation such a strong effect on the victim. The passive group members have the function of a very loud silence. If a person in the group makes her/his voice heard when some is said to be a problem or is ridiculed then the group consensus is broken. The perpetrator no longer represents the group. There is no longer a mob and the strong effects of mobbing disappear. This gives hope. Groups are not predestined to mob. We have the possibility of intervention. At the same time it is not an easy task. It demands that we overcome our fears and other questions which prevent us from acting. It has been shown that mobbing is a difficult problem in kind cultures where the ideal is to be kind and loving. The problem is that in such a culture, avoiding conflict is common. It can be taboo to question or comment on a situation. In such a context, to prevent mobbing becomes very difficult. Mobbing in kind cultures is perhaps more subtle, but achieves the same devastating results. Most would agree that we should act to stop mobbing. Mobbing is illegal. In can at times be difficult to be sure that what perceive, is mobbing. If someone is insulted, is that person mobbed? Where is the border between conflict and mobbing? As a rule, if someone is repeatedly insulted, ridiculed or said to be a problem there is a high risk of mobbing. The victim does not need to be present. Talking behind a persons back and slander are usual ingredients in mobbing. The difficulty is that single violations may not be experienced as particularly serious, but the collective effect is always mobbing. To just stand and watch is also a way of agreeing
The Real Group
Structural Violence
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The largest part of an iceberg is below the waterline and this is true of cultural violence. Structural violence can exemplifies as injustice which gives rise to poverty or unjust laws. It is in this case not a person who is violent to another. The violence occurs indirectly as a result of unfair trade agreements between countries or a general discrimination of women or minorities. The consequence of this violence, that people get injured or die, is no different to direct violence. A comparison of how many people die as a result of different types of violence, cultural violence is supreme poverty kills most people on the earth. Each year, 6.3 million children under the age of five die if starvation6 and every day 30,000 children die of preventable illnesses7
Sexism
I get called a feminist every time I refuse to be treated as a doormat Sexism means discrimination due to gender. An example of sexism is a woman receiving a lower salary than a man for the same employment or a man wishing to take paternity leave which a woman (maternity leave), has no problem with. Most people agree that men and women should be regarded equal as should their opinions. Despite this sexism is usual. Feminism implies to fight against sexism. Many feminists mean that the basic problem with sexism is the separation of men and women who are described as essentially different beings. Yvonne Hirdman emphasises that the subordinate role women would not be possible if it were not for the widespread belief that women and men are fundamentally different. If this is true, and there is good reason to believe it is so then it becomes a problem distinguishing women and men. To distinguish is not to belittle, quite the opposite it can be uplifting. You who are a woman and cook delicious food, you can have responsibility for the food during the party. This kind of statement supports the difference of gender by idealising women. It is also a form of sexism. Sexism can be both disparaging comments and unasked for flirts. Sexual harassment is forbidden by law. By sexual harassment is meant such unwelcome behaviour based on gender or unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature which violates the integrity of the employee8. To be exposed to this can lead to legal proceedings. It is the law has to exposed person that decides what is unwelcomed, insulting or whether the place of work is experienced as being insecure. Here there is particular reason to work with the victim role and how it can be changed. Read what the say about sexual harassment at www.jamobud.se The Norwegian professor Berit s has studied how sexism is expressed. The title of her findings is The Five Dominating Techniques. They are: Disregard/Ignore Ridicule Denial of Information Double Punishment Projection of blame and shame By learning to identify and name these domination techniques we can more easily help one another to avoid them. After Berit s theory other feminists have identified additional domination techniques. Read more on the web about Short Cuts to Equality ( Ungdomsstyrelsen). For methods and strategies see www.ungdomsstyrelsen.se
Racism
Racism is the opinion based on the delusion that we human beings are in fact several different origins and that this is of importance for society. The own race shall be kept free from foreign elements. The ideology orf racism grew with colonialism. This made it legitimate for the Western World to colonise Africa, Asia and Latin America. Today, it is quite unusual for people to call themselves racist. On the other hand, racial patterns exist in some societies. Different skin colours in different places can be the difference between getting housing and
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employment. The term race is not used so much today, it has been replaced a new word, culture and cultural background. There are delusions such as a person from a certain culture will behave in a certain way. This way of thinking tends to strengthen prejudice about different groups. To say that Africans are good at dancing they have rhythm in their blood, even if not in ill-will, is to categorise and is very difficult to escape from. The problem is similar with sexism. By emphasizing distinguishing features in different cultures a hierarchy can be established in which cultures are placed in a certain order. If you are a white heterosexual man you have a much better chance of attaining power and influence in society than if you are a lesbian woman with an immigrant background.
Cultural Violence
Cultural violence is symbolised by water and air, in the iceberg model. By this Galtung means that the structural violence is legitimised by the culture it exists in. We can for example say that it is structural violence when world trade structures press the price of coffee so low that the plantage workers have to live in total poverty. The fact that we prioritise the low price of coffee more than the situation of the plantage workers is cultural violence; it is the approval of structural violence. An important aspect of culture is the language we use. How do we address one another and what are the consequences? When people shout things like bitch or bloody miscarriage at one another one can say it creates a cold climate and the acceptance of violence increases. It does not have to be such hard words either. How do we behave to ourselves? Which words do we call ourselves if we make a mistake or feel a lot of I must things growing in ourselves?
What is nonviolence?
Imagine three people having a conversation on how they can best work for peace. The first says that his contribution to peace is to refuse to carry a weapon. The second says that all dictators must be killed to achieve peace. The third means that the only way is to break in to military bases and disarm all the weapons. Which of the three acted in a non-violent manner and under what conditions? It is not obvious what is meant by nonviolence. Here are examples of different interpretations: Nonviolence a political method based on peaceful dialogue and distancing itself from violent action. Nonviolence implies to practise resistance without causing physical or psychological injury to living individuals Nonviolence implies actively reacting against violence and oppression in our surroundings. Nonviolence meets terrorism by demanding a non-terrorist response.
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The word nonviolence comes from the word ahimsa which is Sanskrit. Ahimsa is the positive opposite of the word himsa which means, desire to injure. Ahimsa is an ancient word, which is found in Bhagavad-Gita which was written between 200BC and 200AD. Sanskrit functions in a different way than Swedish and English. In Sanskrit many words receive a positive meaning through placing a negation in the basic word. The word for love is avera which translated means not hate. The word for brave is abhaya, not afraid. Thus, ahimsa non-violence is not a negative tem, but fundamentally positive. A way of describing the essence of nonviolence could be using pictures. We will be presenting the pictures The Body of Nonviolence and The Flower of Nonviolence.
Peace is more than the absence of war Nonviolence is more than the absence of violence Love is more than the absence of hate
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A respect for the opponent - to see the whole conflict as a fellow human being To differentiate between subject and person. We fight the war as an institution and phenomenon, not as soldiers. A belief that everyone can change, that there is something good in everyone. The means and the goal must tally. That is to say that if we want peace our actions must be peaceful.
A refusal to injure or violate another person violence is rejected as a way forward and the spiral of violence stays with me No one person has a monopoly on the truth. We all own bits of the truth puzzle and the challenge is to be able to see the other persons truth even if that persons puzzle bit does not seem to fit mine Look for the centre of the conflict non-violence means a will to actively fight injustice and violence Non-violence is a rejection of violence at the same time as it is an active struggle against violence with nonviolence
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Boycott refusing to buy goods or services in order to indicate dissatisfaction with the products or service on offer. For example, South African products were subject to boycott under the apartheid regime. The boycott was initially carried out by individuals and organisations, after which it spread to whole countries. Strike refusing to work. A strike in Poland was the beginning of a non-violence movement which eventually toppled the communist regime. Examples of political non-collaboration can be refusing to do military national service or refusing to carry out the expulsion of political refugees. Refusal to collaborate during the Second World War, Norwegian teachers refused to follow the Nazi educational program. They were sent to concentration camps for their crimes, but most were soon returned to their schools as the Nazis realized that the teachers would not give up.
2. Non-collaboration
3. Intervention
Blockades a sit down strike on a road. Israelis did this to prevent bulldozers destroying Palestinian houses.
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Preventive presence International presence for the protection of exposed people in areas of conflict. This method utilizes the fact that the third party, the peace observer, is not a part of the conflict. There are peace observers in Mexico, Israel/Palestine and Colombia as examples. Plowshare actions destroying weapons openly and being willing to take the consequences. To start disarmament yourself, when politicians refuse. To destroy atomic submarines in Scotland Methods of nonviolence are not just about injustice and oppression in the world. It is about building up that which is good. Gandhi called the Constructive Program. An example of this can be working with fair trade through world shops. It can also be buying environment friendly products, starting a nonviolence group or growing your own garden products.
These four components; principles, strategy, training and methods can up to a point work independently. A boycott, a nonviolence method, was affected against Iraq during the decade 1990 in the form of UN sanctions. The sanctions resulted in over a million dead Iraqis. This result shows that obviously, the action did not follow the principle of nonviolence. The hand and feet did not follow the heart. Often, nonviolence methods are used without a strategy and as a result they are much less effective and often cause more suffering than is necessary. In this case hands and feet do not follow the brain. That which is perhaps the most usual scenario is that we are filled with nonviolence principles and do not act on them. Hands and feet do not listen to the message of the heart. We do the talk but not the walk. If this is the case then the blood which connects the body parts is missing. This takes us to the last part of the nonviolence body.
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The flower of nonviolence is developed by Klaus Engell-Nielsen The flower in the story is a symbol for any example of human rights.
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1: Without -violence as an idea that something else of higher value exists or can be achieved: different forms
of violence and oppression are problemised and questioned, both in society and in ones own life, at the same time as one seeks something else, freedom from violence /oppression for example The Kingdom of God or self fulfilment. This something else is a utopian belief, hidden reality or realistic possibility.
2: Antiviolence as a social antithesis: where violence and oppression are undermined by resistance and
competition from nonviolence institutions and methods. Occasionally the basic idea of the nonviolence movement is described with the words there is no road to peace, peace is the road. A more exact summary of the nonviolence project is: To try to use the nonviolent future in the present as an alternative to and resistance against the present societys violence and oppression. The one side of the coin, without-violence should be understood as an emphasis of life/action without violence. Here one can imagine that we people have an innate ability to act without violence or that we must practise or construct this without-violence ability. Without-violence becomes an attempt to achieve liberation outside the domain of violence, to exceed the bounds of violence. The other side of the coin,anti-violence, should be understood as an emphasis on resistance to violence. Counteraction is actualised as soon as violence threatens the group one lives in. Seen in the extreme, this means that a resistance to violence should be sought out where it is and resisted there, not wait until it comes to you. In resisting violence, it is the violence which is the problem, not who (for the moment) is affected. Anti-violence becomes an attempt to undermine the domain of violence. Both without-violence and anti-violence varies, depending on which phenomenological domains of violence and oppression are accountable (see fig. 3) and which social domain shall/can be liberated from violence (see fig. 4). Without-violence = Nonviolence construction Nonviolence Anti-violence = Nonviolence resistance
Fig. 3: Nonviolence Two concurrent significations. (development of fig. 1)
Without violence is a nonviolence construction (of the increased ability to act without violence) and antiviolence a non-violent resistance (against the violence which occurs despite the nonviolence construction)
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Nonviolence construction is the training, supporting or building of the ability - individually and collectively To act and live without violence. Depending on the view of what violence is and the view of whether people have an inborn capacity to act without violence, the level of ambition varies and the methods of non-violent construction. Nonviolence resistance for example civil disobedience is an undermining, transforming, obstructive or dissolving ofviolence or oppression11 (unjust power conditions) where activists in their action try to avoid using violence or oppression themselves. What is contained in nonviolence resistance can be seen to vary in accordance with how strict different individuals regard what violence or oppression is (fig.3). Some activists, as did Gandhi, see thoughts and feelings as more or less non-violent, while others see as being enough, not to (on purpose) kill people. For some, colonialism or patriarchy is oppression, for others it is eating meat or free abortion. Both dimensions without-violence and anti-violence create an opposition between violence and its (often indefinite) opposite. Both without-violence and anti-violence therefore influence the meaning one puts into violence. Among words suggested as opposites to the word violence are, peace, justice, fairness, love truth, basic needs self-fulfilment, Gods Kingdom. The significance of the twin term nonviolence violence is allowed in this way to remain open to discussion within the nonviolence movement. Whether or not one sees violence as coercion, denial, need, manipulation, injurious, killing, evil, threat, or anything else, the two separate dimensions of nonviolence relevant. As we can see below in fig.4, the domains of violence can be more or less all embracing. Even the domains of nonviolence can be more or less extensive (depending on which violence is accounted as relevant).
Killing
Even if violence is seen in a narrow concept an irreversible and serious physical injury caused by a persons conscious action against the injured partys will nonviolence becomes in an absolute meaning - without and against all violence an impossible task to achieve. As soon as someone is attacked by someone else, the nonviolence movement should be there, preventing and protecting (if activists are to be non-violent). As humanity consists of six billion people a clear impossibility arises in fulfilling the radical demand12. Neither withoutviolence nor anti-violence can free itself completely from violence. This complex problem causes inner contradictions in each of the terms. A minimal significance of without-violence and anti-violence become achievable, whereas a maximum significance is not. (See below).
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Different movements naturally have different conceptions of violence and oppression. Nonviolence resistance do not need to break norms or laws even if resistance to hegemonic violence and oppression is usually illegal. Undermining methods can at least in part be legal 12 If even animals are to be included as objects for nonviolence activists, as several well-known spokesmen have suggested Gandhi and Tolstoy for example then the moral demands become incomprehensible.
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The three concentric circles are only an example of the division which can be made I several different ways, see Galtung 1960. Normally violence is named as that nearer the centre and oppression (sometimes called evil, tyranny, structural violence, injustice or unfair power circumstances) as more peripheral. The two dimensions of non-violence are never the less (conceptually) interlaced. On the one hand a non-violence activist cannot live without violence unless all existing violence is abolished (and in that case without-violence demands that all violence in the world is counteracted). On the other hand resistance continues against violence at least implicitly if the resistance is to be meaningful as resistance against just violence (and not just against war or other peoples violence) - to the actual activist avoiding the use of violence. Otherwise at least in the moment the activist uses violence (against others violence) a new violence arises, irrespective of if the violence used in the long term can be said to make the world less violent. The freedom of violence in withoutviolence presupposes analytically the resistance in anti-violence. Anti-violence presupposes without violence. A difference lies in which side of the nonviolence coin is lifted. An inbuilt tension in the term; two meanings interlaced but whose radical significance is impossible to actively achieve. The practical management therefore often becomes an exaggeration of one meaning to the cost of the other.. Both without-violence and anti-violence can vary between a particular and universal character depending on how the social domain is. As a particular phenomenon without-violence is about how I myself as an individual or I and my friends, live a life free from violence where none of us uses violence. The particular character of anti-violence implies that one attempts to undermine the occurring violence within the group that counts. The problem for particular non-violence is about the difficulty in setting a motivated border to who belongs to this we (and those who do not belong). A universal character of without-violence and against-violence implies that non-violence touches all of humanity, violence occurring in groups other than the own primary group are just as important13. The maximum importance of nonviolence is that which counts humanity as we, violence such as that which prevents-self-fulfilment and nonviolence as both maximum without-violence and maximum nonviolence14. The most minimal importance is that which concerns the primary group (e.g. the family), as with violence thinking only of killing and non-violence, practically single dimensional (either without-violence or against violence)15. Between these significances, one can create many different significance combinations, for example that we are a nation, all violence is injurious and nonviolence in the greater part is without-violence.
