Tool For Conflict Resolution Research Articles

Negotiating History for Reconciliation: A Comparative Evaluation of the Baltic Presidential Commissions

This article discusses the presidential historical commissions of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that were established in 1998 to research the crimes of the Nazi and Soviet totalitarian regimes and to overcome interpretive disputes that had begun to overshadow the new democracies' politics. Conceptually framed as a state tool of historical conflict resolution and reconciliation, the Baltic commissions' structure, operative work and results all reveal many of the pitfalls, but also the opportunities of such official bodies of historical truth-seeking. The article concludes that even though all three commissions had a clear reconciliatory aim, their operative processes and final output differed remarkably. Their contribution to actual reconciliation was also very limited.

Dialogue as a Tool for Racial Reconciliation: Examining Racialised Frameworks

In this paper, I draw on my experiences as facilitator of a seven-week intergroup dialogue on race to explore the role of dialogue as a tool for racial reconciliation, particularly in the context of domestic U.S. race relations. Additionally, I examine and raise questions about the cultural frameworks and assumptions that shape dialogue processes and methodologies: is the dialogue framework (as a conflict resolution tool) inherently racialised? How are power imbalances addressed in a dialogue setting, and how do these power imbalances influence opportunities for racial reconciliation? I posit that the dialogue framework has been constructed through a culturally/racially biased lens that privileges ‘White Talk’ characteristics, and does not adequately address power imbalances. As power imbalances are not effectively addressed in a dialogue setting, opportunities for genuine and comprehensive racial reconciliation (as defined by leading reconciliation scholars) are limited. Ultimately, I argue that dialogue alone is not enough to reach a genuine and sustainable process for racial reconciliation. Mechanisms to address structural inequality and power disparities at the societal level must be in place together with the interpersonal reconciliation that takes place within dialogue settings.

The Buberian Dialogical Man as a Struggler in the Field of Existential Choice

In this paper, I draw on my experiences as facilitator of a seven-week intergroup dialogue on race to explore the role of dialogue as a tool for racial reconciliation, particularly in the context of domestic U.S. race relations. Additionally, I examine and raise questions about the cultural frameworks and assumptions that shape dialogue processes and methodologies: is the dialogue framework (as a conflict resolution tool) inherently racialised? How are power imbalances addressed in a dialogue setting, and how do these power imbalances influence opportunities for racial reconciliation? I posit that the dialogue framework has been constructed through a culturally/racially biased lens that privileges ‘White Talk’ characteristics, and does not adequately address power imbalances. As power imbalances are not effectively addressed in a dialogue setting, opportunities for genuine and comprehensive racial reconciliation (as defined by leading reconciliation scholars) are limited. Ultimately, I argue that dialogue alone is not enough to reach a genuine and sustainable process for racial reconciliation. Mechanisms to address structural inequality and power disparities at the societal level must be in place together with the interpersonal reconciliation that takes place within dialogue settings.

New Artificial Intelligence Tools for Deep Conflict Resolution and Humanitarian Response

Truly understanding what others need and want, how they see the world, and how they feel are core prerequisites for successful conflict resolution and humanitarian response. Today, however, human cognitive limitations, insufficient expertise in the right hands, and difficulty in managing complex social, conflict, and real-world knowledge conspire to prevent us from reaching our ultimate potential. This paper introduces cogSolv, a highly novel Artificial Intelligence system capable of understanding how people from other groups view the world, simulating their reactions, and combining this with knowledge of the real world in order to persuade, find negotiation win-wins and enhance outcomes, avoid offense, provide peacekeeping decision tools, and protect emergency responders’ health. Ready to go today, portable, and requiring virtually no specialist expertise, cogSolv allows governments and local NGOs to use expert culture and conflict resolution knowledge to accurately perform a wide range of humanitarian simulations. cogSolv assists responders with training, managing complexity, centralizing and sharing knowledge, and, ultimately, maximizing the potential for equitable conflict resolution and maximally effective humanitarian response.

