Community Conflict Research Articles

Poverty, Communal Conflicts and Rural Community Development in Nigeria: The Ndiagu Amagu Erim-Ogwudu Ikwo of Ebonyi State in Perspective

Poverty, Communal Conflicts and Rural Community Development in Nigeria: The Ndiagu Amagu Erim-Ogwudu Ikwo of Ebonyi State in Perspective

The Power of Small Talk Discourse as Mitigating Conflict in Different Religious Communities in Ntaram

Objective: This research analyzes explicitly the tiny talk (fatik) discourse used by the Ntaram (Manggarai) Flores community as a verbal force to mitigate conflict in plural communities (different religions) in Ntaram, Manggarai-Flores. Method: This research chooses qualitative (interpretive) because the data collected and analyzed is in words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with informants, which were determined purposively. In addition, the observation method is used to observe the daily communication of the plural community in Ntaram. Data were validated through (1) data source triangulation and method triangulation. (2) Checking validity through Focus Group Discussions involving key sources. Results and Discussion: Small talk (fatik) in communicating between people of different religions in Ntaram: (1) Small talk in the form of greetings. Ntaram people call "ite" which means we (first person plural personal pronoun). The word addresses the speech partner (second person personal pronoun). (2) Small talk in the context of greetings, such as nia ngaok, which means "noisy." These pleasantries explain sociologically that the social behavior of the Ntaram people is cheerful and happy to accept anyone. (3) Typical terms of respect related to religion are ata sili mai wae and ata le mai tana golo. Ata silimai wae means people who come from the coast or riverbanks. (4) Ethics of Interrupting Conversations. Ntaram people have small talk about interrupting conversations ethically through small talk such as eta ulu keta ite and no ramping dite. Eta ulu keta means that I uphold your opinion above my head. These four types of pleasantries are most productively used in the context of building brotherhood amidst religious and ethnic differences in Ntaram. Recommendations: The research findings recommend that (1) it is necessary to revitalize the small talk discourse in Ntaram in the form of content taught in schools. Thus, endemic inheritance is carried out well. (2) further research is needed regarding the antecedent factors that influence the harmony of multiethnic society in Ntaram. (3) Research in other areas must reveal how multicultural societies mitigate social conflict through small talk.

Communalism and Relevance to Nazrul

Kazi Nazrul Islam, renowned for his poetry and literary works, championed Hindu-Muslim unity and secularism in India. Born into poverty and influenced by revolutionary ideals, Nazrul's writings emphasized humanity over religious divisions. He critiqued both Hindu and Muslim extremism, promoting a universalistic approach to religion. His literature sought to bridge communal divides, advocating for the harmony of souls and the recognition of truth across faiths. Nazrul's legacy of secularism remains profoundly relevant today, offering guidance in a world still grappling with religious intolerance and division. His efforts in fostering unity and challenging religious dogma remain relevant today as communal conflicts persist, highlighting his enduring legacy as a flow of harmony and social justice.

Examining Islamism, Peacebuilding, and Interfaith Dialogue in Papua, Indonesia

This article describes and analyses a complex relationship between Islamisation, peacebuilding, and interfaith dialogue in Papua. Before the presence of transnational Islam, the relationship between Muslims and Christians was in harmony, and they lived peacefully. However, such radical transnational Islamic groups have created tensions and conflict between these two religions as well as intra-religious frictions among Islamic groups. Furthermore, tensions among different religions have provided another nuance to the long-running separatism-flavoured conflict in Papua. This paper will describe the presence of transnational groups that promote Islamism and how the religious leaders in Papua, through Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama or FKUB [the Religious Forum for Tolerance], reduce religious conflicts by making Deklarasi Papua Tanah Damai [Papua Land of Peace Declaration]. Furthermore, it explicates the framework of interfaith dialogue and how it is practised to maintain communal harmony in Papua. However, the interfaith dialogue is still used traditionally in Papua and has yet to resolve the root cause of the existing religious conflicts. Keywords: Islamisation, Communal Conflict, Transnational Islam, Peacebuilding, Interfaith Dialogue

Modeling and Multi-objective Optimal Control of Thedynamics of Counterterrorism in the Sahel Region in Africa