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The question remains as to which domain of violence is relative. Anti-violence intervenes against violence found within the group which is counted as belonging we, but even if one regards humanity as one unit one can see different forms of violence as more or less serious and care more or less about the violence which is less visible. 14 Observe that the maximum significance of anti-violence even for some non-violence activists can broaden to include other living beings than humans (animals and plants). I do not give this consideration as this research limits its findings to the social dimension of nonviolence. 15 But to be accounted as non-violent must without-violence and anti-violence be in some part included.
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Strategic Nonviolence
Until now, we have spoken about nonviolence in general, but what constitutes strategic nonviolence? Strategic violence is, according to Gene Sharp, more than methods and principle of nonviolence. It is the whole way of thinking, around power, fundamental human psychology and social and political tendencies and change16. Let us begin at the inspiring end. Historically, nonviolence activists have used strategic non-violence, brought down dictators, freed colonies, defended their occupied countries and achieved social justice in a number of situations and countries. Look at the chapter about historical examples of nonviolence. It is just the ability of strategic nonviolence to be flexible and adaptable which makes it a continuous relevant energy in the facilitating of social change in society. To better be able to understand what strategic nonviolence implies we need to have perspective on the following questions: How are conflicts won? And what is our goal?
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It is not enough to call for freedom, democracy and human rights. There has to be a united determination to persevere in the struggle, to make sacrifices in the name of enduring truths, to resist the corrupting influences of desire, ill will, ignorance and fear. Aung San Suu Kyi Nobels Peaceprize and Leader of the nonviolence democratic movement in Burma
Understanding power
Power is a part of all conflicts and can often be a part of the cause or the actual problem in the conflict. Understanding power can often contribute to the solution. As power is a permanently present aspect in conflicts then all peace, justice and solidarity work needs to relate to power. It can be a question of working for peace, justice, food for all, disarmament, participation, human rights, the right to strike, democracy and so on. There are never the less many occasions when both economic and political interests obstruct these goals. It is therefore of vital importance to understand how power functions. Gene Sharp: Six sources of power; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Authority or legitimacy Peoples willingness to voluntarily obey Human resources The number of people who obey, cooperate or help those in power Knowledge and skills that are available and how well they meet the needs of those in power Indeterminable factors Psychological and ideological factors which help and encourage obeyance Materiel resources How much natural resources, economical resources or communications possibilities do those in power have Sanctions The ability of those in power to force through their wishes and punish those who disobey.
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These sources of power have similar function to the legs on a table. If we wish to weaken someones power then we need to weaken or take away its legs. When we look closer at these power sources, we discover that ultimately they are based on people. By looking closer at the way action influences our opponents and our own power sources e can estimate the effectivity of our actions and decide if they are effective or contra productive. That which can start as a good idea for change, for example economic sabotage, or hostile slogans, can be negative for us. Another perhaps easier way of understanding power is that power is based on obedience. Solely by people obeying someone else it means that they get power, this is true on all levels; it can be a colleague, a parent or a politician. Disobedience is therefore the same as power breaking. The Plowshare movement in Sweden a theory has developed around power breaking and dialogue facilitating17. It is by breaking the opponents power and at the same or overlapping, facilitate dialogue to encourage an open and equal meeting, that the power if nonviolence breaks through. As obedience is voluntary it can be broken.
Power concedes nothing without demand. It never did and it never will -Fredrick Douglass, Anti-slavery activist 19th century. Escaped from slavery
Gene Sharp
the theory around power breaking and dialogue facilitating has been developed in discussions between Per Herngren, Stellan Vinthagen and Klaus Engell Nielsen Wicklund, Freeman, Strategic Nonviolence
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Endurance and Perseverance Endurance is what keeps one working even when enthusiasm is low and the situation seems hopeless. Setbacks are to be expected in larger projects involving change or nonviolence struggles. It is important to realise that in giving up one can only use. Often it is the endurance which brings the campaign or work success. The majority of nonviolence ventures that fail do so due to a lack of endurance. Endurance and perseverance are interlaced with the need for support and encouragement. The discipline of nonviolence is needed not only in relation to the opponent but also towards ones nonviolence colleagues, so that a supportive movement based on mutual respect, trust and understanding is created. Such a movement is attractive and retains enthusiasm, strengthens activists and encourages them to continue the struggle. Another way of strengthening endurance is to admit ones own role and responsibility for structural and cultural violence and oppression. By admitting participation the ability and power to stop it is also admitted. An additional part of endurance is, not giving up when obstacles are put in the way or punishment is used, and the thought that no more can be done comes. This sends signals that the obstacles or punishment work. Instead, to escalate the efforts is the best strategy. Unselfishness and Generosity Nonviolence workers need to be dominated with inclination and happiness. Many experience a world where purpose and meaning are missing and increased consumption is not leading to increased happiness. In this situation it can be unbelievably rewarding to work as an activist, with nonviolence. Having said that one must be able to place the struggle or work before self and not only do it to feel good. It is also important to do boring and non-glamorous tasks. The basic thought is that the world and life are worth working for. If the world was not infinitely valuable and potentially fantastic, then why struggle? Humility and nonviolence To behave in a non-violent and humble manner is extremely important for strategic nonviolence, for several reasons: it increases sympathy and support, even within the opposition and it attracts maximum participation in the struggle or work. One of the basic reasons for violence in the world is the feeling of superiority, which perhaps is grounded in fear, low self esteem and the need for security, love and recognition. War, racism, sexism, hetero-sexism, environmental destruction, violence, murder and enmity can often be traced back to individuals or groups that in some way feel superior to others. Ironically one also finds this among those involved in the struggle against oppression and who believe in strategic non-violence. The struggle against violence and superiority must be fought both within and outside ourselves. A humble and nonviolent way of meeting this struggle is needed.
If I may not dance then it is not my revolution! Emma Goldman feminist, anarchist, nonviolence activist.
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Friendliness and Good will By presenting points of issue in a non-judgemental, humble, truthful, respectful and dignified manner, the work is not distracted by arrogance and enmity, which means that greater focus is placed on the point of issue. Enmity from non-violence activists hinders the process of change and encourages loyalty in the opposition, which strengthens the opposition to oppose activists and at the same time justify for themselves and the surroundings an unproportionately strict repression. If ones behaviour expresses self righteousness, enmity and arrogance then the ideas one presents will not be taken seriously, but many will believe that the engagement is purely for self-profit. By expressing friendliness and good will to those who represent the structures and actions one struggles against, the strength of argument and process of change receive increased space.
Political jujitsu
Jujitsu is a martial art and uses the strength of the adversary against her/himself. The theory is that the bigger and stronger the adversary the greater damage is done to her/himself just by attacking. In political jujitsu the nonviolence activist tries to turn the opponents strongest weapon violent reprisals against the opponent (not physically). It is when this succeeds that nonviolence is perhaps at its strongest. Political jujitsu means to dramatically swing opinion, accelerate the process of change and strengthen tendencies of defection within the opposing group. Political jujitsu arises when nonviolence activists bravely suffer the opponents brutal treatment and at the same time continue with transparency, nonviolence discipline and bravery to repeat their demands and refuse to give up when confronted the opponents violence. Cruelty and brutality committed against people who are obviously non-violent is regarded as inhuman and monstrous by most people. It often leads to opinion withdrawing its support from the violent party and instead giving it tot the non-violent activist. The American sociologist Edward Alsworth expresses this in the following way: The scene where humans suffer but do not hit back is touching. This obliges the powers that be to sink to explaining and justifying themselves. The weak receive new possibilities of winning the general opinion, perhaps even world opinion (from a free translation in Swedish). Voluntary suffering? But is suffering really necessary? Can one not struggle for all that is good without reprisals? Of course! There are many things to be done in the nonviolence struggle which effectively help to achieve the alternative society, characterized by peace and nonviolence, without risking being subject to suffering. At the same time there exists a struggle without violence against violence, in relation to violence. An effective strategic nonviolence resistance will meet with reprisals and cause suffering among activists in the form of ridicule, prison, beatings, economical consequences and so on. The struggle for a better world brings (personal) consequences All that work with strategic nonviolence must reckon with and prepare themselves for it. Some nonviolence workers have use voluntary suffering to achieve goals with nonviolence.
Civil Disobedience
Under a government which unjustly imprisons someone, the correct place for a just person likewise in prison Henry David Thoreau (1848)
Civil disobedience is a nonviolence method. It is an expression of nonviolence. Civil disobedience is, for some non-violence activists a central issue in nonviolence, but not all nonviolence activists are necessarily in agreement with civil disobedience. That which characterizes a civil disobedience action is to openly and publicly break a rule or law which one believes to be unjust. Breaking the law is carried out in a nonviolent manner after which the punishment judged is accepted. Not leaving the scene of the crime shows that fear of punishment which can be given is overcome. At this point the punishment loses in function. Civil disobedience can be carried out in all of Sharps three nonviolence categories, depending on which laws a land has. In some countries it is illegal to demonstrate and to carry out a demonstration and then take the punishment is an act of civil disobedience.
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In the 19th century the American Henry David Thoreau refused to pay tax. This he did because he was against his tax money being used to oppress the indigenous population USAs attack on Mexico. He received a prison sentence for the tax offence. The point in this was not refusing to pay tax, but the fact that the punishment was an important part of the action of resistance. This insight was used by Mohandas K Gandhi and Martin Luther King. In openly breaking an unjust law in a non-violent way and being prepares to take the punishment they carried out the most powerful resistance a human being can. With regard to civil disobedience, language plays a central role. Is one a terrorist or a freedom fighter, does one demobilize weapons of mass destruction or does one destroy material or is it sabotage? According to the non-violence principle peace is the way one cannot differentiate between the goal and the means. What happens if we destroy a JAS plane? What happens if we do not?
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This chapter has developed during the time I, Sara, participated in a course on gender and nonviolence arranged by the International Fellowship of Reconciliations program Women Peacemaker Program. It is an attempt to retell and spread the experiences and knowledge I received from all the participants and mentors. An experience which I carry with me is when I had a conversation with an Israeli and Palestinian woman that were working in the same organisation. The Palestinian woman told the Israeli woman that she could never be her friend if she introduced herself as a Jew. The Israeli woman was frustrated and hurt by that. The occurrence describes dominance and power situations in a conflict very clearly, I think. In the first place the difficulty for person dominant is shown to understand the oppressed person. In the second place, how our identity influences us and how we choose to emphasize ourselves and that part of our identity we cannot choose.
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Lika fr alla: strategier fr en jmstlld skola. Lrarfrbundet, (1998) In the academic world this is normally called intersectionality, which is the understanding of mechanisms which make for example, sex, class, age poverty level, caste to fundamental principles for superior and subordinate. Different power regulations influence, strengthen and weaken one another. 21 Vetenskapsrdets genuskommit 2003 22 Fredsagent 1325 Operation 1325s handbok. 23 OSAGI, United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues
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education/training, equal possibility to development of persona interests, talent and ambitions, shared responsibility for home and children freedom from sex related violence24. The term we - them in the sense superior inferior is perhaps seen most clearly and intensely through the division between men and women in the world. In a discriminations or conflict of justice there is a stronger and weaker part. Power is unequally divided. If we return to the iceberg and Galtungs three forms of violence we can say that direct violence constitutes violence by men against women in the home, threat of violence, degradation etc25. According to UN, mens violence against women is the most profound form of violation of human rights. It is estimated that every second to every fourth woman has been subject to physical violence of her partner26. The structural violence is the difference in laws and regulations between women and men, such as different salaries for the same work, compulsory military service for men (and women in some countries) and access to public positions and so on. The cultural violence is societys acceptance that it happens and the unfairness becoming the norm. Consciously or not.
Direct violence
Maltreatment in the home, rape, ridicule, threat
Cultural violence
Acceptance
Structural violence
Unequal salary, access to employment, inheritance rights, to be inviolate, sexism
It is a fact that 70% of the worlds poor are women27and more than 99% of the worlds income goes to men28. This is a clear example of structural violence. During a year, circa 30,000people die in wars around the world. During the same amount of time 3.5 million girls and women die in domestic violence.29 Which question does your government prioritise? This can be called an invisible global war which exists in all countries, irrespective of whether it is legal or not. It is an obvious structural injustice accepted by both the inferior (in this case women) and superior (men). Women can be regarded as second class citizens. There is a great demand for their work but less interest in their opinions and votes. Women are told to do as the man says. Manliness is connected to control of the woman and
24 25 26 27 28 29
From Operation 1325s handbook Francis, Diana, Rethinking War and Peace 2004 pp 65 70 Det r bara att lmna honom, ROKS (2007) Sjyst Konsument, Svenska Kyrkans Unga, 2004 Forum Syd Uppsala Universitet/Vrldsbanken
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the home. A man who does not have control over his woman is seen as a joke and is not regarded as a real man.30 This can create serious consequences. In Palestine, domestic violence
has increased explosively due to the Israeli occupation. The increased unemployment and the violation and degradation Palestinian men are subject to time and time again, by the Israeli border guards, destroys their masculinity as they can no longer support or protect their families. Rape and abuse in the home become a way of regaining their lost masculinity31. In Sweden we have laws against domestic violence, against discrimination on the grounds of which sex one is and a culture where it is not ok to beat your partner, irrespective of sex. According to a presentation at the World Economic Forum, 2007, Sweden has the highest equality, but despite this there is an imbalance of power in Swedish society. Look at any daily newspaper and see which people are portrayed in the foreign, domestic, sport and culture articles. Who is able to voice their opinion and who decides our role? Here, cultural violence is made visible. Sweden has despite this come a long way with regard to equality, but non-violence and gender are so much more that equality and beside this, Sweden is not separated from the rest of the world. If its natural to kill how come men have to go into training to learn how? Joan Baez ( 1941 -), Singer, peace activist USA
Militarism
War is gender violence. By law, men are recruited and in some countries even women to do military service. Military service includes learning to kill other human beings. This becomes reality for many soldiers. What
30 31 32 33 34 35
Francis, Diana, Rethinking War and Peace, pp 65 70 Ahlsen, Pernilla,Genderperspectiv p skerhet, 2006 sid 11 Inter Parliamentary Union Unifem Ibid UNRISD
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damage and cost is incurred by our society? How do we as a nation manage these men and women who return from the from the war zones? By analysing an armed conflict or war from a perspective of gender, we are able to see people roles before, during and after the outbreak of the conflict. This increases the possibility of creating a lasting peace which includes the whole population. Traditional roles are often changed during a war as the men go out to fight the women take over the mens`s work in order to keep the household going.