Verbal Hygiene in the Use of the English Language: A Tool for Unity, Conflict Resolution and Sustainable Development in Nigeria

The place of cultivating good verbal hygiene is fundamental towards achieving unity, conflict resolution and sustainable development in a linguistically, ethnically, culturally and politically diversified Nigerian society. The concept of verbal hygiene seeks to emphasize the use of respectful and unbiased words to express our opinions in given social context. Even though, freedom of speech is guaranteed for all citizens, it has been abused by Nigerian leaders who capitalize on this opportunity to achieve their selfish and hateful agenda. The recent condemnation of Awolowo has sparked off verbal wars between Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups because of humanitarian issues raised by Achebe. Again, through unguarded and evil utterances of Northern leaders like Major General Buhari, Lawal Kaita and other Muslim clerics thousands of lives have been lost. In this paper, we have discussed extensively, how effective use of words can be utilized to achieve sustainable development in Nigeria.

Northeast Asian Perspectives on UN Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping operations are the most visible activity of the United Nations and widely considered an important tool for conflict resolution. For historical, cultural, and political reasons, however, states from Northeast Asia have been hesitant in their support, and limited in their contributions. Yet Northeast Asian regional actors are no longer as resistant to collective security and international governance initiatives as they have historically been portrayed. With the exception of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (dprk), a rogue regime often at loggerheads with the United Nations (un), and the Republic of China (roc) in Taiwan, a province currently denied independent un membership, the three remaining regional powers, the People’s Republic of China (prc), Japan, and the Republic of Korea (rok), have become increasingly engaged in regional and global peace operations. This engagement has picked up pace since the end of the Cold War in 1991. This article, therefore, examines the contributions to un peacekeeping operations by these three Northeast Asian powers. It further explores the motivational impetuses for policy changes and increasing contributions. Finally the paper assesses both the obstacles to, and the potential for future peacekeeping contributions emanating from the region.

Social Capital and Dispute Resolution in Informal Areas of Cairo and Istanbul

How do female residents of the Middle East’s largest cities solve their everyday problems? And under what conditions do women use the state to resolve local disputes? Squatter settlements and other “informal” neighborhoods often exist outside of effective state authority, leaving residents to develop parallel forms of legality. This is particularly true for female residents of these neighborhoods who may experience marginalization as a result of their socioeconomic status as well as prevailing gender norms. This article examines avenues for problem solving and conflict resolution employed by women in the low-income neighborhoods of Cairo and Istanbul—the region’s largest megacities. Using an original survey of 2400 women in four low-income neighborhoods across the two cities, we find that women in Turkey are much more likely than their counterparts in Egypt to turn to the state to handle local problems, especially for issues associated with criminality. When Egyptian women do choose to use state channels for dispute resolution, they only do so when they are well-connected to local elites, suggesting the critical mediating role played by a woman’s social capital. Religious authorities are not seen as a primary tool for conflict resolution in any of the sampled neighborhoods, challenging the conventional wisdom about the role local Islamic interlocutors play in low-income Muslim communities.

Rethinking the link between consultation and conflict: lessons from Bolivia's gas sector

This article sheds light on 26 consultations in Bolivia's gas sector (2007–2012) and challenges simplified conceptions of prior consultation as a tool for conflict prevention and resolution. It shows that consultations do not only appease, but also exacerbate conflicts, as they are used for negotiating broader grievances. The study further argues that, in the short term, narrow consultations repress conflicts by limiting opportunities to mobilise against extractive projects. It also reveals that the degree of conflict and prevention potential of consultations varies according to the affected groups and highlights the ambiguous effects of the entanglement of consultations and compensations.

Use of GIS Tools for Environmental Conflict Resolution at Map Ta Phut Industrial Zone in Thailand

Special industrial zones are favored over scattered industries from an environmental management perspective, but poor management can lead to conflicts. This paper presents an analysis of the environmental conflict that arose between the state, society, and industry stakeholders in an industrial zone of the Eastern Seaboard Development Program of Thailand. This paper seeks to determine the effectiveness of policy measures implemented by the state to resolve the conflict. The purpose of this study is to draw lessons for industrializing nations that adopt the industrial zone model to foster environmentally sustainable industrial development. The study revealed that blatant violation of land-use planning regulations and expansion of the industrial zone into community areas was a root cause of the conflict. Through legal action, civil society has been successful in forcing the state and industries to halt unplanned expansion of industrial areas and practice better environmental governance. However, inadequate commitment by the state and industry stakeholders seems to perpetuate the conflict, threatening the sustainability of economic gains. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based analysis confirmed that the policy interventions of the government to resolve the conflict have not produced significant results. This paper highlights the need for GIS-based environmental quality monitoring for guiding industrialization-based urban development towards sustainability.