Terrorist activity in the Sahel region has been on the increase for almost a decade. Groups advocating extremist ideologies with a political or religious base are carrying out attacks against states with the aim of imposing a totalitarian ideology, sometimes against a backdrop of political crisis and famine. In this state of crisis and sometimes communal conflict, it is questionable whether ideological terrorism can really be eradicated in the Sahel. In this study, we develop a model of the dynamics of ideological terrorism based on the terrorism situation in the Sahel. In particular, this model incorporates popular resistance to terrorism through the class of volunteers for the defense of the homeland, but we also take into account the indoctrination of certain sections of the population vulnerable to fanatical ideology. We estimate $\mathcal{R}_0$ , the number of elementary replications of extremist behavior, which enables us to predict the evolution of extremism. We also identify four thresholds $\mathcal{R}_1$, $\mathcal{R}_2$, $\mathcal{R}_3$ and $\mathcal{R}_4$ of sufficient conditions for the eradication of ideological terrorism and brigandage. A multi-objective optimal control of a counter-terrorism strategy is also presented. Finally, we perform a numerical simulation of the analysis and control results to test our hypotheses.

뉴스 빅데이터 분석을 통해 본 지역사회 갈등과 갈등 해소를 위한 민원배심제 운영

In this study, we reviewed the literature on community conflict and conflict mediation and performed empirical study with LDA-based topic modeling to understand conflict patterns in Suseong-gu, Daegu, and then analyzed cases of conflict mediation through the civil jury system. It was conducted based on analysis of civil complaint jury minutes for about 10 years (April 28, 2011 - July 3, 2019) and news data from the same period. From this, the implications of the civil jury system as a community conflict management mechanism were presented through an understanding of complex and multidimensional conflicts in the community. The main concepts of the Citizens' Jury System identified in the study consist of three components. Firstly, there are conflicting parties seeking understanding, followed by the forum of communication, which could be referred to as the “public sphere,” created through complaints arbitration meetings to facilitate dialogue. Lastly, there is the neutral third-party group who mediate to induce agreement among conflicting parties and thereby reduce or resolve conflicts. The process of the Citizens' Jury meetings not only prevents the polarization of conflicting groups but also holds significant implications beyond the institutional aspect of conflict resolution, including rational mediation by a third party well-versed in local community affairs, overcoming/solving rational ignorance through information sharing in the conflict public sphere, voluntary participation by complaints arbitrators, and compliance with arbitration decisions, contributing to the augmentation of social capital and effective conflict resolution.

Communal conflicts in Nigeria: Assessment of the impacts on internally displaced persons and settlements amidst COVID-19 pandemic

Acknowledging that violent communal conflicts can lead to increased displacement and overcrowding in IDP camps, this study investigates the impact of such conflicts on internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their camps in Benue State, Nigeria, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a mixed-method approach, 386 IDPs and 20 stakeholders were purposively selected. Based on the research objectives, descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the research objectives. Employing logistics and multi-linear regressions, the data reveal that unregulated access to IDP camps resulted in overcrowding, straining resources like food and shelter. The study identifies economic losses and various challenges stemming from communal conflict and COVID-19, causing chaos, anxiety, and uncertainty in the IDP camps. These findings highlight the urgent need for ongoing humanitarian assistance to alleviate the precarious conditions faced by IDPs and their camps nationwide and recommend that the IDPs camps across the country need constant humanitarian aid to mitigate the various precarious conditions in the camps.

Smart District Through a Study of Urban Area Usage onHigh-Speed Internet Area: A Case Study of Chiang Mai City

Towards becoming Smart city, Internet has become an important infrastructure in every city. Since 2018 Chiang Mai has forced as Smart city which focuses on city traffic and transportation. Without learning from people and city on the reality, an idea of smart city conceptually requires building up the relation of people and city development with high-speed Internet provider. To elevate quality of people life, smart city is not only holistically on city scale but also community as district scale. According to National Strategy 2018-2037, Smart city presently run by government and internet provider service as Top-down development. The shape of Chiang Mai city is sprawled by City development, Government has served only centralized infrastructure without understanding and elevating existing social and community learning. Then, City development in the past usually overrun and cause to conflict of local community. As 3 ring roads or superhighways which provides city spreading to other suburban districts. But why center of the city still gets potentially to raise businesses and happen new kind of convergence activities. The strategy of Smart city must be collaboratively planned by learning on smart lifestyle and grounding on people. To understand new city area wheresupports new smart people and society is the key to elevate and integrate City development. Several active areas in the city have been appeared as “Smart district” where creates new convergence activities by locals, entrepreneur, digital nomad. By wireless city and Smart city forcing, this leads to a question where Chiang Mai city area could potentially be ready to this upcoming development. Smart district is a new study to study urban area through high-speed internet area where ground up the topic of smart city specifically.