I am only one; but I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something. I cannot abstain from Doing that which I can do. Helen Keller
Model 1. Women and mens roles before, during and after conflict,
CONFLICT PHASE
BEFORE VICTIM Girls are taken out of school. Marriage with increasingly younger women PERPETRATOR Increased unemployment Insufficient school attendance PARTICIPANT (In a positive manner for peaceful development)
DURING Women raped and abducted in order to disunite the opponents identity
AFTER Difficulty in being accepted by ones own society Celebrated as heroes In their hometowns. Difficulty in managing daily chores. Mediate and work for A dialogue between the sides.
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Prominent Figures
This chapter is meant as an example of how one can illustrate a structural problems or injustices in society. Here follow a few examples of how people have done this.
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Berit s, (1928 - ) Norwegian Professor of Social Psychology, politician and the first female party leader in Norway. She has developed the theory of Domination Techniques. Dorothy Day, (1897 1980) Journalist and a founder member of the newspaper and later the movement Catholic Worker. In the newspaper she wrote on the importance of taking a personal responsibility for ones fellow human beings an analysed the causes in society injustice. It is not sufficient to help the needy; it is all about resisting the structures that create injustice and oppression. Today, there are over a hundred Catholic Worker Communities around the world. Emma Goldman, (1869 1940) Emma Goldman is a leading figure within the American radical and feminist movement. An anarchist who advocated freedom of speech, equality for women and womens independence. Her criticism of the compulsory recruitment of young men to the First World War lead to a two year prison sentence and thereafter, deportation. Ellen Key, (1849 1926) Author, debater and speaker. Author of Barnets rhundrade (1900). Helen Keller, (1880 - !968) American author and lecturer, completely blind and deaf from the age of two. The first deaf/blind person to graduate from an American university. Helen Keller worked for workers and womens rights. Mary Wollstonecraft, (1759 1797) Mary Wollstonecraft lived in England. When she was 19 years old, her mother died, and Mary, together with her sister started a school. Mary Wollstonecraft is best known for two things; that she wrote the book A Vindication of the Rights of Women, (1792) and that she bore a daughter Mary Shelley who wrote the book Frankensteins Monster. In Vindication Mary was scornful of the idea that women should be helpless ornaments in the home and demanded that women should be educated. She also demanded that women have the right to ownership, to manage a business and to get a divorce. Rigobertha Mench, (1959 - ) Guatemalan activist for peace who works for the indigenous populations rights and who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. Rosa Parks, (1913 2005) I was in the town of Montgomery, Alabama, USA that one evening, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man. She was on her way home from work and her action was no planned. It was only that Rosa was not sitting at the back of the bus where black people were supposed to sit according to the race laws. Rosa Parks got thrown off the bus. This lead to the non-white population boycotting the bus company. They refused to use the buses until the apartheid system was removed. Rosa Parks was put in jail. The bus company was eventually forced to change the system of different seating for whites and non-whites. This started a series of different civil disobedience actions and a new wave of civil rights movement emerged in the USA. Wangari Maathai, (1940 - ) Nobel Peace Prize in winner 2004, Kenyan doctor and environmental activist. Through The National Council of Women of Kenya, Wangari started the non-violence Green Belt Movement in 1977. Today this movement exists in more than 30 African countries. The goal is to protect the natural habitat and environment and encourage feminine leadership. Wangari Maathais struggle has not always been easy. She has, among other things, been arrested for leading a civil disobedience action with the goal of saving Uhuru Park in central Nairobi. Wangari has been beaten and the police closed her office.
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This chapter is taken from Stellan Vinthagens thesis Ickevldets sociologi and is an extremely abridged potion of a larger text, including editorial changes. 37 See e.g. Daube (1972), Horsley (1993), or Dear (1994) pp 17 102 The Book of Daniel in the Old Testament describes, according to Dear the non-violent struggle against oppression and violence. See also Berrigan on the Book of Daniel. 38 The question as to if nonviolence comprises a necessary form of action which should replace other forms as the nonviolence movement would maintain or not is another discussion. 39 Koontz, Theodore J., p 172in the article Christian Nonviolence An Interpretation, in Nardin (1996) and Brock (1972),pp474-476
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!964 tennis courts were occupied by radical young people wishing to stop the match between Sweden and Rhodesia, (who through the racist regime symbolised tennis as the white sport)The Street theatre group World Circus start nonviolence training and friend groups in Sweden while they organise the first house occupation Mullvaden. !983 several hundreds of nonviolence activists are arrested for blockading nuclear state embassies 41 Thrn (1997) discusses the term movement text as a central part of the movement identity or positioning. 42 Jrgen Johansson says that since 1980s are a majority of all irregular regime shifts such as revolutions, coups, citizens rebellions with non-military means .Example are Philippines, Bolivia, South Africa 1994 and Serbia. Some of them characterized by non-violence movements often parallel with other movements both armed and not.
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peoples movement as in India, and do not therefore usually actuate broad social themes in the same way other movements do, such as socialism, nationalism or globalisering. The nonviolence movement has a characteristic trait unity between nonviolence as a goal and nonviolence as a means.43 The ideological contribution from the nonviolence movement that the goal of a peaceful society craves peaceful methods. The way one manages conflicts in daily life is what makes history, or as you sow shall you reap. A thought which characterizes world religions. For some it is the thought that this overall conformity between the goal and the means creates the belief in nonviolence. It is precisely because the outcome is in question, however, that we need to choose a way of living that already is a living of the outcome we desire44.
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Reprisals are a sure sign that victory is near. We shall not surrender, become angry or violent. Violence is suicide. Every movement which survives the fourth stage -reprisals in all their forms without answering in the same way always achieve respect. This is the same as victory - Mohandas K. Gandhi
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The Citizens rights Movement in the USA 40 years ago in the southern USA racism against Afro-Americans was widespread. Racism was obvious both in law and society. Afro Americans were forbidden to use the same toilets or eat lunch at the same places as other Americans. They were persona non grata at golf clubs and swimming baths. There were many Afro Americans who wished to change the system. The question was how? Many believed that violence was the only way. There were others who believed that nonviolence was the solution. Two of those who lead the campaign were Martin Luther King Jr and James Lawson, both pastors, inspired by Gandhi. Lawson and king knew that nonviolence needs practise. They collected young Afro Americans and a few Americans who wished to protest against the racial system. They were taught nonviolence action according to Gandhis principles and trained role play, conversation and discussion. Lawson had been to India to learn Gandhis nonviolence techniques. Lawson, King and their followers chose a place where racism was happening: lunch restaurants where Afro Americans were not allowed to sit. Their tactics were to go in and sit in the forbidden places for as long as possible. They called the action sit-ins, and were taught to always hold eye contact with the person who attacked them, to always be polite, well dressed and never use violence. That they would be attacked they knew. Many wished to retain the racial system and disliked the laws being broken. Nonviolent groups were attacked with fists and kicks, but without hitting back even once. After a while the police came and arrested, not the racists but the nonviolent Afro Americans that had sat in forbidden places. When a group was taken away by the police a new group replaced them, sitting in the same forbidden places. This resulted in lunch restaurants closing down. Another part of the campaign was to boycott shops and stores that discriminated Afro Americans. The combined effect of this was that owners lost large amounts of money. Finally many of the restaurant owners wanted to change the system so that they did not lose money. The campaign spread to the greater part of southern USA. In 1960 there were sit-ins where Afro American sat in forbidden places in restaurants in 78 towns, over 70,000 people took part in actions and 3,000 of them were imprisoned. The following year the discriminating laws were removed in nearly 100 towns, which is a quick result. Today all Americans are seen equal even if it is proven that Afro Americans are more often convicted in law courts and there is economic injustice.45
Bearing in mind the worlds dependence on violence, most of us choose to give up in despair and say that there is nothing we can do to change the world. Most of us quickly forget Gandhis non-violent revolution in India, the non-violent resistance of People Power in the Philippines the nonviolence example of Chinese students in the face of tyranny. We forget Dr Kings non-violent Citizens Rights movement which changed American history, or the nonviolent demonstrations which brought down the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union. As nonviolence has been tried so seldom most of us do not believe it will work. -John Dear
The struggle against economic injustice Nonviolence has mostly been associated with oppressive governments, for example the apartheid regime in South Africa, Great Britains occupation of India or the oppression of Afro Americans in southern USA. Nonviolence has also been used a lot against regimes where people suffer great poverty. Oppression and injustice often go hand in hand. The great global movement against injustice made itself manifest in the demonstrations in Seattle USA, in 1999. Thousands of people joined together in expressing their dissatisfaction with the way that world trade and world order creates a lot of poverty and few wealthy. After Seattle, it became usual with big demonstrations at the meetings of institutions which manage global economics: The World Bank, The World Trade Organisation and The International Monetary Fund For a long time, people have protested non-violently and even violently against economic injustice. One of the largest organisations in the world using nonviolence to achieve economic justice is MST Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra The Landless Workers movement. MST is a Brazilian and has over a million members. Brazil is world champion in having the largest chasm between rich and poor. In this enormous nation there are millions of citizens living at the same standard as in Sweden, while many more millions are really poor, without work or land to grow food on. This grotesquely large chasm between rich and poor in Brazil originates
Facts about the section on the Civil Rights Movement are taken from A Force more Powerful A Century of Nonviolent Conflict by Peter Ackerman and Jack Duvall. See further www.aforcemorepowerful.org
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in the time of colonisation and slavery. The Portuguese noblemen stole land from the indigenous population and shared among themselves. A few got nearly all of the land and remains so today. The background to MST is that a sort of Christian basic group was formed in a number of Catholic Churches in Brazil. Here farm workers, priests, union representatives and oppositional people met. They discussed Christianity and how the situation for the poor could be improved. The idea of occupation of land, belonging to the rich, land not even used was born in theses groups. From there to MST which is still active today. They take over land which is not used pitch their tents or raise their huts and cultivate the earth. Often MST gets chased off the land by guards after a time they return and continue. It is not without its risks. Over 1,000 MST members have been murdered by the guards. It does not cost more than between Skr200 500 for the Brazilian elite to buy a murder Even so, MST has retained its policy of nonviolence. A few MST members have left the organisation as they believe it is better to defend themselves with violence. Today MST is a movement that claims respect from both poor and rich alike. 56% of Brazilian voters sympathize with the movement. The movement has during 20 years taken over 20 million hectares of agricultural land which is an enormous area at the same time as Brazil is 350 million hectares. There are still 50 million people that do not get daily food, at the same time over a million people have been helped by MST46
Cowardice asks the question Is it safe? Comfort asks the question Is it polite? Pride asks the question Is it popular? But conscience asks the question: Is it right? And it comes to a point where one has to take a stand which is neither safe, polite or popular, one takes a stand because ones conscience says that it is right. -Martin Luther King Jr
The Fall of the Berlin Wall During the dissolution of the Soviet Union there was both an upside and down and a downside and up perspective. From the top came glasnost, perestroika and democratsatsiya (openness, restructuring and democracy), initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev. Implacable pressures from below supported creating a climate ready for change. On the one side there was a small but stubborn group of human rights advocates that continuously craved that human rights be respected. The other side, religious, peace and environmental groups, artists and poets, refused in different ways to subject themselves to the totalitarian state. The failure with the Czechoslovakian experiment in 1968 to create socialism with a human face strengthened the widely predisposed opinion that communism could not achieve peaceful change and democratic openness, that nonviolence may well function in India or USA but never in a communist regime. This provided fuel for The Cold War and the nuclear weapons race and the opinion that a Third World War was unavoidable. Few took note of the part of the Czechoslovakian experiment which contained indications of peoples power the revolutions that would come during the 80s. The 1968 invasion of the Warsaw pacts armies was expected to crush all resistance within the period of a couple of days. It took eight months. Czechoslovakians large and well trained army was ordered to remain in barracks while the population answered in creative and nonviolent ways. The Czech news agency refused to report disinformation such as the leader of Czechoslovakia had asked for the invasion. Road signs were turned the wrong way to confuse the invaders. Students sat in the way for oncoming tanks, others climbed up on the tanks to discuss with the tank crews. People did not fight physically with the invaders but refused to cooperate. Secret messages via the radio helped to maintain a good moral in the population at the same time as radio programmes spread vital information about calling a general strikes. The Czech leaders succeeded in retaining their positions and continuing some reforms until resistance started to give way. Twelve years later, in 1980 neighbouring country Poland took up the flag of nonviolence when the shipyard workers went on strike. With prayers and meetings the union movement Solidarity was born. Through strikes, sit ins and demonstrations, Solidarity gave the workers an independent voice and started a grass roots movement which quickly spread over the whole of Poland. The government immediately proclaimed a State of Emergency in December 1981. Instead of this destroying Solidarity, people started creating an alternative society from below; they chose to live as though they were free. A new society was born in the shell of the old one. When eventually general elections were held in 1989, Solidarity won a landslide victory.
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Facts about the Landless Workers Organisation are taken from Ordfront Magasin 5/2002.