A Conflict Resolution Tool for Project Managers: Evaporating Cloud

INTRODUCTION One of us (2nd author), a former owner of a $22M technology development firm, has first-hand experience observing, diagnosing, and leading projects from conceptualization stage to the termination stage in the capacity of a senior leader, project manager, functional manager, staff member as well as a client. Due to a myriad of reasons (e.g., significant uncertainty about decision-making authority, groups working with different goals and expectations), the author has witnessed conflicts of varying intensity (measured in terms of frequency and magnitude) at various stages throughout IT project life cycles. It's been well documented by The Standish Group International (1995) that only 16% of application development projects were considered successful in terms of being completed on time and with budget. There are many elements to an IT project and internal risks and external risks need to be facilitated according to Marchewka (2010), and with these risks tension and arise. In order to foster strong relationships and better communication between parties, as well as promote continued progress toward projects' objectives, the 2nd author has employed various resolution techniques and has many 'war stories' dealing with failed (i.e., not delivering on the agreed upon objectives) projects. Thus, a search for a better approach to management in particular and project management in general continues (literature overview in the next section further supports this assertion). Hence, this paper introduces Goldratt's evaporating clouds as an enabling tool to resolve conflicts and successfully implement theory of constraints (TOC)-based ideas to deliver projects on time, on budget, and within scope. The process of project management (PM) inherently requires input from and interactions among various stakeholders with different points of view about how to achieve project objectives throughout a project's life cycle. Thus, conflicts within a project are inevitable and even desirable (Tjosvold, 2008). Increasingly, organizations are recognizing conflicts as a source of innovation and creativity (Nemeth, Personnaz, Personnaz, & Goncalo, 2004) and are adopting a more strategic approach to managing conflicts. Thus, management (CM) competency is being recognized as useful by project managers but there is a dearth of systematic process approaches to resolve the conflicts (Lipsky & Seeber, 2006; Kerzner, 2006). The primary purpose of this article is to provide insight on a tool, the evaporating cloud (EC) developed by Dr. Goldratt, the founder of the Theory of Constraint (TOC), as a systematic approach for getting from a stage to a solution stage. Recently, much has been written about the EC (Gupta, Boyd, & Kuzmits, 2011), but its versatile applications in the PM area have not been addressed. This paper is organized as followed: in this section, we will further discuss the term conflict by briefly summarizing various types/categories of conflicts that occur in the project environment. In the second section, we discuss resolution techniques as suggested in various literature and show that there is still a need for a comprehensive tool and generic approach to resolve conflicts. In the third section, we provide a brief overview of relevant TOC concepts and introduce Goldratt's Evaporating Cloud (EC) as a structured and systematic management tool using a simple example from an IT project manager's perspective. In the fourth section, we discuss a real-world application using an EC webapp. We conclude this paper by acknowledging the limitations of our work and recommend future research to empirically test the usefulness of this tool for IT project managers. Conflicts in Projects: Definition and Types Although there is no one clear definition of conflict, in this paper we adopt a broad organizational conceptualization proposed by Rahim (i. …

Performance requirements of future Trajectory Prediction and Conflict Detection and Resolution tools within SESAR and NextGen: Framework for the derivation and discussion

Future Air Traffic Management will increasingly be based on a strategic, collaborative and automated concept of operations. A key prerequisite is the capability to guarantee common situational awareness amongst relevant stakeholders as a function of time, extrapolated into the future in order to strategically optimise safe air traffic flow. This is achieved with Decision Support Tools (DSTs), including Trajectory Prediction (TP) and Conflict Detection and Resolution (CDR) tools. The functions and requirements which these tools must fulfil are dependent upon the application within the concept of operations. In order to optimise the development of the DSTs, it is important to understand the requirements for each of the applications. This paper reviews the key functions of the TP and CDR elements of DSTs in relation to these applications. It discusses the key performance drivers, derives performance metrics and develops a framework for the derivation of TP and CDR performance requirements, to support industry and standardisation bodies in the harmonisation process. A mapping exercise is undertaken to identify which of the functionalities are supported by state-of-the-art TP and CDR tools (in the public domain) and establishes those that require further research and development, highlighting some of the key challenges.