Modeling children’s moral development in postwar Taiwan through naturalistic observations preserved in historical texts

A core issue in the interdisciplinary study of human morality is its ontogeny in diverse cultures, but systematic, naturalistic data in specific cultural contexts are rare to find. This study conducts a novel analysis of 213 children’s socio-moral behavior in a historical, non-Western, rural setting, based on a unique dataset of naturalistic observations from the first field research on Han Chinese children. Using multilevel multinomial modeling, we examined a range of proactive behaviors in 0-to-12-year-old children’s peer cooperation and conflict in an entire community in postwar Taiwan. We modeled the effects of age, sex, kinship, and behavioral roles, and revealed complex interactions between these four variables in shaping children’s moral development. We discovered linkages between coercive and non-coercive behaviors as children strategically negotiated leadership dynamics. We identified connections between prosocial and aggressive behaviors, illuminating the nuances of morality in real life. Our analysis also revealed gendered patterns and age-related trends that deviated from cultural norms and contradicted popular assumptions about Chinese family values. These findings highlight the importance of naturalistic observations in cultural contexts for understanding how we become moral persons. This re-analysis of historically significant fieldnotes also enriches the interdisciplinary study of child development across societies.

Rural youth migration intentions in Ecuador: The role of agricultural education programs

In the last decade, rural youth worldwide have grappled with a crisis marked by limited economic opportunities, inadequate services, and underdeveloped infrastructure in their home communities. This has driven a significant uptick in rural-to-urban migration, especially among young people in developing countries. Despite its lower urbanization rate compared to neighboring nations, Ecuador has seen a consistent rise in rural-to-urban youth migration. This trend is primarily attributed to environmental degradation, community conflicts, and rural areas' lack of educational and employment prospects. This study investigated the migration intentions of high school students in rural Ecuador, specifically those enrolled in agricultural and non-agricultural programs. The findings reveal that agricultural programs significantly influence youth migration intentions. Those in agricultural programs express an inclination to migrate. Moreover, students who have migrated before are more likely to migrate. These results underscore the importance of tailoring educational initiatives to inspire youth to explore opportunities within their rural communities. Future research should delve into the perspectives of rural youth and evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural education programs, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of rural development and strategies for retaining youth in rural areas.

Traditional Authorities, Norm Collisions, and Communal Conflict

I examine the effect of the policing capacity of traditional authorities (TAs) on communal conflict. TAs of ethnic groups use distinct customary laws and dispute-resolution mechanisms. Their coexistence with national norms and those of other TAs results in parallel legal systems. I argue that this generates uncertainties about norms and vertical and horizontal jurisdictional conflict, which increases the risk of communal conflict. However, this effect can be dampened by state-level rules on norm collisions, which lead to a system of co-production and less violence. To investigate these claims, I use global georeferenced expert survey data on customary policing of TAs and data measuring their constitutional regulation. I show that customary policing can have an adverse effect on communal peace. More subgroups of the larger ethnic group with policing institutions increase the risk of conflict. State-level regulation moderates these relationships. Additional evidence suggests that policing increases communal conflict through vertical jurisdictional conflict but otherwise achieves its intended purpose of providing security.

Self help groups and politics: A complex relationship

Despite a large body of literature investigating the impact of self-help groups (SHGs) on women, less detailed attention has been paid to the complicated relationship between SHGs and politics, beyond political ‘awareness’. Based on qualitative on the ground research in West Bengal, this article shows that the relationship between politics and SHGs is highly complex, since political involvement in SHGs can create conflict and division in communities but also can provide unique opportunities for women. By drawing on theories of social exclusion and feminist literature on the public/private binary, this article argues that politics is critical in understanding how SHGs operate, particularly the way in which political exclusion through SHGs fuels ostracisation and conflict in communities.

