CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND RESOLUTION MANUAL

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CMDCentre for Multiparty DemocracyCONFLICT MANAGEMENTANDRESOLUTION MANUAL1

Conflict Management and Resolution Manual Centre for Multiparty Democracy - MalawiCentre for Multiparty DemocracyArea 11, Off Chimutu RoadPrivate Bag A 216,Lilongwe, MalawiTel: (265) 1 772 098E-mail: kizito@sdnp.org.mwWebsite: www.cmd-malawi.com2Table of ContentsPreface4Acknowledgements5How to use the manual6Module One:PoliticsUnit 1.1Unit 1.2Unit 1.3and Political Parties in a democratic CountryAbout Centre for Multiparty DemocracyUnderstanding PoliticsPolitical Parties in a DemocracyModule Two:Understanding ConflictsUnit 2.1 What is Conflict?Unit 2.2 Types of ConflictsUnit 2.3 Causes and Manifestation of ConflictsUnit 2.4 The difference between Conflict and ViolenceUnit 2.5 What conflicts can do77710121214141517Module Three: Conflict AnalysisUnit 3.1 Introduction to Conflict analysisUnit 3.3 Levels of Conflict EscalationUnit 3.2 Tools for analysing Political Conflicts19192021Module Four: Intervention in a political Conflict.Unit 4.1 Criteria for InterventionUnit 4.2 Intervention Steps in Transforming ConflictsUnit 4.3 Guidelines for Intervention25252626Module Five:Managing and Resolving conflictsUnit 5.1 Leadership Levels in Conflict TransformationUnit 5.2 Approaches to ConflictsUnit 5.3 Negotiation and Mediation28282931Module Six:A Model Conflict Resolution Strategy373

PrefaceAcknowledgementsThe Centre for Multiparty Democracy has several objectives that include: to mediate in conflictsbetween Member Political Parties; and to foster national unity, inter and intra party unity, peace andreconciliation.The Centre for Multiparty Democracy would like to extend its profound gratitude to Mr. ChrisMabwela for developing the module outline and content of this manual. Without his dedication andunderstanding of the target group, this manual could not have become a reality. The Centre is alsoindebted to Dr. Gerard Chigona who worked with Mr. Mabwela during the initial training sessions.These training sessions underlined the need of the manual and provided an inspiration to the centre to consider developing a comprehensive training manual. The manual has also benefited extensively from the work of Dr. Augustine Magolowondo who has previously worked with the Centre infacilitating training sessions in conflict resolution and management and for developing the “modelConflict Resolution Strategy.”In pursuance of these objectives, CMD - M decided to make conflict management and resolution asone of its core and on going activities. Training is the same has been identifies as one way of developing and sharpening the skills of leaders of political parties at different levels.This manual has therefore been prepared to serve as both a guide and reference material for politicians especially those that hold leadership positions in political parties in Malawi. Being a manualfor politicians its actual application whether as a guide or a reference material benefits from theenormous practical experiences of the practitioners themselves who in one way or the other areinvolved in conflicts and/or conflict management and resolution.Last but not least, CMD would like to sincerely thank the UNDP Malawi for the financial assistancefor the development of this manual. CMD believes that this manual will be an important resource forpolitical parties as they continue exploring and putting together democratic mechanisms of runningtheir political parties.Kizito TenthaniExecutive DirectorCentre for Multiparty Democracy45