Oslo +20: Reassessing the role of confidence building measures

Confidence building measures (CBMs) have long been employed as a tool for both conflict reduction and resolution. What started as a Cold War phenomena, CBMs have routinely been employed to deal with a myriad of conflicts in a variety of locations. In the Middle East, CBMs have been integral parts of both formal treaties and disarmament agreements between Israel and the Arab states. The 20th anniversary of the Oslo Accords provides a good opportunity to reassess the role of CBMs in the Oslo process. During the initial stages of negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, much emphasis was placed on the role and importance of CBMs. These CBMs were unsuccessful, however, because there was neither a strong foundation for negotiations, nor a real commitment on the part of the leaderships of both parties to implement and support the measures.

An investigation into the disciplinary methods used by teachers in a secondary township school in South Africa

The research that this article reports on investigated the incidence of learner discipline problems, the effect of them on teachers, the teachers’ methods of maintaining discipline and the effectiveness of those methods in one township, namely Jouberton in Klerksdorp, South Africa. The experiences of both teachers and learners were surveyed. It was found that discipline at the school is far from satisfactory and problems with discipline are more serious than the international norm indicates. These problems have a serious effect on a large part of the teachers’ family life, personal health, job satisfaction and morale. Whilst both teachers and learners commendably prefer the educationally sound preventive and positive methods of maintaining discipline, the application of these methods appears not to be effective: it seems as if teacher education falls short in the area of maintaining discipline, particularly regarding the successful application of proactive methods of maintaining discipline. Finally, the learners’ views on the maintenance of discipline are an alarming indictment of the principles of democracy, human rights and human dignity, and of rationality as a tool for conflict resolution. Recommendations are made for follow-up research with the objective of amelioration.

An analytic-geospatial approach for sustainable water resource management: a case study in the province of Perugia

Water is a strategic, but also highly vulnerable, natural resource. This because the increasing demand from multiple uses, in many cases competing amongst them, seems to influence the concepts of sustainability of the exploitation. From the operational point of view, the studied system is an integrated decision support system. It is not only a platform to exchange information and assessments, but also a tool for conflict resolution, in the management of water resources, to obtain the consensus among all participants in the decisional processes. So the canonical “top-down” approach has been replaced with a “bottom-up” approach where all stakeholders become decision makers themselves. The application of the aforementioned approach was studied for the Tiber River basin and has been applied to the Province of Perugia area. The study focused to the building of a spatial database of hydrological data and multipurpose water withdrawals, together with the setting of the evaluation model for the surface water resources. This model bases its algorithms on regionalization procedures of flow parameters. For the definition of the river condition, hydrological indices calculated from the hydrological database have been used, while for the existing withdrawals, an analysis procedure has been developed, that from the point of interest directly selected on the map, finds out the upstream basin and, by means of overlay procedures, identifies the upstream water uses and the total flow that could be extracted. The potential of the system and the technologies used are contained in a WEB platform that allows the analysis of the database of water uses/withdrawals on the cartography, and the comparison with the hydrogeological characteristics of the sub-basin examined. The purpose of this study is to provide software tools that can be used as a support in water resource evaluation and management policies at the basin scale.

The Impact of Environmental Cost on Corporate Performance: A Study of Oil Companies in Niger Delta States of Nigeria

The study examined the impact of environmental cost on corporate performance in oil companies in the Niger Delta States of Nigeria. The field survey methodology was utilized involving a selected sample of twelve oil companies. The multiple regression analysis was explored to test the hypothesis. An investigation was undertaken into the possible relationship between corporate performance and three selected indicators of sustainable business practices: Community Development Cost (CDC), Waste Management Cost (WMC) and Employee Health and Safety Cost (EHSC). The study revealed that sustainable business practices and corporate performance is significantly related. And sustainability may be a possible tool for corporate conflict resolution as evidenced in the reduction of fines, penalties and compensations paid to host communities of oil companies. Therefore, the researchers recommended that the management of oil companies in the Niger Delta States of Nigeria develop a well articulated environmental costing system in order to guarantee a conflict free corporate atmosphere needed by managers and workers for maximum productivity and eventually improve corporate performance.