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The Polish elections were helped by the revolutionary changes in the Soviet Union. Gorbachevss reforms which started in1985 opened the dams of longing for change which ultimately would wash away even Mikhail Gorbachev and the Soviet Block. One after another the totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe are overthrown by people armed with truth and bravery. A critical mass had been reached by a growing body of people. The symbol of change was 9th November 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell the old order collapsed and with exception for Rumania47 very little violence and loss of life occurred. In the wake of the fall of the Eastern Block a number of nonviolent revolutions have taken place, Serbia,48 Georgia, the Ukraine. In Serbia the Otpor organisation used many often creative methods. When the news was shown on TV people vacuum cleaned their balconies to show that they had better things to do than watch propaganda. When the police forced Otpor to move they used empty moving crates which they carried as though they were heavy as a way of delaying the move. When police in an effort to speed up the move lifted a crate which he thought to be heavy the impetus of the lift caused him to land on his backside. It is important to remember that Otpor worked for several years, with resources in the form of money and non-violence training from different quarters and that finally became a mass movement which could not be stopped. Belarus on the other hand, Swedens nearest dictator and Europes last is among the least reformed countries of the former Soviet Union. When independence came to Belarus the country did not have a national identity and the economy was in a state of crisis, which contributed to creating prerequisites for political populism. Simple solutions and security were demanded, Aleksander Lukasjenko was elected president in 1994. As a result of a number of referendums since then the role of the president has become increasingly powerful. There is no sharing of power in the country and relations between Belarus and the western world are strained.49 Intensive efforts are in progress in different quarters to democratize Belarus. One of democracys nonviolence leaders is Olga Karach. Olga is one of the leaders for the resistance movement in Belarus, Zubr; partly inspired by Otpor in Serbia. The work is not without its dangers. Olga tells of friends whose parents have betrayed them to the KGB. Their own parents! It becomes possible for the whole system in Belarus to be built on fear and completely break people. Olga herself has lost her place as a teacher and has on several occasions been interrogated by security police. She is now also active as a politician in opposition. After the election 2004, the parliament of Belarus does not have any politicians in opposition! Belarus has no free media. Olga says that it is difficult to get a newspaper officially registered, and without registration the maximum circulation number is 299. It is also the official number for the newspaper Our House in which Olga participates once a fortnight. In reality the circulation is about 35,000, says Olga. Their resources are small. Olga and her friend spend a lot of time producing information material and knocking on doors to spread the information, talking to people about Belarus and how the country can be democratized and what can be done. There are several organisations in Sweden working for democracy in Belarus, for example PeaceQuest., Landsrdet fr Ungdomsorganisationer (LSU) Svenska Freds och Skiljedomsfreningen. Although a lot has happened in the former Soviet States there is still a lot to achieve in Belarus, until Belarus also becomes an example of the success of non-violence.50 In Sweden Even in Sweden, nonviolence has been deployed successfully. An example of nonviolence action in Sweden occurred in 1995 when compulsory car pooling in handicap mobility service became law. As a result of this law handicapped people could only use the mobility service every 15th minute. This, of course, meant that these people became subject to inconvenience. They met with politicians and civil servants, to state their case but without success. Members of organisations Unga synskadade, (sight handicapped) and Unga rrelsehindrade (movement handicapped), blocked all entrances and exits to the council offices allowing people to pass in and out every 15th minute to show that their time was as important as others. Unfortunately, mobility service is still inflexible. In 1931 several (5) demonstrators were shot during a demonstration for higher wages at dalen. The demonstrators used non-violence but met with deadly violence. The unions worked for greater justice in Sweden. Earlier there were great differences between rich and poor. The situation improved with time but has now during the 1990s worsened again. Since dalen 1931 the police have not shot any demonstrators, but in the summer of 1991 it happened again, however without deadly result. The demonstration was not about wages but tens of thousands were protesting for global justice during the EU meeting in Gothenburg. Demonstrators wished to show that they did not that
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Information on the fall of the Berlin Wall is taken from www.forusa.org/nonviolence/0990_73deats.html free translation There is extensive information on the fall of Milosevic on this website www.pbs.org/weta7dictator about Otpors work, organisation Resistance organised mainly by young people, who played a decisive role. 49 Information on Belarus is taken from Swedish Foreign Office Landsstrategi: Vitryssland 1 januari 2002 31 december 2004. 50 See also www.aftonbladet.se/vss/debatt/story/0,2789,207201,00.html
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accept the fact that 50 million people died each year as a result of injustice while we in the West live a live of luxury. There were a number of demonstrators who resorted to violence and the media gave them nearly all the attention.
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Worldwide Nonviolence
Each day on every continent of our planet there is a nonviolence struggle. It is bigger and wider than ever before and even if it is the military actions the get the biggest headlines it is the nonviolence actions that reap the greatest victories in both big and small. In the following chapter some are described. This is what a usual day on the planet looks like: At dawn, a couple of hundred families enter an area of land which lies deserted and make it their land. They cultivate the land, build schools and small hospitals. Even if the occupants are not legally owners to the land, The Landless Workers Movement who organise hundreds of thousands of workers in Brazil, consider that they have a greater moral right to the land than the big landowners. The poor need the land to survive. Bus drivers in Paris organise a reversed strike. Instead of refusing to work they drive the buses without passengers paying. The Union pays for the fuel. The passengers are happy, they travel free and the bus company has no income. Flora, a Christian woman in the Sudan, participates in a workshop arranged by a Sudanese non-violence organisation together with the Christian Peace Movement. Christians and Muslims meet there. I used to hate the Muslims, them from the north she said. From childhood we learned to hate them, but at the workshop I met so many good people from the north that I could no longer hate them. In a poor quarter of one of Colombias towns with over a million inhabitants , the members of a youth network, Red Juveniles, are giving a theatre piece on the street. They are dressed in uniforms and carry plastic guns. The idea with the street theatre is to portray civil people being murdered by gangs, a part of everyday life in Colombia. At the world Trade Organisations meeting in Seattle at the end of 1999 ten thousand activists union members, advocates of Global justice, environmentalists dressed up as porpoises blocked the doors to the building where the meeting was to take place. The Battle of Seattle became a symbol for those against the force of the globalisation movement. Ordinary citizens can, if they organise themselves give the worlds most powerful decision makers a tough match. In India, poor families attempted in The Movement Against Large Dams to prevent a large dam from being built which threatened to obliterate their village. In Australia people belonging to the organisation Animal Liberation break into large egg production buildings where chickens sit in extremely crowded pens. They carefully remove the chickens and drive them out into the country where friends look after them and supply veterinary care. Having done this they then come forward and in front of TV cameras and law courts explain why they save the chickens. During the war in Chechnya in the 1990s Russian mother organised as Soldiers Mothers Committee travelled to Chechnya to personally take home their sons. Their opinion was that the war was a catastrophe both for Russians and Chechnyans.
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Serbia 2000
NATO planes bombed Serbia in 1999. The attack did not achieve its goal to force out Dictator Slobodan Milosevic. The result became the opposite. The dictator received increased support as a result of the continued bombings. But prior to the elections in 2000 the opposition united in an effort to remove Milosevic. They organised large demonstrations in the capital Belgrade, occupying the Serbian television house and Parliament. The protests forced Milosevic out of office. Peace researcher Stellan Vinthagen takes up five factors which made a peaceful revolution in Serbia possible. See also www.resistancestudies.org
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Humoristic actions in the form of messages sprayed on house walls, parades and pamphlets accomplished by the student movement Otpor belayed ordinary peoples fear of the regime. The eighteen opposition parties ceased their mutual disagreement. Instead they formed an alliance. By doing this they presented a realistic and democratic political alternative to Milosevic. Thousands of miners and other workers went on strike as a protest against the regime. They represented the economic resistance. The resistance movement succeeded in mobilising a hundred thousand or more people in a demonstration in Belgrade. People travelled from all parts of the country in car and bus caravans. This made manifest the Serbian peoples support for the uprising. People in the opposition had contact with the regimes source of power which: the police and the military forces. This gave the resistance knowledge in advance of what security forces were planning. As the protestors refused to use violence against the police and instead smile and talk to them in a friendly manner, it was easier for them to join the opposition.
It is not enough to change the regime Jrgen Jahansen points out that successful nonviolence groups have, in the latest decade, been better at getting rid of regimes than replacing them with something better. Revolutions have indeed created parliamentary democracies where many different political parties can take part in elections something to be preferred to dictatorship. But another result of uprisings is that the new regimes have adapted their foreign policy to EU and USA, introduced new-liberal economic politics, which among other things which means privatising of state owned resources and promoted privately owned capitalistic companies. This has increased the chasm between rich and poor. This tendency is in no way a unique development for societies which have experienced a nonviolent revolution. In the last decade a movement to new-liberalism has swept over the world, but for activists and citizens rights movements who are not just satisfied with replacing regimes but who wish to create a society built on equality this is something to reflect upon. Johansen joins in Gandhis idea that those wishing to change an unjust society must start building the new just society here and now new political structures, new democratic forms of organisation before they take over governmental power in the country. In addition Gandhi advocates an inner revolution: it is necessary for individual to accumulate new values and attitudes if the alternative society is to see the light of day. To remove a government is a necessary part of change in rebuilding society, but for the total revolution in Gandhian tradition more than a .change of government is needed. To create effective civic structures, that the whole population can participate in democratic process, that rebels have a positive alternative to the present order, that ordinary people attain the self confidence needed to determine over their work and their everyday life instead of letting chiefs and politicians do it, that a disposition of solidarity spreads to all - this is a part of what must be generated. To carry out a non-violent revolution is a challenge on many levels.
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These and other commitments are such as non-violent people live up to in everyday life. How we treat out children, how women and men behave to one another, what food we choose, how our consumption affects the environment these are not private, but political question. Through our separate choices we influence society. You are sitting behind the wheel In popular psychological literature and self-help books it is often stated that You are responsible for your life. Do not blame others. It is you that is driving. You are master of your fate. Nonviolence activists and other committed people say this on a civic level. Even when they do not achieve their political goals such as breaking an occupation reminds us others that each one of us can react on the News on the TV. We can suppress what we know and turn to private, family, career or studies interests or, do something about the situation. Nonviolence across national borders Swedish organisations working with nonviolence, for example Civisand PeaceQuest, cooperate with movements in Forum Syd which is a catalogue of organisations. This is a way of helping each other. Experiences are exchanged and new knowledge is shared. In addition, it is often inspiring to meet people in other parts of the world who use similar non-violence methods and who are committed in the same way. There is an example of such a meeting below. Another form of nonviolence is that which is called preventive presence, where activists travel to conflict areas and by their presence have a soothing effect. There is also an example of this work, given by a member of the Christian Peace Movement who travelled in Guatemala.
Colombia
In the pamphlet Welcome to Colombia members of the Swedish organisation PeaceQuest talk about meetings they have had with young people in Colombias civil war. Here is an extract from an interview of Diego, aged 25 and Daisy, aged 19 from the youth organisation Red Juvenil, Youth network made by Fedrik Jansson., from the town of Medellin in Southern Colombia. Red Juvenil started in the 1990s as a reaction against how young people from Medellins poor quarters were described by the civic authorities. They felt stigmatised by the authorities and the media and wished to show another picture of young people. The problem of the young is a symptom of the illness, says Diego. By more clearly identifying young people as a part of society one can more easily solve the problems which rest on social problems, alienation and a lack of possibilities. Just now Red Juvenil is working with a school campaign. We use different participation techniques in our presentations: theatre, forum play, role play and games. In a richer area, they would not let us in o the school area despite an invitation from a friend who attends the school. So we got together outside the school and did a presentation anyway and everybody who took part said it was good, Daisy tells us. Red Juvenil has long been engaged in the struggle against carrying weapons, military service and force recruitment by the armed actors. They work with information and give legal air to conscientious objectors. -Colombias constitution recognises conscientious objection as a right but at the same time say that in a time of war all must do military service. We believe that it is a right not to have to kill someone, not to carry weapons and not to have to take part in a war you do not believe in says Diego. The military in Colombia can stop anybody at will and demand a military service card which shows that one has done military service. If you do not have a card with you, then you are taken directly to the nearest military base. Being taken into custody in this manner is illegal. Call up to military service should be done in writing at the same time as one is informed of their rights in the matter. -When one of our members is arrested by the police or military, we use all our national and international networks to apply pressure. This has given results. in several cases the military have not touched people they know belong to us or who say that they are conscientious objectors Diego says. He also says that international solidarity is a matter of life and death for them. - We want people to help by sending letters of protest when something happens. The authorities here know that there are people abroad who have their eyes on us and what happens with our safety. One can be on an e post list on our website www.redjuvenil.org Doing or not doing military service is a question of class. Military service is, for many, an economic possibility in the shadow of unemployment; at the same time if you are rich you can buy your way free. Both employers and university demand a national service card and therefore if you do not have a card it can influence your future considerably.
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-In the military, those doing national service are divided into two groups. Those who have basic school and those with no schooling. Those with no schooling are sent to the areas of conflict, while those who have studied serve only one year and are sent to the towns, where the risk that something will happen is less Diego says.
Guatemala
During the 1980s the military in Guatemala murdered many people not least, indigenous people. They were suspected of supporting the left wing guerrilla forces. The civil war ceased in 1996 and today civil rights organisations are trying to get the perpetrators tried for their crimes. The Christian Peace Movement send followers to (among other places) Guatemala, to be present in the villages and give moral support to those who witness against the soldiers. It is an understatement to say that it is not without risk. Many fear those who previously were soldiers. Peace Observer Henrik Edvinsson gives a picture of the work in a narrative from 2005. After walking up a steep climb for to hours we finally reached the village. The rain period had not yet reached the Guatemalan highland therefore the heat was pressing and the sun strong. Here we have a house to our disposition but we always take our meals together with the witness families. A more concrete task is to ascertain the psychological health of the witnesses and the general situation in the villages. During the meals we ask how they are and how the work on the fields is progressing. Often it is difficult to have a longer conversation as they often do not speak much Spanish. Here, the Maya language Ixil is spoken, and as a Peace Observer you do best in learning basic phrases and words.
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Another way of practising non-violence in everyday life is to intervene against direct oppression. It is important to see the difference between conflict and oppression even if they often go hand in hand. Conflicts are not necessarily a problem but our behaviour in conflicts can be. The following model, below is a toolbox for intervention in violation, oppression and violence. The KAOS model is in the first instance for use of people outside the conflict, the so called third party. The model gives them the chance to go from being passive observers to actively intervene, break oppression and make clear the situation. Confront. As most violations take place under some sort of secret screen one of the most important steps is making visible the violation putting words and names to what is happening - Why are you so nasty to Lisa? By naming what happens by asking questions, one shows sympathy and at the same time makes clear that the negative behaviour is not accepted. Divert attention. A usual way of preventing trouble with small children is to divert attention. Particularly in situations where there are a lot of feelings, the possibility of violence, or where the injured party is not present, this can be a good tool. A conflict can often be loaded with energy and attention and can therefore be difficult to leave. A way of breaking a stalemate is to take a time-out and in this way divert attention from the situation. A violent situation which is accelerating can be slowed down by unexpected questions such as Do you like going to the movies? In this way, the course of events of the conflict are broken and there is the chance of an opening, where the parties concerned do not focus on one another, and a possibility of meeting the conflict is created. Reinterpret. In a conflict it is easy for the parties concerned to take on roles. By reinterpreting the situation or giving new roles an escalation of the conflict can be avoided. The pupil that is always talking gets the role of assisting someone who has difficulty in voicing his/her opinion. The man, who with hurried steps closes in on a woman walking through the park in the evening is asked if he can help the woman carry her heavy bags as he seems strong. By asking for help or advice of people we think behave problematically we can present for some who temporarily is behaving a bit bad guy, the chance to be show his best side and be a hero. To reinterpret roles can also be about not seeing oneself as victim. Support/Separate In a conflict situation both the oppressor and the oppressed need support from the environs. A way of supporting the oppressed is nearness, for example sitting next to someone when the person is spoken of in an ill-willed way. In this situation the oppressed is no longer alone and as such becomes more difficult as a target for the oppressor, just asking if someone is okay, particularly if the person has been beaten. Supporting the oppressor can be a question of balance. The situation can easily turn to one of many people taking part for the oppressed and thereby the oppressor becoming the oppressed. In this situation support the person, take him/her away and talk it through.