How to use the manualThis manual contains basic information about conflict management and resolution. The informationis intended to assist the trainer or facilitator with valid reference when giving input for the benefit ofworkshop participants.The information is presented in simple language and in brief sections, including bullet points anddiagrams. This is to enable easy access to a cross section of target groups most of whom comprisemiddle range political party leadership.The form of presentation further assumes a participatory process of learning, hence the use of activities and discussion questions in various sections of the manual. This approach to learning encourages participants to talk about their own experiences and perspectives thereby ensuring contextualisation of knowledge. The facilitator is encouraged to come up with additional activities that wouldfurther assist in clarifying the different concepts explored in this manual.In terms of structure, the manual is divided into modules and each module is broken down into units.At the beginning of each module, there are objectives that are expected to be achieved upon completion of that particular module. The objectives are stated in such a way as to make evaluation ofresults easy for the trainer or facilitator.The manual is ideal for a training workshop with a sizeable group that will allow for maximum participation of every participant.MODULE ONE:POLITICS AND POLITICAL PARTIESLearning Objectives:At the end of this module, participants should be able to; Explain the origins of CMD and state the organisation’s objectives Explain what politics is. Explain the importance of politics in the life of the individual and society Discuss the main issues that concern politics. Define a political party Explain the importance of political parties and their roles in democracyUnit 1.1 Centre for Multiparty DemocracyCMD – Malawi (CMD – M) is a membership organization that is open to political parties that haverepresentation in the National Assembly of the Republic of Malawi through General Elections or byelections. Its overall objective is to enhance inter-party programs of common interest for the promotion of political dialogue, stable multi-party democracy and socio-economic development of Malawi.Its specific objectives include the following: To improve participation in parliamentary business; To improve dialogue and interaction between Member Political Parties and institutions thatsupport democracy; To mediate in conflicts between Member Political Parties; To foster national unity by mapping out common goals for national interest and democraticdevelopment; To foster national unity, inter and intra party unity, peace and reconciliation;CMD – M’s Mandate in relation to Conflict ManagementThe CMD - M constitution regards issues of conflict management as one of the most fundamentalobjectives of the Centre. The Centre’s mandate to involve itself in issues of conflict management isderived from the constitution.Unit 1.2 Understanding PoliticsIntroductionPolitics is among the most ancient and persistent source of conflict, as it determines how power willbe distributed among people which in turns determine how resources will be allocated and how rulesgoverning society will be made. Conflicts arise as people compete to outwit each other in order togain control of the power to allocate resources and the power to be at the driving force of setting therules of the game. Thus conflicts determine the very existence of politics.If truth be told, conflict is the principal means by which significant social and political changes havetaken place throughout history. Wars and revolutions can be understood as efforts to resolve deepseated political, economic, and social conflicts for which no other means of resolution was understood or acceptable to either or both sides.67