Cattle, conflict, and climate variability: explaining pastoralist conflict intensity in the Karamoja region of Uganda

Conflicts between pastoralist groups in Africa are rampant and cause numerous deaths each year, but their intensity exhibits significant spatial and temporal variations. Under what conditions do some pastoralist conflicts turn more violent than others? Previous research has shown that climate variability may be a relevant explanatory factor under certain conditions, yet little is known about how specific combinations of conditions jointly affect pastoralist conflict intensity. Moreover, many studies have investigated the link between resource scarcity and conflict, but few have examined how asymmetrical distribution of resources between groups affects levels of violence. This article contributes to filling these gaps through a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) of pastoralist conflicts in Karamoja, Uganda—a region characterized by cattle husbandry, communal conflict, and a highly variable climate. Five conditions that are related either to incentives for taking to violence or to opportunity structures are examined and three pathways to high-intensity conflict are identified. The results show that an asymmetrical distribution of resources between pastoralist groups during a drought incentivizes conflict, particularly in remote areas with nearby armed conflicts. The article highlights some implications for future research and policy. First, it shows that this type of conflict cannot be reduced to simple “resource scarcity conflicts” since climate variability only has an effect in combination with other conditions. Second, it emphasizes the need for policy approaches that consider both environmental variability and political contexts in addressing pastoralist violence.

The Arduous Journey: Illegal Immigration from Pakistan to the UK

Illegal immigration from Pakistan to the UK is a complex issue with various factors at play. Societal turmoil, political instability, and economic inequality contribute to the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants upon arrival. These include geographical risks, financial constraints, legal complexities, and social adjustment difficulties. Despite negative impacts such as resource strain and community conflict, undocumented immigrants fill labor gaps and contribute positively to local economies. Governments must address root causes, reform legal frameworks, protect refugee rights, and promote global collaboration. Tightening border control, combating human trafficking, and funding integration programs are crucial steps. Efforts should focus on dialogue, partnership, and affirming the rights of all individuals regardless of legal status.

NU and Muhammadiyah Communal Conflict: Social Interaction between NU and Muhammadiyah Communities in Cinta Karya Village, Plakat Tinggi District, Musi Banyuasin Regency

NU and Muhammadiyah are the two largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia. These two large organizations have differences in their religious understanding. These differences certainly invite communal conflict between fellow Islamic communities and have an impact on hampering the process of social interaction at all levels of society, especially in the Cinta Karya Village community. This writing aims to analyze the social interactions that occur between the NU and Muhammadiyah communities in Cinta Karya Village. This writing uses a qualitative approach method with an ethnographic type. The findings obtained in this research were that there was no violence or discrimination from each community group in Cinta Karya Village. However, in the context of worship, sometimes they don’t get along at certain times. This is the source of conflict between fellow Muslim communities in this village. Despite this, their social interactions can still be said to be well established. It is recommended that reconciliation be carried out in an effort to build peace from this cold war. Positive peace can only be achieved if we communicate well with each other. Through this dialogue, it is hoped that the parties in conflict can have an open view towards each other to avoid violence.

Making community policing work: A panacea to crimes and rural conflicts in Nigeria

Abstract In Nigeria, several community development initiatives abound either through the government or donor agencies. Despite all these efforts, little concern has been placed on the security of rural dwellers. This has enabled incessant conflicts in rural communities, leading to the loss of lives and an overall negative effect on food production. This chapter employed different conflict and mediation theories to explain the causes, drivers, and ways to resolve the conflicts. Materials were sourced from top-tier databases, including reports and publications from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, and other reliable sources. It found that conflicts in rural communities have resulted in the destruction of lives and livelihood assets, a reduction in crop yield and income, an increase in fear and ethno-religious stereotypes, food shortages and rape. It identified a partial implementation of community policing strategy but noted the centralization of power to the Nigerian Police Force as an impediment to its effectiveness. Worthy approaches to ensuring the effectiveness of community policing strategy as a panacea to crimes and rural conflicts are: constitutional redress; developing programs and needed resources; training and re-training of officers and partners; planning an effective strategy using civilian volunteers; aligning performance measures of officers and partners; demonstrating leadership and taking risks; and making changes to the organization of departments under the community policing structure. However, it recommends operational community policing that incorporates all actors in the states and local governments with reliable legal frameworks for securing the farm and rural farming communities in Nigeria.

Farmland management and community conflicts in the commune of Gogounou

Sustainable land management is at the heart of Africa's development challenge. However, access to and control over natural resources is becoming the main source of conflict between rural producers, particularly farmers and agro-pastoralists. The aim of this study is to analyse farmland management and community conflicts in the commune of Gogounou. The methodological approach is based on data collection, processing (statistical processing; cartographic processing with ArcGIS) and analysis of the results using the SWOT model (Strengths, Weaknesses, Obstacles, Threats). A total of 128 producers were interviewed using an interview guide and a questionnaire. The results of this methodological approach show that the main method of acquiring agricultural land is inheritance (55.86%), which is used for farming (77%) and livestock rearing (23%). However, crop rotation (72.80%) is the most widely used farmland management technique. For 82% of farmers, boundary disputes are the most dominant issue, followed by family disputes (14%) and, lastly, litigation (5%). The main players involved in conflict management are the district chiefs, village delegates or chiefs, the town hall, the police station and the court. In order to deal with this situation, it is imperative that prospects be defined for better land management and real development of farming activities.