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Training material in conflict management by Klaus Engell- Nielsen. KAOS represents the following four words in Swedish: Konfrontera, (confront) Avleda, (divert attention) Omtolka, (reinterpret) and Stdja/Skilja (support/separate) thus KAOS. (Translators note)
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Peacekeeping pairs.
Another method of approach to effectively prevent violation is through peacekeeping pairs. Peacekeepers use the KAOS method in a particularly creative way to, as quickly as possible, stop the violation, violence and tense situation. The peacekeeper method has been used all over the world in everywhere from school to demonstrations to parties and so on. To be a good peacekeeper it is important that one has been properly trained in conflict intervention and the ability to cooperate with a partner. A peacekeeper has a distinctive feature in the form of a hat, a particular armband or be dressed distinctively (for example in white).
Aggressive (oppressor)
? 5 seconds
Peacekeeping pair
Person A subjects person B to some form of violation or violence. As energy is now directed towards B. If someone goes between them there is a big risk that they will get As anger over them instead of B. The peacekeepers act quickly and coordinated. C goes to A and catches As attention for 5 seconds. It can be to ask what time it is, or ask for help or if it is a case of extreme violence, try to create a thought stop by saying something crazy and / funny, behave in such a way that A must be attentive to C. It is important that that C does not go too close to A and that after 5 seconds C moves away. During the time that C does this D goes to B and asks that B and D leave together. Often, when we are exposed to some situation we get glue under our feet and we do not move even though we could. It is relatively easy to lead someone away. When A turns around after 5 seconds, B, C and D are no longer present and the situation is prevented.
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CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
An introduction to the section on conflict management In the same manner as the first section of the material gives insight to the theory of non-violence and how it functions, this section of the book takes up the theory and function of conflict management. First, a little general knowledge on conflict; What is a conflict? Basic conflict terminology and views on conflict together with a little general information on how conflicts work. This is a good basic knowledge. The next stage is about how we can understand and analyse conflicts. Here the dynamics of conflict are described; how conflicts escalate and the importance of thinking in terms of need. The chapter gives an analytical perspective to conflicts and increases understanding of what is happening in a specific conflict. The next stage is about how we can manage conflict in a constructive and creative way. Here attitudes around the unconditionally constructive strategy and how to start a positive anti-spiral in a conflict are described. The different dimension of conflict management is examined in the Zoo of Conflicts. For different suggestions on conflict intervention, see the enclosed CD. Communication is a particularly important ingredient of all constructive conflict management and therefore this part is about just that. Active or steered listening is discussed and also so called non-violence communication. After this, a section on conflict management in school. Here we look at both the perspective around the role of school fosterage, the work of active encouragement, making positive limits, models of trouble shooting and training social competence and different ways of working with problematic behaviour patterns and models for conflict management in school. The conflict management section of the material terminates with a passage on how we can, after training start up and continue with different activities and commitments. Good Luck!
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Conflict Terminology
The opposite of cooperation and agreement is not conflict, but isolation and broken contact. Conflicts force us together again. The rest depends on how we handle the situation. -Stellan Vinthagen peace researcher. Here follows a short exposition of different types of basic conflict terminology and thoughts which can be good to have along the way. Conflict functions Conflicts can have different functions To give a picture of self- and the other party To function as self-strengthening To have a ventilator function To aim at achieving goal and the point of issue To have a blocking and signal function Conflict typologies There are different types of conflicts. The most usual divisions are: Latent (below the surface) & manifest conflicts (ongoing) More or less regulated conflicts Hot (emotional) & cold (denied) conflicts. Conflict result Generally one can say that conflicts terminate in at least five different ways: Submission Dominance Avoidance Compromise Cooperation - one party gives up - one party dominates the other - the conflict is ignored - the parties find a compromise solution - The parties find a way of cooperating
Reasons for conflict There are many different theories as to the basic reasons for conflict. Several theories point to the connection between inner and outer conflicts. Jon Burton, for example, says that conflicts often originate in underlying frustrated needs. See further To think in need (p.83)
The General dynamics of conflict and constructive attitudes. Some factors are common to most conflicts in both negative and positive dynamics of conflict. Here are some of the most usual: Negative conflict behaviour Constructive attitude Narrowing egocentric reasoning Competition and prestige Stress and shortage of time Lack of communication
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Hung up on historical injustices Violence Broadening of thought to a bigger we Seeking win-win solutions Take a breath and step backwards Communication Concentrating on the future and solutions To avoid all forms of violence. Attempt to save the faces of those involved
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Conflicts are often composite and complex phenomena that take place on several different levels. A South American farmer, who rents the land he cultivates, has a conflict about terms of lease with the landowner. Is the conflict a personal conflict between them, or is it really a conflict between all farmers and landowners? Perhaps it is a cultural conflict or part of a global conflict between workers and capitalists in the capitalistic system? A woman is beaten by her husband. Is it a just their domestic conflict or is it related to our societys roles of gender. Perhaps their conflict is a part of the historical global problem about the patriarchys dominance of women? And so on. Just about all conflicts can be opened and closed in the same manner as an accordion in this way. Most conflicts contain an intra-personal psychological, individual segment, an inter-personal relations segment, a civic cultural segment and a global structural segment. It is important to at least attempt to have a more overall picture of the
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conflict and see the connections between the conflict on an individual level, a structural level and civic cultural level. That conflicts can be made visible in this way demonstrates that conflict management within us or between us is of importance to the structures and culture around us and vice versa. All creative conflict management should work both with managing personal conflicts and with changing negative structures. Not the least important is to see both levels and how they influence one another. Kari Utas Carlsson, a school doctor who in 1999 took a doctors degree in pedagogic with the thesis Violence Prevention and Conflict Resolution: A Study of Peace Education in Grades 4-6,52 has identified two paradigms of power. Utas Carlsson proposes that through extensive development of the knowledge of conflict and the growing peace culture in society a new paradigm is emerging. The older war culture with acceptance of violence, a win-lose situation and right or wrong guidelines still prevails. In the new paradigm the frames are different. Even this model can be used with advantage, on different levels, from interstate conflicts to personal conflicts.
The personal is political and the political is personal
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B-Behaviour
C-conflict issue
Galtung proposes that conflicts consist of one or several conflict issues. It is also a question of what the parties are in disagreement about or both want. Conflict conveys a certain conflict behaviour, for example raised voices, violence or silence. The consequence of this is a change in feelings and attitudes, which, in its turn changes the original conflict issue and behaviour and so on. Let us look at an example where two people are arguing over who should wash the dishes. The initial behaviour can be that they talk and argue. As the feelings and attitude towards the other person change, so does the conflict issue which is now being accused of being lazy or stubborn. Now the conflict is no longer confined to a question of dish washing, but becomes more and more a personal issue. When the conflict issue grows, behaviour often becomes more violent and attitudes more bitter. Perhaps someone leaves the room and slams the door. The conflict escalation has moved from conflict issue to personal issue and finally violence. In the same way, naturally a conflict can de-escalate through positive behaviour and attitude. The advantage with this method is that it gives possibilities of choice in managing conflict. Depending on the type of conflict, we can intervene, or work with, behaviour, attitude or conflict issue. A possibility is to stop conflict behaviour B, influence feelings and attitudes A, solve conflict issue C, or perhaps use the sequence B-CA. It is often just the top of the conflict which is visible (the so called iceberg principle). Under the surface there can be unconscious and/or unspoken aspects:hidden agendas. To be able to solve the conflict it is important to be able to see the whole iceberg. Otherwise one risks using a lot of energy solving a problem which is just a cover up for the underlying conflict.
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Glasl Freidrich, Confronting Conflict. A first aid kit for handling conflict.
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number one in the debate. We have over the years seen many examples of politicians who are/were absolute masters at showing up the opponents stupid arguments. In politics this is accepted. Afterward they go and drink coffee together and are the best of friends. It was interesting to follow the debate on the EMU (European Monetary Union), soon after the murder of Anna Lind, (Foreign Minister of Sweden). The debate was on the level of a dialogue. A normal debate was not possible. 3. The third step is about steamrollering. The involved parties no longer see any point in talking to one another. It becomes necessary to act and let the clarity of action speak. Now the other party must realize that this alternative is the correct one. Everything spoken and done becomes subject to interpretation, which means that it can be easy to fall down another step. Most often, the party doing the steamrollering, experiences that he or she is doing it for the best. The other party will understand. Sometimes a change may be effected at a place of work, when one of the partys is on holiday. At a hospital clinic the rest of the personnel took measures concerning a patient whose contact person was on holiday. Prior to the holiday, all were in agreement that just those measures should not be carried out. On return from holiday, the contact person felt steamrollered. In addition to the steamrollering a feeling of violation can occur, which in turn can create great anger and the need for revenge. When this occurs at a place of work it is not unusual that the injured party goes on the sick list. To leave an unfinished situation in this manner bodes no good for solving the conflict or understanding why the partys acted as they did. An example by expression could be They did that just because I am an immigrant/woman/a nursing attendant! A conflict is both parties responsibility. The less we talk to one another, the more fear we feel, for what the other will do. The further down the conflict stairway, the more negative the interpretation of the other partys actions and words, and of course the opposite. Finally, no matter what is said, it will not be interpreted positively. Feel the conflict between a teenager and parent; where the parent can easily feel that nothing he/she says or does is right. Stage 2 The other party is the problem When we come to the second stage of the stairway of conflict, it is no longer about different points of view. Now the conflict has taken hold of the relationship between the partys and it becomes more and more difficult to be together. Despite this there are still limits as to what they to each other. 4. As the partys in the conflict define more stereotype pictures of one another, a clear malicious picture of the other is also defined. It becomes obvious that the other has always been the way he/she is now portrayed and that there is no hope of the person ever changing. At the same time self appears in a much better light. The parties strive to find sympathisers by telling the truth about the other part and emphasize their own excellence. Now everything the other says is interpreted negatively, everything confirms the negative picture of her/him. On a hospital ward a conflict developed between the ward sister and other staff. In an interview, the other staff described the ward sister as Hitler. This is an ample example of serious distortion of the other part. 5. The fifth step on the stairway concerns getting the other part to expose themselves in front of outsiders and through this to lose face. In the case of the hospital ward the discussion was about who should go on a training course. The ward sister had an understanding of the criteria demanded. During the meeting one of the co-workers rang to the person responsible for training at the hospital and received totally different criteria. This incident was fatal for the whole process now the personnel considered that they had proof that the ward sister had favourites and was incompetent in her position, she if anyone should know what was right! For her it was a terrible experience. Losing face is an extremely strong negative feeling. In can go so far as to cause suicide, this rather than having to meet the others eye to eye ever again. The ward sister in question suffered heart disease not long after this occurrence and never returned to the ward. On the way down the stairway the participants become more and more willing to use all power and all available means to get rid of the other party who is now not to be seen as human. The picture of the others dark side becomes more prominent at the same time as ones self appears as the champion of morality. 6. The sixth step is about one or both of the parties in the conflict using strategic threats and pressure. The reason that theses threats are so serious is that they are the beginning of showing a wish to injure one another. If you do notthen I will.. This is a very slippery step as threat is only effective if the person who threatens is prepared to carry it out. If I do as you say when you threaten me then I give up in the face of your pressure and
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threat. If I do not do as you say when you threaten me then you either risk losing face by not carrying out your threat or you slip down yet another step if you do. In a hospital clinic there was a member of the staff who seemed a little abrupt and critical. Some colleagues immediately went to the chief to complain about how terrible this person was. The chief offered the colleagues to organise a meeting together with the person in question to clear the air. They answered that they would sooner leave than attend such a meeting. The chief then talked to the staff member and told her she would have to change her behaviour. As she could not understand what the problem was, she could not do anything about it. It is perhaps unnecessary to point out that she did not feel so good in that situation. Stage 3 Violence, injury and destruction of the other party This far the initial conflict issue has been central and thereafter the question of person. Now we come to the stage where the central theme is damaging the other party. In this last stage of the conflict stairway, a more warlike situation appears. The other party can be treated as a pure physical object and to these ends it seems morally justified in using any means. The involved parties regard one another as inhuman and the attitude is that the stronger is right over the weaker. 7. The first step in this stage is about a limited destruction, or limited violence. The will for a mutual solution is gone. Activity is designed to damage the other party or ruin the other partys resources. An example of this can be one party in divorce proceedings forces the other party to sell the house even though that party wishes to continue to live there with the children. 8. Low down on the conflict stairway, the attacks become more brutal and here it is about attacking nerve centres, doing damage where it hurts most. Consideration for the other party is completely gone. Now the focus is on central areas. In Palestine the farmers olive harvests have been ruined or stolen, and the olive groves have been obliterated by Israeli bulldozers. If we continue with the divorce proceeding above, we are now at a stage where one parent stops the other from having contact with their children. 9. The last step is about total destruction. The destructive energy has reached a climax as if there is no return. The conflict is total and all available energy is used to destroy the other party, even if it costs the lives of both. Suicide bombers are an example of expression for this last step. It does not matter if I die, just as long as you do.
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Discussion & argumentation Debate & polarisation Steamrollering Malicious picture Loosing face Strategic threats Limited destruction Attack against nervcentra Total destruction
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To think- Needs
A basic attitude in conflict management is think needs which is illustrated by the following story. A boy was asked what he most wished for in the entire world. Without hesitation he answered - A red Ferrari with beige leather seats with overhead camshafts and fuel injection. The person who asked him then said Imagine you had just that, what would it give you? The boy thought for a while and the said: Then everyone would like me and think I was cool and But the question came again: Imagine that everybody liked you and thought you were cool, what would that mean? The said, in that case Lisa would like me.. Imagine that Lisa liked really liked you a lot, what would that mean to you? The boy thought for a long while and finally said If Lisa liked me I would feel happy and feel that I was somebody and then it would be easier for me to like myself. What was it the boy needed? In most conflicts we take some form of position. The boy in the story wanted a car. This position can have more or less to do with our real need. (For example the boys need was to be seen and loved.) To arrive at a, ,for all parties, good solution in a conflict, cooperation or win-win solutions,54 we need to see beyond the shallow positions and that which is said ( to see beyond the shell in an argument) and instead focus on need. In a conflict it is easy to fasten in positions. We talk about what we want instead of why we need our lives in a particular way. When people talk about why their positions are important it is often about underlying needs. These needs must be met to achieve a solution which satisfies everyone. To return to our example of the parent and teenage child who have a conflict about what time the teenager should be home is a good illustration. The opinion of the parent is that the teenager shall be home at 11pm. The need has to do with why mother or father wish this, it can be that be knowing that the teenager is in safety, or not to have to worry that something will happen on the way home. What are the sons or the daughters needs? When both speak of their needs instead of fastening in a position a solution can be reached. According to Johan Burton, a prominent conflict management figure inspired by among others Johan Galtung, the majority of conflicts occur due to frustrated universal human needs, ( for example being appreciated, feeling loved, feeling good, integrity etc). If it is our frustrated needs that are the basic cause of our conflicts then often it will not help if we only solve that which the conflict is about. To manage conflict on a more long term basis we need instead to listen and try to understand the basic needs of those involved and find creative ways of meeting them. Mapping Conflict and confusion are often connected with each other. Understanding what is happening can help the parties in a conflict which is at a deadlock. Mapping a conflict can help us understand what is happening. There are different models of mapping and the one we are showing is based on needs and fears. Fears are that which we are afraid of that which could happen if we do not achieve the goal the conflict is about for us. Fears reflect our needs, but can also add new perspectives. A mapping can be done individually or in a group. This is what a mapping can look like: 1. Find a description of the question or problem which is acceptable to all parties. It should preferably be formulated in neutral and general terms in order that involved persons do not fasten in formulations. It should not be written as a question. A word can be enough. 2. Make a list of the conflicts different parties, all that are involved. Sometimes the list can be much longer than expected. Try to work out what the parties have the positions they have: What are the needs? What are the fears? Draw a circle with a small circle in the centre. In the small circle write the point of issue.