We therefore require improved understanding, not only of the conflict but also politics in order to beable to manage or transform the conflict.Brief overview of what politics entailsPolitics may be said to be what government is all about for it is concerned with ‘who gets what, whenand how’. A few observations are in order here. First, it is clear that politics is a social process thatexists in any social setting. This is because the question “who gets what, when, and how” is the kindof question that cuts across all societal levels— family, community, district, region and nation.Second, at the centre of politics is the issue of making choices. These choices are largely to do withdistribution and/or redistribution of resources. Such resources exist in different forms and at different levels of society. Material resources like development projects and money are only some of themany resources we can think of. Others may include power and authority. Furthermore, the question of who gets what when and how also presupposes diversity of interests and values, a phenomenon that is a norm in all human societies.Given this reality, politics is, therefore, not concerned with elimination of differences and conflicts.Rather, it is to reconcile them by creating compromises. That is by finding the ‘right’ answer to thequestion: who gets what, when and how. Thus, politics involves negotiation, bargaining, persuasionand compromise.In every society people have always organized themselves, regulated the distribution of power, resources, and resolved conflicts for purposes of peaceful co-existence. That is politics. Thusbroadly defined, politics refers to activities of cooperation and conflict within societies, communitiesand the nation, and even between states and nations. Through politics people go about obtaining,using, producing and distributing resources. These activities are influenced by, and in turn do alsoinfluence the distribution of power in state and society. Further, politics can also be understood asthe making and enforcing of agreed rules. In this case all human relations are political in the sensethat they follow some kind of agreed rules. Wherever there is organized human life, there is politics.Therefore, politics is not just what governments, political parties and politicians do. There is also politics in institutions and places like the family, the village, the Church, the Mosque, NGOs, schoolsand colleges, as well as workplaces.It has been stated already that wherever people are, there is politics. In this regard what this meansis that politics and political life is rooted in the nature of people themselves. In principle, we cannotthink or imagine human beings as none political. Human beings are social by nature. Where this feature finds clear expression is in language and interdependence. Human beings communicate andbecause none is totally self-reliant, they cooperate to achieve common goals. It is here that we findthe foundations of not only politics, but also that of the state and other social organizations.Generally, human beings do not live in isolation. This particular understanding that the social natureof people, individually and collectively, is the foundation of politics is very important especially indemocracy. What it means is that political power comes from, and belongs to the people, and thatleaders are only there on behalf of the people.Activity 1Ask participants to consider the three arms of government—the Executive, Legislature andJudiciary. Ask them to discuss;What they think the role of each one is in deciding who gets what, when and howWhat are the agreed rules by which each of the branches operate?Activity 2Ask participants to make a role play on the following story (up to 10 participants)You are vendors at an unorganised wayside market. Suddenly a well-wisher appears and8offers to give all vendors K10 million for business improvement.The hardware vendors claim they will be responsible for distributing the money becausetheir businesses are large and they handle big money. Their capital share of the wholemarket is 60%The agriculture produce vendors claim they will be responsible because they are in themajority. Their capital share of the whole market is 30%The cooked food vendors claim they will handle the money because they are the ones mostin need. Their capital share of the whole market is 10%Immediately a fight erupts.The wellwisher donor leaves and promises to return after seven days when the vendors getorganised.As a member of this vendor group, how do you contribute to the process of(a) helping the group obtain the K10 million and (b) sharing the money infairness and justice among the different categories of vendors?NOTE: This exercise aims to highlight the importance of politics in life, the making andenforcing of rules, and also the broader question of determining who gets what, when andhow?Let participants freely discuss the merits and demerits of the various choices and strategies proposed in the role play.FeedbackVery often whenever a person expresses interest to join politics, the initial reaction fromfamily members and friends is that of discouragement. It is as if no sane person is expected to join politics. The common picture is that politics is about lies, violence, disagreements,cheating, greed, insults, and even promiscuity. There could be valid reasons based on experience that justify viewing politics in this way. However, politics on its own is not dirty.Instead, it is an activity through which people make, or defend and amend the generalrules and regulations under which they live as a community or nation. Indeed this activityentails conflict at certain times, but also cooperation. Human life is almost impossible without politics. People need commonly agreed ways, means and standards of allocatingresources and achieving common interests. Without this society could disintegrate intochaos.Four key configurations of politics and their relationship with conflictWe are going to examine some four configuration of politics and discuss how they relate to the question of conflictPolitics as Government.In this case, it refers to the affairs of the state. Politics is restricted to what happens in governmentby politicians and civil servants. In this understanding politicians are mainly concerned with providing the policy direction while the civil servants are the technical people who operationalize and9