Natural Resource Conflict: An Appraisal of Rumuekpe Oil and Gas Conflict

This study examined the oil and gas conflict in the Rumuekpe community in Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State. The objective was to interrogate the relationship between oil and gas and conflict and its impact on Rumuekpe community. Frustration and Aggression theory and Resource Curse thesis were used as the theoretical frameworks. Methodologically, the study relied on qualitative data obtained from Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and supplemented the information by secondary data. The study found that the destruction of lives and property was a major consequence of natural resource conflict in Rumuekpe. The study also found that the conflict in Rumuekpe community was caused by the failure of oil companies and the government to respond to the developmental needs of the people. It also found that the divide-and-rule tactics of oil companies were what fuelled conflict in the community. The study concluded that oil-bearing communities will continue to lack meaningful development, provided oil companies continue their divide-and- rule tactics. It therefore recommended the strict enforcement and implementation of the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) under the new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) between oil companies and communities as this will translate into sustainable development. It also recommended that community members should use dialogue in the resolution of disputes rather than resorting to violence.

Traditional Institutions and the Management of Communal Conflicts in Gwer-East Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

This study examined traditional rulership institution and the management of communal conflicts in Gwer-East local Government Area, Benue State of Nigeria. The study aimed at finding out why there is a persistence of communal conflicts in the study area even with the efforts by traditional rulers to help manage them. The study pursued objectives that range from; ascertaining the relevance of the traditional rulers in communal conflict management, identifying the causes of communal conflicts, examining the effectiveness of traditional rulers in the management of communal conflicts, identifying the challenges faced by traditional rulers in the management of communal conflicts and advancing ways of ensuring the effectiveness of traditional rulers in the management of communal conflicts in the study area. The descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Questionnaires were used for data collection and the analyses done using simple percentage presented in tabular form. Structural functionalism was adopted for the study. The findings of the study revealed that land dispute is the major cause of communal conflicts in the local government area. Equally too, it was found out that traditional rulers have not been effective in the management of communal conflicts owing largely to the lack of cooperation from warring communities. This showed, as revealed from this finding, the lack of respect for the traditional rulership institution in the local government area. The study also revealed that sensitization and awareness campaigns for attitudinal change by community members are the major ways of enhancing the effectiveness of traditional rulers in the management of communal conflicts in the area. The study concludes that traditional rulers are relevant in communal conflicts management as they are considered traditional administrative structure for community mobilization. The study made recommendations in the light that; traditional rulers should be given additional powers other than mere advisory and assistance roles, the government should revisit community boundaries and make them clearer to curtail issues of encroachment into peoples’ lands in the area and the beef-up of check mechanisms on traditional rulers to help unfold irregularities of biased settlements, corruption and primordialism.

Effectiveness of Peace Building from Below: Activities of local NGOs During Armed Conflict in Cameroon

The grassroots level or bottom-top peace building is getting more and more attention and is acknowledged as a crucial part in the peace building process, despite the official peace process commonly targets the top level. Peace agreements signed by the elite (top-bottom) will not be implemented thoroughly in society unless the population living the conflict has their own agency. These community-led agencies in the form of local NGOs play pivotal role in the effective implementation of peace building from below. This article seeks to examine the effectiveness of peace building activities from below carried out by local NGOs during armed conflict. Adopting the theory of subsidiarity in enhancing community-led peace building activities, this article employed the quantitative research approach with the use of questionnaire for data collection. The article targeted 107 respondents from Buea sub-division using purposive sampling technique in selecting the respondents who are well knowledgeable with regards to the peace building activities carried out by local NGOs. The findings reveal that NGOs have effectively implemented the following as peace building from below during armed conflict in communities; advocacy for peace, sensitization on no to drug abuse, sports and cultural activities, capacity building for youths, identifying the causes of the conflict, and protection of human rights as peace building from below activities. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are doing even more peace building activities than any official governmental agencies. In many of the areas of the world at large and in Cameroon in particular, they have a long term presence that is afflicted with intractable conflicts. NGOs are in an excellent position to engage in a wide variety of peace building activities from below.