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Win Win solutions are those where both parties feel that they have that which they wanted and are both winners.
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Who? Need Fear Who? Need Fear
In the large circle, which is divided into sectors, write the names of each person or group involved in the problem. Then write the persons or groups needs in each sector. Draw more circles if there are many parties. Try to see what motivates the parties. Write down the persons or groups fears or what they worry about. This will give a good overall picture of both needs and fears. This circle now becomes a map of the conflict. At the same time as the map is created, the point of issue will need reformulation. More and new maps will be needed to describe new problem areas that arise. The use of maps in this way can sometimes be a problem as conflict can be complex, but by trying to understand a conflict with a simple map, the complexity can be shown. Achieving a common problem formulation can be a big step towards the solution.
In the case with the parent and the teenager an sms from her/him to the parent saying everything is ok, might be enough.
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Trust and Generosity Two basic building stones in conflict management are trust and generosity. This is something which exists, more or less, in our daily relations and even more so with our friends. When we get into conflicts with one another the risk is that both these qualities become lessened and become damaged. There is also the possibility that they can become deepened and heal. In the majority of near or daily conflicts it is in our interest to move on together after trust has been damaged. In exactly the same way as our trust and generosity can be come damaged in a negative conflict, we can do much in a conflict to improve and strengthen trust and generosity with those we are in conflict with. Two example of this are the Unconditional Constructive Strategy and GRIT (see next pages). The Parties own the conflict. Finally, it is important that when we intervene and help others manage conflict that we remember that it is the conflict parties that own their conflict. If someone is at an obvious disadvantage and is being hurt then it is not only our right but our duty to intervene. It is also important to remember that, if possible, it is best if the involved parties can solve the conflict themselves. If we intervene in an incorrect way, we risk not accepting the parties responsibility and ability to manage the conflict themselves and thereby strengthen them and encourage them to manage their conflict in a constructive manner.
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It can be argued that USA broke USSR economically causing Gorbatjov to disarm, but the fact remains that whether it was economically or because of an unusual insight, USSR made a moral statement.
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Lion
sets limits The ability to assert ones own needs
Owl
Holistic view
Camel flexibility/solidarity
The ambition to meet the needs of others The Lion is good at sounding off and authoritative behaviour. The lion will with pleasure convey his opinions and assert his needs. The lion is good at setting limits and retaining his integrity. The lion is strong and can often steamroller others. It is good, that as a lion is able to sound off and convey his opinions, but not if it is done at the cost of the other party. The Turtle withdraws under his shell in the face of a conflict. He neither expresses his opinions or listens to the needs or wishes others. Turtles are good at not fasting in detail and they are without prestige. Avoiding a conflict usually mean that it will return at a later date. The risk is that it will have worsened and become more infected. The Camel is big and strong and can therefore carry a lot. The camel can put up with a lot to avoid getting into conflict. I will look after this just as long as there is no trouble. The camel is pleased to meet the needs of others but ignores his own needs. The camel can seem humble but can also show himself flexible, loyal and considerate. This can be a good way of meeting a conflict for the moment but the risk is that the camel will one day have had enough of capitulating in conflict situations and they will come to the surface again and explode. The Fox is the master of the middle way. To compromise is an important catchword for the fox. If we take half then we will both be satisfied. Compromise is seen by many as positive and for some as the absolutely best
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solution, where both win a little. It can be important to note that while both win a little, both lose a little, nobody has all their needs met. A compromise is often therefore seen to solve the conflict on the surface. The Owl is circumspect and cooperative. He listens to what the other party has to say and says what is important to him or herself. The owl digs deeper into the conflict and seeks to find the underlying needs, which are behind that which the parties say they want. Acting as the owl in a conflict situation is that which often has the greatest chance of leading to a lasting solution. The owl conveys his needs and fears and listens to the other partys needs and fears and is open to new solutions and cooperation. The owl represents, without doubt, the ideal conflict solution, with his holistic, needs thinking and ambition for a win-win solution. As many conflicts are about power, justice and injustice, truth and lies, it is not always possible to find a win-win solution, but that someone must to a certain extent lose for it to be just. An exaggerated compliance to find win-win solutions can be an obstacle in the way of justice and solidarity for those who are the victims.
Cooperation
I win you win
Compromise
Negotiation
Avoidance
I lose you lose
Submission
I lose you win
It is important that the diagram differentiates between behaviour and result. The behaviours presented above are those we are most likely to use, depending on how much we are involved in the conflict issue and how much we care about the person we are in conflict with. The result of the conflict could be described as: If we have zero sum reasoning we move diagonally between competition and submission. The only possibility we see is winning or losing. To win, I must do everything to ensure that you lose. The attitude is that the sum of the parts is zero. As an example, imagine that two people want an orange. According to zero sum reasoning we can cut the orange in pieces of different size, or alternatively give the whole orange to one person. If we move along the other diagonal, the cake lessens or increases. In the case of the orange, a conceivable scenario could be that either nobody gets anything, that negotiations take so long that the orange becomes rotten, or that a third person comes and takes the orange. The other extreme could be that there is also an apple which one of the parties would prefer. In this case both get fruit and both are satisfied. We can also ask the parties why they want the orange. One is thirsty and wants the juice; the other is hungry and wishes to bake a cake. The solution is then, that the cake-person grates the orange peel, and then the juice-person presses out the juice to drink.
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PARTICIPANTS
Level 1: The leading officials -Military/politicians/religious. Leaders with very much attention on them. Level 2: Middle level leaders -ethnic/religious leaders intellectuals Humanitarian leaders (NGOs)
Level 3: Grass root leaders -local leaders and other local key figures -domestic NGOs
Many
An increasing number of peace researchers (among others Robert Ricigliano) stress the importance of peace work on all three levels. The risk is that by just focussing on International Peace Treaties and ignoring the middle leadership and grass roots when an agreement is reached it is not rooted in the whole population. In the same way an agreement on the local level will little or no influence on `the big` conflict. In both cases there is no holism. Good solid work on one of the levels can create a spill over effect, which encourages progress in the other levels. To better be able to coordinate efforts on the different levels, different participants who work with peace building need to increase their cooperation. This creates a delicate problem when organising a joint action between a nonviolence organisation and military peace keeping forces.
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Active/empathetic/controlled listening
Michael Ende has written the book Momo, and the struggle for time. The book portrays a town to which the grey man arrives. The man is a sort of time banker who deceives people into saving time in their banks so that they withdraw it in the future. The result is that people stop doing everything they do not gave to do, to save as mush time as possible. Nobody has time for anyone else, friends and relationships become unimportant and all that is left is a grey, boring workday. In a deserted theatre in the town, lives a girl named Momo. Momo is the only person in town that has time for others. Men and women throng to her to speak of their problems and thoughts. They do not do it because Momo has a solution for everyone, but just because she listens. Momo listens so intensively and attentively that they feel unburdened and happy when they have visited her. The book illustrates the power to be found in listening and how wonderful it is when we have someone who really listens to us and cares about us. There is a great difference in listening and waiting your turn to speak. To actively listen to a person you need to show both interest and involvement. Here are some tips for an active listener: To have eye contact (this is not the case in all cultures) Ask elucidatory questions if you do not understand. Nod and make interested comments. Focus your thoughts on what is being said. Listen instead of thinking about what you will answer, if there is a question, take time to think and then answer. Listen and attend more to the persons feelings than the actual chain of events. Avoid completely giving advice and tips. The risk being that you lessen the responsibility and self esteem of the person who is talking. Strengthen the persons in her or his role of managing the situation in a positive way.
Most important is to be creative! You can use letters to the press, press conferences, and lecturers, carry out public debates with civic interviewers, build coalitions and dramatise points of issue publicly, organise demonstrations and send statements to priests, rabbis and other religious leaders.
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3. Personal commitment Make a daily check of and confirm your belief in the methods and philosophy of nonviolence. Remove hidden motives and prepare yourself for accepting suffering if it should be necessary in your work for justice. 4. Negotiations. Listen to your opponents feelings, ideas and opinions. Be empathetic towards their feelings and look for that which is positive in their acts and statements. Be open to change in your own position but be clear with yourself in what you are prepared to negotiate around. Give tour opponent information on what you think can influence them and be concise in your analysis. Present your plan for meeting the issue, inclusive of changes you expect your opponent to make. Look for positive ways of solving differences. Reflect over how much power, you as a citizen have if it is not possible to achieve a solution. How can you increase your power if you should need to? Be careful never to humiliate your opponent or force him/her into a corner. Instead speak well of the good in your opponent and look for ways in which your opponent can also win. 5. Direct action. These are actions which are carried out in order to influence or morally force someone to work with you in order to solve certain injustices. Direct action brings an element of tension to a conflict. There are a number of direct actions that can be used (see e.g. the body of nonviolence). Direct action is usually most effective when it illustrates the injustice it seeks to correct and when it shows how, instead, it could be. Remember to: Be creative What communicates your actions with those with whom you seek support? Will it be of help, receiving more support? If previous actions have not created the expected change, then creative tension can gradually be increased. Remember never to try to attain more than is reasonable of your opponent. Having achieved your goal, you should immediately cease efforts and wish your opponent well. Never use a moment of achieved compromise to try for more. 6. Reconciliation. Non-violence seeks friendship with and understanding for the opponent. Non.-violence does not try to beat the other part. Non-violence is aimed at oppressive systems and policies, and injustice and evil actions, not against people. Reconciliation means s allowing the opponent to save face. Each action of reconciliation is a step nearer the beloved community. Through this, not only individuals but the whole community becomes strengthened, which in its turn brings new struggles for justice.
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TRAINING
To carry out training Often, the quality of training depends on the pedagogic presentation which in its turn has to do with the content of the training. Non-violence and conflict management training should, we think, be carried out with participation, actual observation, experience, practical exercises and collective conversations. It is therefore important as a trainer to focus on the groups own experience and interest and to adjust the training accordingly. Conversation groups can be seen as the opposite of lecturing. They build on the participants activity and the trainer has a more supportive role. The participants are active and the trainer leads the process. In the workshop methodology, lectures are mixed with conversation, discussions and exercises. A workshop is a group that meets and has exchanges with each other in different ways. There is a trainer who leads the group through different processes which can be achieved by creating a good climate within the group, giving tasks, providing facts and summarising. The trainer plans the presentation of workshops and ensures that the group achieves the goals aimed at. A workshop has a certain course which varies, depending on the extent and which group is working together. During a longer workshop which may stretch over one to several days, the following five points are included. Even in a shorter workshop it cad be good to pay attention to them. 1. Introduction. If the participants are meeting for the first time then all need to get to know one another. In the exercise chapter there are examples of presentation and cooperation exercises for this purpose. It is also good to attend to practical aspects such as times, accommodation, travel and so on. 2. Agenda. Present the structural plan organised by the trainer/trainers. This helps the participants to know where they should be during the workshops. Be aware that you may have to change your planning during a workshop. 3. Expectations. What will the participants gain from the workshop? Are there apprehensions which the participants would prefer did not happen? As trainer, be aware that you cannot fulfil all the expectations of all the participants or guarantee that at least some of the apprehensions are not fulfilled. However it is important that the group is aware, from the onset, what the different participants have for expectations, so that frustration does not occur later. This is the major part of the workshop. This means studying the different themes in the workshops by practising, conversation and short lectures. Each workshop is followed by an evaluation. In the case of a course taking in several days it is good to evaluate half way through the course. See further evaluation(p. 98).
The Group
A workshop builds on the groups collective work. As trainer, you need to know in advance the size of the group, if the participants know each other and a little about what experience they have on nonviolence and conflict management. If the group is to function well, it should neither be too small or too big. The size of the group influences the choice of exercises and how the exercises are carried out. Irrespective of the group size it can be suitable to work in small groups during exercises. As trainer it is important that see that groups are suitably matched. Factors to think about here are age, sex, connection, background, experience, motivation and aim of the workshop. The composition of groups can influence the result. Background and experience: We can call this the rucksack which the participants take with them to the workshop. The positive effect of a mixed group is that it introduces many new perspectives and angles. For you as a trainer it means an extra challenge when preparing a workshop for a group with many different forms of competence and experience. More homogenised groups or groups with participants known to one another can be easier as a first group. To meet people where they are, capture their interest and use their different competences the workshop model has clear advantages when compared with traditional lecturing. Connection: Sometimes you meet a group in which everyone knows each other a school class for example. Within an existing group there can be sub-groups and you as a trainer coming from outside the group have the
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possibility to see that the old group roles are broken by mixing participants into smaller groups with people they do not usually mix with. When participants do not know each other it is important to spend a lot of time on creating a good secure group climate. As we wish the participants to be active we need to make sure that they dare to. See more under presentation exercises. Motivation: The less motivated participants are the longer the time needed to create security in the group! Start with short easy going work periods for a less motivated group. To reach people not already interested in the subject it is important to be able to manage less motivated people. If a group has a mixed motivation the interest of the less motivated can be increased by those with more motivation. Aim: What is the aim of a workshop? Will the participants get information, knowledge, personal growth and /or learn to teach others. What is it that you and they wish to achieve? As, within groups, roles and role patterns are created it can be good as trainer to contribute to how the group is formed and the roles are varied. Breaking role patterns can be done by giving more space to participants that do not normally take space. This prevents the more verbal participants taking all the space. A way of sharing speaking time is to do Rounds. A round consists of each in turn in the group having the possibility to say without interruption or being questioned, what she/he thinks. There is of course the possibility to remain silent but all in this way get the chance to say what is on their mind. A third way is to give each participant three matches. Each match represents a contribution to the discussion. When your three matches are used then you are silent, allowing the others in the group to speak. Other methods of obstructing can be that during a longer workshop asking the participants to change places with each other or to vary the small workgroups. This produces a creative climate. As a trainer you set an example. Make sure you speak to different people during the breaks; it encourages the feeling that all are important. It probably feels that there is a lot to think about, particularly if you have not held a workshop before. If you wish to take any of this advice to yourself then do this begin with yourself .We have all been participants on some fantastic course sometime. What was it that you appreciated so much and what do you appreciate with participants and trainers? It is you as the trainer that makes the decisions on how the group should work. Experiment and see what works best.