implement such broad policy decisions. It is not unheard of that sometimes politicians tend to crossthe line and behave as if they are the technical people i.e. trying to dictate what the civil servantsshould do and how they should do it. On the other hand, technocrats can decide to deliberately frustrate the agenda of politicians which may lead to policy failure. Thus considering politics as government involving politicians and civil servants has a potential of brooding conflict.Politics as public affairs.This understanding is broader. It is concerned with the attainment of good life in a community orcountry through the institutions of the state like courts and police. The very concept of good life in asociety can be controversial. In a society there are different interests and so politics has to aggregate the different interests and there may not be consensus in this process of interest aggregation,hence a potential for conflicts.Role of political parties in democracyAlongside Parliament, political parties are the most enduring instruments for people’s participationin the process of attaining their political aims and ambitions. The role of political parties may bedefined largely by their common aim, i.e. to seek power either singly, or in alliance with other political parties. The goal of attaining political power differentiates political parties from other groups.Political parties perform many roles in a democracy. However, for our purposes in this unit, we shallfocus on the major roles only. These roles can be classified into two: the ordinary roles and the inbetween elections roles.Ordinary RolesPolitics as compromise and consensusIn this case politics is a means of resolving conflict by compromise, conciliation and negotiation,rather than through force or naked power. This implies peaceful debate and arbitration.Politics as power.This concerns the production, distribution and use of resources in the day to day life of the people.In this regard politics is seen as a struggle for power to control the means for the distribution ofscarce resources. The expression “those in power” or in Chichewa “olamula boma” literally meansthose people who have power to determine “who gets what, when and how” or indeed the constitutive dimension of power to mean who makes which rules / laws. The struggle to get hold of this political power oftentimes leads to conflicts and it basically in this context where it is said that politics isthe major source of conflicts in the world. Selection of political leaders at every level in the machinery of governmentOrganize support for government policies and programmes.Stimulate popular interest and facilitate public participation in political affairs.Promote national harmony.Provision of a common denominator across races and ethnic groups;Provision of a sense of identity and belongingUniting, simplifying and stabilizing political processes.bringing together sectional interests, and overcoming geographical distancesEducating, instructing and activating the electorate.protecting the leadership, as well as recruit members and potential leadership.Setting values, ideologies or goals for society.shaping public policies as well as legislative reviews and proposals.Linking government and the people.Unit 1.3 Political Parties in a DemocracyPolitical parties form a crucial component of modern democracies. Generally, a political party isdefined as a group of officials, or would be officials, who are linked with a sizable group of citizensinto an organization, whose chief objective is to ensure that the officials attain power or are maintained in power. Much as political parties are a recent development in history of politics dating backonly to around 1793/94, they have progressively been refined and become have become a standardpractice of doing politics in democracy.The aim of this module is to assist participants to acquire relevant knowledge and skills so that theycan manage their political parties successfully in democracy.Activity: Group workAsk participants to get into groups of 5-6 people and list down the roles of political partiesin each of the following categories(a) The president’s political party, or ‘ruling’ party(b) The opposition political party(c) Political party outside parliamentParticipants should report in plenary and discuss. Plenary discussions should focus on thesimilarities and differences of roles and the reasons behind them.10Roles of Political Parties in between elections Consolidating the gains for those that have won the election by way of continued recruitmentof memberships and establishment or strengthening of the grass-roots structures. Rebuilding the party by recruiting new members, potential leaders, designing new messagesand strategies. Monitor the implementation of government policies and budgets, as well as public projects anddebts. Initiate policy or legal review and propose amendments to the existing legislation or initiatenew policies and pieces of legislation. Refine their ideologies, sensitize the party membership. Fundraising campaigns for the smooth functioning of the party and for the next elections.Conducting civic education/political literacy to the general public and party membership on suchaspects as the national constitution, environment, development, national and local budgets, rolesand responsibilities of the elected, rights and duties of the citizens.By the very nature of its set up, a political party is bound to face conflicts. Although it is comprisedof people who share some common interests, it is not always the case that the party members willact as if they were one entity. Differences will naturally exist and this is a recipe for conflicts.Considering also the functions that political parties play, it becomes a fact that conflicts areinevitable. Political leaders, therefore, need to accept that in any democratic party, there should beroom to accommodate and manage differences.11

MODULE TWO:UNDERSTANDING CONFLICTLearning Objectives:At the end of this module, participants should be able to; Explain what conflict

Unit 2.4 The difference between Conflict and Violence 15 Unit 2.5 What conflicts can do 17 Module Three: Conflict Analysis 19 Unit 3.1 Introduction to Conflict analysis 19 Unit 3.3 Levels of Conflict Escalation 20 Unit 3.2 Tools for analysing Political Conflicts 21 Module Four: Intervention in a political Conflict. 25 Unit 4.1 Criteria for .

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