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Contributing to learning
There is no easy answer to how we learn. Our way of learning depends on personal qualities and what we are to learn. Learning to ski can best be started by finding out how Ingemar Stenmark or Gunde Svahn became successful, what sort of skis there are and so on. To be good at skiing you have to practise and practise. Learning to count means that we have to se the logical connection which gives us the understanding that 3+2=5. It is not enough to press digits on a calculator. As different methods, when used, are more or less suited to different people, the contents of this material is both theoretical, about conflict and non-violence and practical with concrete examples and exercises. A course does not have to follow the presentation of material. As leader/trainer you put together sandwich-training of theory and practice as you see best. The word pedagogic roughly translated means to lead children. It is easy, in an educational context to present exercises and methods which are manipulative and which the participants are subjected to. To counteract this one talks of anti pedagogy. The trainer as head gardener A trainers task can be compared to that of head gardener. The head gardener has different types of work in the garden. Sometimes he/she plants flowers or sows seeds. Sometimes he/she must remove dead plants and weeds which prevent the growth of new plants. To water and fertilise the plants and trees in the garden is necessary in order for the garden to survive. Which of these tasks is most similar to that of the trainer? The way in which this question is answered influences the presentation of the training, as my image of myself as a trainer and my attitude towards the participants influences my planning and presentation of the training or workshop material. If participants are seen as empty tins, to be filled with knowledge then there is a big obligation on the trainer to both have the knowledge and present it in such a way that it is acceptable to the participants. If the attitude towards the participants is that it is they themselves that form their development, then the role of trainer becomes supportive towards that which the participants wish. The leader/trainer role which this material wishes to profile is somewhere in between. As a trainer we can sometime be tempted, or feel forced to present the right answer or take part in the debate because things are being said which we do not agree with. In this situation, it can be suitable to ask provocative questions or questions needing reflection, in or to create new trains of thought. The trainers role is to give the group tasks, retain a good direction in conversation and ask questions around which the participants can discuss. Facts and knowledge are added in suitable amounts and supporting the group summary of what has been said. Practical tips The room and the furniture Practical factors such as the room and placing of furniture can influence a course greatly. An important point in this material is that the training is done in dialogue between the participants. To create a good conversational climate, furniture placement must be taken into account. Sitting in rows behind one another makes it difficult to converse. The open circle where the group sits in a ring without tables give the possibility of eye contact with everyone. If the group is large, or if tables are needed, then a U form or several small tables with small groups around them are alternatives. The most important with regard to furniture is that the group feels comfortable. Shared leadership The trainer has, during courses/workshops, many duties. The trainer has responsibility for continuity, staying relevant to the subject, taking breaks at suitable times and so on. Many of these tasks can be given to participants, partly to unburden the trainer and partly to increase participant engagement. Theses roles can be interchangeable during the course/workshop.
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Evaluation
The aim of evaluation Irrespective of the length of training, it is important that attention is brought to the participants and their opinions and reflections as to how the training has functioned and what it is that we have done together. Making an evaluation gives response and points of view to the trainer and all others responsible for the design of the course. The aim of evaluation is: To receive the participants opinions. To get feedback on the trainer and others To think over/digest the experiences of the group, both negative and positive. To consider what can be improved or developed. An evaluation can be carried out at the end of a course or after each part, depending on which method one chooses. However it is usually a good thing to round off a course with an evaluation summary which covers everything. If a form is used it is better that it is filled in straight away than if it is to be posted in. More answers are received in this way. If it is your intention to hold a number of similar courses it can be a good idea to print an evaluation form and in that way see comparisons. For instance, am I better at time planning, have I developed my style of communication, how do the participants feel and so on? Methods of evaluation An evaluation can mean everything from a simple Round where all in the group say what they think about the day they have had to a written evaluation form or free letter form. Set aside time for evaluation according to the size of the training/course. There are many different methods of evaluation. Here are a few, presented below, that hopefully may be of use to you. Begin with expectations One way of evaluating a course is to begin with the expectations that were in the group. Such an evaluation, in its turn starts with the group returning to their original expectations at the beginning of the training/course. To be able to return to these expectations, it is good if they are written down from the onset. Then the participants can either in the big group or small groups react to how their expectations have been fulfilled, perhaps by applauding at different levels for different expectations or by comments. A particular movement such as raising a hand can be used for others to indicate their agreement, in order to lessen repetition. Begin with prepared questions By beginning with prepared questions in an evaluation, the answers may then be compared between different participants and groups. At the end of this chapter there is a suggestion for how a prepared question form based on this material could be. It is more reliable to base answers on scales and not written comments. The form can be filled in individually or in a group, orally or written. The most usual is that participants get a few minutes to answer individually if interest is show some points may be then be discussed. Important to note, for all, is that evaluations are anonymous. This increases openness. A less formal type of evaluation is to ask participants to write answer to questions you give the on post-it papers which they then stick on a whiteboard. Begin with plus, minus and interesting A further variation on evaluation is to ask the participants to think of what has been plus (good), what has been minus(less good), and what has been interesting about the course. This can be done freely or beginning with some previously decided factors such as time factor/programme, the trainers behaviour and the exercises. The discussion can be done in a big group, small groups or individually. The feedback can be oral or written. Remember that it is always good, as a trainer, to write notes during an evaluation in order to go back to points that have been raised. A freely formulated letter After a longer course, participants may be asked to write a letter to themselves as a form of evaluation. The leader will then collect the letters and post them to the participants after a few months.
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A round of questions Instead of a written evaluation an alternative is a Round. In an evaluation Round ask the participants to talk of specific points such as I fell like this about. just now, or I will take this home with from the course, or two words which describe what I think of the course. An own evaluation As a trainer it is useful to reflect over ones own actions during the course. Most of us do this unconsciously when we have done something. It can therefore be valuable to systematise ones reflections. In this way, the chances of learning and development are increased at the same time as the risk of making similar mistakes lessens. In ones own evaluation it is good to think about both preparation and carrying out the course. You can perhaps write a list for your own use in preparing your next course. However many courses you may hold you will always be able to improve some point. There are always parts which function very well. Be proud of these!
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Excercises
Interviewing each other
Aim: That the participants get to know one another better. Time: 2 minutes to explain, 5 minutes for the interview and 15 minutes to present each other, depending on size of group. Material: Nothing special needed The interview 1. The group divides into pairs with someone they do not know since earlier, or a person in the group they have spoken with least. The participants have five minutes in which to learn as much as possible about a person 2. Tell the participants to change interview person and when the interview should be finished. 3. Each then presents their partner for the whole group. Alternative: Give a list of questions to the participants to discuss, such as: When I enjoy life most.. A present I remember A person I would like to meet, dead or alive, and what I would like to say/do, with her/him.. My first love. My future dream job If I could rule the world for a day.. ---
The more direct aim during a course can be: A warm up and induce the participants own thoughts around the subject. Create a climate of free speech where everyones opinions are welcome and worth listening to. The hot seat, stand in line and the four corners are examples of values exercises. Time. Ca 15 45 minutes, depending on how many statements or questions asked and the discussion eagerness of the participants. Programme Explain and show how the exercise works. Explain that there is no right or wrong. The participants interpret questions in their own way. The object is to produce as many different opinions as possible. The participants are not allowed to interrupt one another. Everyone can say what they want to say and it is alright to change your opinion. Begin with a warm up question which is easy to commit themselves to. When you are leading the exercise, remember to ask the individuals opinion. Do not ask what everyone thinks. Ask for example Can you motivate why you chose to stand in this corner? Treat everyones opinions equally. As leader, do not pass any comments such as that was well said, or that was speaking before thinking. All opinions which are given are treated equally, irrespective of your personal opinion of the question is.
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Stop comments. Prevent participants interrupting each other or making comments when someone else is speaking. Remind them that the important thing is producing different opinions, not winning a discussion. Spread the word. Make sure that different people Get the chance to speak so that no one person dominates the discussion. Assign questions directly for example Eric, why did you choose to say..? Show that you as the trainer listen to what the participants say. A Tip: If the group is shy or think that the statements are difficult it can be easier to get opinions from the participants if they discus in smaller groups of two or three. Listen to what each little group discussed. If there are different opinions in the little groups make sure they are made known. ---
The termometer
Programme The trainer makes a statement and asks the participants to stand on a line/scale/thermometer in relation to how much they agree with the statement or not. The participants stand on the line which acts as a scale/ thermometer where they agree more or less with the different extremes. You can allow those standing nearest to one another to discuss their choice. Participant at different places on the line have to motivate why they are standing where they are. When those who wish to, have motivated their position, they will hear the next statement. Money is the meaning of life agree * * * disagree completely completely ------------------------------------------------- -* * * The same statement as was used for the Hot Seat can be used.
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Statements of values About conflict management, non-violence and civil disobedience, for the Hot Seat or the thermometer. Here are some examples of statements of values regarding nonviolence and conflict management and the relationship of the two. The trainer makes a statement which the group commit themselves to. For example: Men are more violent than women! The participants place themselves along the line in relation to their opinion. When everyone is in place, the trainer asks individuals why they are standing where they are. (Or are sitting in the hot seat). This often leads to interesting discussions in which the trainer steers the discussion and assigns speakers. If during the discussion participants wish to change places this is quite alright.
Conflicts are tiresome. I do not have conflicts. I am frightened of conflicts. Conflicts are exciting. Conflicts are often unnecessary. Conflicts can always be solved, if you want to. There are conflicts in all relationships. Conflicts can sometimes be good. Violence is always wrong. Violence can sometimes be necessary Conflict management can sometimes be violent Conflict management needs to be trained. It is right to use violence to defend: Your land, yourself, your property, your family Obedience is good Sometimes it is right to start a war. Sometimes a conflict must get worse before it can get better. It is better to be passive when one sees injustice than to use violence. I would rather suffer myself than hurt others. If one has tried all other means the violence must be permitted to achieve a political goal. Conflicts should be avoided/ solved/ taken up/ prevented. It is possible to defend a land just as well with non-violence strategies as with weapons. Human beings can learn to manage conflict without violence. Jesus would never have used violence. It is often religion which is the cause of war. For non-violence to succeed you have to convert your opponents heart. Non-violence is more effective in a less violent environment than a very violent environment. My attitude of nonviolence is dependant on my development as a spiritual person. It is an act of peace to sabotage a weapon. The good in humans is greater than the evil. It is an act of violence to stand passive while we see human beings suffering in other countries. Violence stems mostly from fear.
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WIN-WIN
Aim: To experience the difference between competition and cooperation. Time: ca 10 minutes Material: Steady chairs one to each participant. A large room/area. Programme: Do not explain the aim or the name of the exercise! Give the participants minimal instruction. Ask the participants to take a chair and spread out around the room. Stand on the chair. Explain that from now, they are not allowed to speak to one another, touch the floor or jump around on their own chair. The aim is to reach a place in the room of your choosing, alternatively pass though a door opening as quickly as possible. Give the signal to start. The participants will (unless they have already taken part in too many courses), take the instruction as a competition. As you have never said that the object of the exercise was to be first, just to do it as quickly as possible, then it is a question of the whole group reaching the place/passing through the door. Applause or praise for managing to do the exercise comes first when everyone has succeeded. Afterwards you can have an exciting discussion about win-win, win-lose, and different attitudes. If we associate competition with this situation what happens in a real conflict situation? Look at the diagram on conflict behaviour in the section on non-violence and conflict management. A suggestion is to ask the participants to make comparisons to the situation in international conflicts. ---
THE LINE
Show the participants a real or imaginary line which divides the room. Ask half the group to stand on one side half on the other shake hands with each other. Ask them to remain holding hands. The next instruction to both sides in turn that they get the person they are in contact with over to the same side. Then say please begin. Normally this is a signal to fighting. Afterwards it is interesting to discuss whether violence is the solution, how many feel satisfied or dissatisfied with the result and what other alternatives were there? The most peaceful result is that everyone gets what they want, they all change sides. The exercise can compares advantageously with zero sum thinking or win-win/cooperative thought. Can we see any international parallels? ---
BRAINSTORMING ON CONFLICT
Aim: To find ideas and stimulate thought, at the same time as everyone gets the chance to contribute. Time: 2-10 minutes depending on group size. Programme: Brainstorm around the word conflict. Write the word conflict on a whiteboard/flipchart and ask the participants to all the words they can think of in association with conflict. This is done quickly and without waiting, just say it. Using the words that came up in the brainstorming do a collective PMI-map, (Plus, Minus Interesting). Draw three columns plus (+) minus (-) and interesting (!) on the whiteboard/flipchart. In the plus column write all the words that are seen as positive. In the minus column place all the negative words and in the interesting column words worth considering in relation to conflicts. An alternative is to draw rings around the words already on the whiteboard/flipchart in different colours, e.g. (green = +), (red = -) and (blue =!). Let the participants by groups of 3-4 write their own definition of what conflict means. Each group then presents their definition for the whole group, after which all definitions are hung on the wall in the group room! Comments to the trainer:
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Remember that everyone has different ideas as to what a conflict is. For some it can be a question of two different opinions, whereas for others, the term conflict is so extensive that it is difficult to find an example of existing conflict. We are open to all suggestions. At the same time, you are aware of your own opinion. ---
CONFLICT MAPPING
Aim: To learn the technique of mapping and being able to express needs and fears. Time: 5 minutes to explain, 10 minutes for the role play, 10 minutes for evaluation in pairs and then 20 minutes for whole group mapping. Material: Paper and pens. Programme: The starting point is a conflict situation where the two parties are locked in their respective positions. An example could be the parent and teenage child. The participants can now test mapping and then expressing needs and fears. It is important to point out that the aim of the exercise is not solving the conflict, but thinking along the new lines of needs and fears. 1. Each participant can work individually or in a group and start by filling in both partys needs and fears in the centre of the circle. Explain the conflict situation. A mother/father and daughter are arguing about what time she/he should be home by on a Saturday evening. They are both stuck in their positions and are not listening to each other. The daughter is preparing to go out. The parents position is that the daughter should be home by 11pm, not a minute late while the daughter wishes to come home at 1am. Both parent and daughter reflect on their needs and fears. Now they sit down and share their thoughts with each other to see if they can find a mutual solution.
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Aim: To identify what supports violence in society and in the world and also see how these forms of violence can be opposed. Time: 30 minutes Material: Whiteboard or flip-chart and pens Programme: As the whole group or first in smaller groups, talks about what the pillars of violence are. What is it that contributes to violence in society? Limit the question to a more concrete situation such as the violence in Malm, Sweden, or my school in Mexico City, etc. Draw these pillars on the whiteboard/flip-chart and list
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the suggestions offered by the group. When the pillars of violence are identified, then small groups choose one or two they would like to work with. Are there methods of non-violence that can be used to overcome the pillars? Let participants write up suggestions on a flip-chart which the leader hangs on the wall. A general discussion in the whole group can perhaps result in a specific action which a participant may like to try after the course is over. ---
HASSLE LINES
Aim: To understand the difference between good and poor communication. Time: 15-20 minutes Programme: Hassle lines everyone stands together in one line in pairs facing each other. The situation is that your friend has arrived very late for an important meeting. It is not The first time he/she has done this. Now, when he/she arrives, you are very angry. You show this by shouting at him/her. The person who arrives late does not understand why you are angry and also becomes angry and shouts back at you. The left side play the part of the one who has waited and the right side the person who is late. Play the scene for a few minutes. After the scene has been played the trainer what happened and how the communication worked or did not work. Under the heading poor communication, suggestions from the participants are noted. The roles are now changed but there is still one person arriving late. The other person is still angry and shouts at the one who is late. The difference is the late arrival instead of shouting, tries to meet the anger in a peaceful manner. After the situation has been played, the trainer asks for reaction to the role plat and notes it under the heading good communication, next to the column poor communication. ---
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Start with a brainstorming on which techniques that can be used in the management of conflicts. Try techniques that have been described in the material, for example, to listen, to ask about needs etc. It is of course a good idea if different people test different ideas. The original play is like a video band which can be run both back and forth. New interventions cannot be done while one is in progress. It is important to point out that those watching the play are an active part of the forum play it is built on their participation and intervention. ---
ROLE PLAY
Aim: To experience a conflict situation with deadlock. Time: 5 minutes to explain, 5 minutes role play, 5 minutes evaluation in pairs and then 10 minutes listening to the pairs in the whole group. Material: None Programme: Participants in pairs. Explain to the participants they will be playing a mini role play in pairs. The role plays are enacted parallel to each other and will not be re-enacted. One person is a parent and the other is a teenage son/daughter. Describe the conflict situation. Example of a conflict situation: A mother/father and their teenage son/daughter are arguing about what time the son/daughter should come home on Saturday evening. They have a deadlock position and are not listening to one another. The daughter/son is preparing to go out. The parents position is that the teenager should be home by 11pm and not a minute later and the teenager does not wish to come home until 1am. The participants argue with the point of issue and person attack without giving way. Give the role play a few minutes and then break and let the pairs remain where they are and discuss the role play. Return to the whole group where everyone can say what it was like, what happened and how it felt. Was it possible to arrive at a solution? After the exercise it is a good idea to continue with a mapping, so that the conflict does not remain in deadlock. 1. The Genus Tree Material: Large sheets of paper and felt tip pens Time: At least 60 minutes Aim: To increase understanding of gender (in)equality in a society on three levels. This exercise as a good start to the day. Divide the group into smaller groups of 4 6 people. a) The first task for the groups is to find the levels in their society which reflect gender (in)equality: the treetop = Individual/social level. That seen in daily life? The tree trunk = Institutional level. Laws, the media, educational system, religion, The State. The roots: the Ideological level. Being a woman/ man in this society. (culture, norms, values). b) Find a connecting line through the individual institution ideology. Show how it is interwoven. c) As a voluntary organisation, what do we focus on? / What shall we change, and how? Refer to Gene Sharps 3 parts (p 27). Where are we working today? Do we need to change our work strategy? d) Show the results in groups. Show the whole tree and the connections. Have the groups found similar interweaving? A variation could be giving the groups different areas co society e.g. the educational system, the judicial system, sex and social norms, the media etc. 2) My position in relation to power and identity Material: post-it papers and pens. Time: 20 minutes Aim: To illustrate ones own and others choice of identity and how many are interwoven along with ones role in one or several power structures.
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Let the participants choose three identities for themselves and write them on separate post-its. After a survey stick them on a whiteboard. And try to group them together related to e.g. family, sex, religion, age, class, language, ethnicity, shape, education etc. Take a discussion around which identities we are born with and which are given to us through external means. We have more than three identities, so now let the participants make a list of 8 10 and then cooperate in pairs to grade the identities. Is there one or more of these whichgives you privileges/advantages or disadvantages/weaknesses? Mark them with plus or minus, one or two, depending on how much. These are very strongly connected to the structures we live in. How do you manage your privileges/weaknesses? Do you find any contradictions, how do you manage them? Are there any identities which help you to be a leader? Have a discussion in the whole group: Often it is the identity with a minus that makes us strong, or? A contradiction is e.g. Superwoman. In Georgia, for example, a woman should bake a cake prior to a party. This cake should not be eaten, but burned up. This is a sign that she is a good woman. Being a good woman is relatively simple, let the group give example, but what about being a good or bad man? Being a real man can be difficult to in a concrete pattern. The more fundamentally steered we are, the more gender-bound we are. Think about how your upbringing was: you were allowed/not allowed to do things. The only thing boys were not allowed was to be like girls. Then there would be a risk of being called homosexual, or? Identity springs from a system of dominance. Superior inferior. This discussion can turn into a discussion on power. Is power good or bad? 3) The clenched fist Material: Their own bodies Time: 10 minutes Aim: To show that decision, power and feeling are synonymous. How do I react in certain situations? Place the participants in a line, in pairs facing each other. One of each pair clenches his left or right hand. The other must convince the first to open his/her fist. All means are allowed. Give a clear start signal and let them continue for 2 3 minutes. What happened? Interview the pairs. What does this say about me? 4) Power: When do you feel vigorous/strong/powerful? Material: None Time: 10 minutes Aim: Give the participants self esteem and inspiration by listening to each others stories; and broadening the perspective of power. Begin by asking the following question: When did you last feel powerful? Let the participants think quietly about this for a few minutes. Ask the group what that feeling was like? Then let the participants discuss this in small groups. After a while return to the whole group and share any particular experience which may have come up in discussion. 5) Power is based on something, what? Material: Flipcharts, pens and small adhesive labels. (At least two different colours) Time: 20 minutes Aim: To show the participants use of power and different types of power and the differences in their use connected to gender. Let the group give suggestions as to what power is based on in a list on the flipchart. They then get the question, what sort of power do they as individuals use? Let them reflect on this a few minutes. Then, with the help of the adhesive labels they mark which type/types of power they use. (Everyone gets 5 labels) Then there is a new question: Which type of power am I most vulnerable to? Each participant reflects for a while. If anyone wishes to share an experience with the group, this is encouraged. 6) Develop the conception of power by creating statues. Material: The participants own bodies Time: 20 minutes
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Aim: To illustrate different types of power and what it feels like being exposed to/exposing others to the different types of power. Power over, power to, power with, power within Build small groups with 3 5 people in each. Each group can now portray power over, power with and finally power within. Let the groups portray their statues and discuss around them. It is important to allow those participants who have portrayed being exposed to power to relate their experience and then leave their respective roles! 7) Stand on a blanket! Material: A blanket Time: At least 10 minutes, depending on the group size. Aim: To be used as a strengthening challenge at the end of a workshop. Lay out the blanket on the floor and let the participants stand in a ring, a bit outside the blanket. Ask the following question: What is your next step? A person then stands on the blanket and imagines that the blanket is his/her safety zone. What will my next step be outside the blanket a dare to challenge the days theme? Do a round in the group so that everyone gets to try. See how many changes there can be!! 8) Men, masculinity and violence Material: pens and paper Time: 10 minutes to describe the exercise and more time for reflection depending on the group size. Aim: to show if there is an expectation and /or connection between violence and masculinity in the participants society. Introduce this task as homework for the participants to reflect on. Be prepared to meet some strong feelings which may arise. Suggest that the participants focus their thoughts on a particular man in their lives, at work or at home. They are welcome to make notes. Make clear that the notes are for themselves alone. Put a number of questions to the group: In his life, what role did violence play? How and when did he use it? When and how do you expect violence from him? How and when does he suffer from it? Let the participants continue to describe positive and negative characteristics. Encourage them to support and praise those who do not have a connection to violence. How can empathy be shown towards the positive characteristics connected to violence? Can the participants use M.L.Kings six steps to turn the negative characteristics? Let the group show how in that case. 9) Culture and Religion Material: Large sheets of paper Time: 20 minutes Aim: Can we see the dividing line between religion and culture How has the dividing line changed since our grandparents time? The participants shall, individually, write two happenings/things which are religious. E.g. allowed or not allowed. Then they write two things which are cultural, not religious. Make two columns on the whiteboard/flipchart, religious and cultural. Let the participants now write their answers on the whiteboard in the respective columns. Continue to analyse social rituals such as honour violence, circumcision, inheritance, polygamy etc. Is it widespread? How have customs changed? Is it seen as a part of religion? Let the groups present their ideas for each other. Continue by letting the participants individually writing down 2 things that were religious laws when I was little. 2 things which I have heard are religious laws but am not sure if they are religious. 2 things which I have heard are religious but do not know if they are religious.
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This can be done in connection with one religion or groups working on different religions/beliefs. How do we know what is true? Who said what? IF one does something with this, what will happen?
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Examples of Presentation
Here follow some examples of how all these inspiring articles and exercises can be combined to form evening classes or longer courses. Regard the examples just as examples and by trial and error find that which suits you. The length of time exercises take is difficult to know, as each group is unique with regard to energy and the will to discuss. It is therefore a good thing to have a Plan B in your back pocket with extra exercises to include or not, as the need may be. Good Luck.
Presentation of participants and leaders Introduce the weekend programme Check if there are any particular subjects to be included.
Expectations and misgivings around the weekend. Cooperative training Name training Role sharing/norms facilitator and mealtimes and catering team
18:00 Dinner 19:00 What is violence? Brainstorm Present Johan Galtungs three categories of violence: Direct violence, Structural violence and Cultural violence. Show the picture The Iceberg of violence. The Norwegian peace researcher Jrgen Johansens definition (one of) of violence as to consciously reduce another human beings possibility of a fully satisfactory life. A discussion around what the term covers. What is nonviolence? Brainstorm. Work through the Body of non-violence, together with the principals, methods and lifestyle of nonviolence. To finish off the evening do a group Round with the question on expectations for Saturday.
Saturday 08:00 Breakfast 09:00 Repetition of names and then a warm-up exercise. A deeper presentation with thoughts on why I am here. What has influenced me? What do I want to achieve? What does nonviolence really mean? Nonviolence - a positive word. Nonviolence a conspiracy? Being active or passive. Value exercises about the heart of nonviolence. 10:00 Break 10:15 The hands and feet of the body of nonviolence Forum Play Background and then different situations to enact solution findings and discussion. 12:00 Lunch
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13:00 The brain of the body of nonviolence: to develop nonviolence strategies. Let creativity emerge. Exercise: The pillars of violence 13:40 Energizer 14:00The blood in the body of non-violence, inspiration to a nonviolent lifestyle Do a group Round : What examples of nonviolent actions would you like to share? Gene Sharp starts by pointing out that nonviolence has a very long history, but is hardly documented, which is the reverse of violence which has been written about through all periods. The same phenomenon is true today. A short history of nonviolence. An episode from the film Gandhi: Gandhi burns his South African passport. Ask the participants what they know about Martin Luther King. As trainer fill in some details.
15:15 Break 15:45 Book tips and film and music tips. The mouth of the nonviolence body: Nonviolence communication: Hassle lines Energizer How much does obedience influence what we do in our lives? Milgramss experiment. Brainstorm about obedience when should I obey? In which way do I obey things I do not wish to obey? Round off for the day Check the group for unfinished business.
19:00 Dinner 20:00 Social activities. Sunday 09:00 Breakfast 09:30 Reflection, questions, where is my focus? Ask round the group. 10:00 Start thoughts around leadership: What should one think of as a trainer and workshop leader? Specific exercises. What we do on courses and why? About group dynamics and how groups function. 12:30 Lunch 13:30 Return to the Expectations and Misgivings and compare then and now. Hand out the training files and go through them Show how they are planned Everyone fills out the plan of action in the file Evaluation A last Round in the group. How does everyone feel? What did you think of the course? Energizer Date for future meeting. 15:00 Tidy up the course room and departure
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2. Brainstorm around the word conflict. Afterwards check quickly the keywords which came up are they positive or negative and why? Resulting questions: When can conflicts be positive, or good? When are conflicts bad? This is an excellent way of sitting down and listening in a group. The will say things that you otherwise need to talk about but it is always best if they themselves say things. The main message is that conflicts are a necessary part of our everyday lives and that the difference between a negative or positive developing experience is how we manage them. Conflict management is the key! So it is lucky that you are talking about this for the rest of the evening! 3. Exercise: The Line. Now they can test managing a conflict. Give crystal clear instruction and be sure to start them off with a ready, steady, go so that they experience a competition Resulting Questions: How many felt that you won, up with your hands, how many felt that you lost? What was your strategy? Here everything can come to the surface, everything from suitable shoes, sweaty hand to friends helping to pull and so on. Establish that the majority used violence, (if they did). Ask for peaceful alternatives until someone or you (trainer) give a solution. Talk about solutions and let the critics say their meaning as well. (A counter-argument if someone says that there is a loser in the solution is that it is your house even if you are not at home...) 4. Here could be a good stage to draw a line on the whiteboard and show how conflicts are often seen in terms of win or lose. Talk a little about that. 5. Draw the whole win win diagram and the whole variation of solutions (or animals). Suddenly we have at least five alternative way of managing the conflict! (remember to draw in the line from point 4 it goes diagonally from the left top corner to the lower right corner) At this point, the group can reflect on some conflict they have had anything new or old and change the diagram for a 4 corner exercise on the floor, so that they stand as they acted. Ask the different corners and centre in turn if they would like to comment on their stories. The point here is to show that there are many variations, and that each situation can have its own solution. Nevertheless we are aware that the possibility of cooperation exists. Write rather, Cooperation than Win Win as a heading to the diagram, it can feel less impossible to achieve. 6. Exercises The orange or The chairs(see win win), or both. As an introduction to The Orange , say that we are working on a cooperative solution, the more creative the better. Just sharing the orange gives nothing new. Prior to The Chair exercise everyone reads their instruction, they are not allowed to show the paper or talk. 7. Discuss and return to the diagram. Why did they find/not find a solution? The discussions after the Chair exercise give a few more dimensions. Who did what and why, and what were the consequences. Make notes of different behaviours you observe and ask the participants about it. We know there are solutions where everyone gets what they want but there are obstacles in the way. What can they be? By turning things around, what can help the good solutions along the way? 8. Questions? Summarise the workshop and thank everyone for their contribution.!
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