An analytic-geospatial approach for sustainable water resource management: a case study in the province of Perugia

Water is a strategic, but also highly vulnerable, natural resource. This because the increasing demand from multiple uses, in many cases competing amongst them, seems to influence the concepts of sustainability of the exploitation. From the operational point of view, the studied system is an integrated decision support system. It is not only a platform to exchange information and assessments, but also a tool for conflict resolution, in the management of water resources, to obtain the consensus among all participants in the decisional processes. So the canonical “top-down” approach has been replaced with a “bottom-up” approach where all stakeholders become decision makers themselves. The application of the aforementioned approach was studied for the Tiber River basin and has been applied to the Province of Perugia area. The study focused to the building of a spatial database of hydrological data and multipurpose water withdrawals, together with the setting of the evaluation model for the surface water resources. This model bases its algorithms on regionalization procedures of flow parameters. For the definition of the river condition, hydrological indices calculated from the hydrological database have been used, while for the existing withdrawals, an analysis procedure has been developed, that from the point of interest directly selected on the map, finds out the upstream basin and, by means of overlay procedures, identifies the upstream water uses and the total flow that could be extracted. The potential of the system and the technologies used are contained in a WEB platform that allows the analysis of the database of water uses/withdrawals on the cartography, and the comparison with the hydrogeological characteristics of the sub-basin examined. The purpose of this study is to provide software tools that can be used as a support in water resource evaluation and management policies at the basin scale.

The Necessity of Restorative Justice on Juvenile Delinquency in Indonesia, Lessons Learned from the Raju and AAL Cases

Abstract Since the Netherlands introduced and implemented modern law in Indonesia (1918), Indonesian people have turned to modern law as a tool for conflict resolution. Indonesian people generally tend to resolve conflicts with musyawarah mufakat (deliberation/consensus). It is Indonesia's typical conflict resolution mechanism. The court, for Indonesian people, is last resort that should be conducted only if musyawarah mufakat fails to mediate the conflict. The implementation of modern law (the court system) usually creates social problems. Juvenile delinquency law enforcement is one issue that so far has increased societal tension. Recent cases attracting widespread concern are the Raju and AAL cases. Muhammad ‘Raju’ Azwar was possibly less than eight-year-old a boy when the court decided to detain him for assault as a result of a fight with a schoolmate. The societal opinion was that the detention was overzealous and extreme. Another case that inflames societal emotions i the ‘sandal case’ of AAL. AAL was a 15-year-old boy accused of stealing sandals belonging to a policeman. In the sense of modern law, a crime is a crime, laws should be enforced. However, most Indonesian people believe that the cases mentioned above are too insignificant to be tried in court, which can negatively impact the children's futures. Other methods exist to settle such petty crimes. In Indonesia, we call such methods musyawarah mufakat, referred to in other countries as restorative justice.

The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI): Tool for Conflict Resolution in the Niger Delta or Arena of Contested Politics?

This article examines whether the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) can be a tool for conflict resolution in the Niger Delta. It explores how and why transparency emerged as a global norm for addressing conflicts associated with the ‘resource curse’. It finds that NEITI takes an overly simplistic view of the ‘resource curse’ by assuming that negative development outcomes in the Delta are due to poor resource revenue management and corruption. Whilst this has played an important role in contributing to the conflicts in the Delta, not all conflicts have their roots in oil, but need to be seen as the result of a longstanding history of marginalisation and a complex interaction of forces. NEITI is not a neutral tool for improving governance and contributing to conflict resolution, as it is bound up in the sensitive political question of resource use in Nigeria, where powerful elites have vested interests in maintaining the status quo. However, NEITI is a landmark as it has placed a large amount of information on the oil industry in the public domain. Furthermore the discourse around transparency is creating political space that civil society in Nigeria is utilising to make demands for transparency and accountability.

Effective Tools for Conflict Resolution in Multicultural Teams in Industrial Enterprises

Abstract The aim of this paper is to highlight the issue of resolving conflicts within multicultural teams in industrial enterprises. The authors build upon the concept of multiculturalism which seeks for possible ways to enable different cultures to coexist and the means of communication between them. In the introduction, the authors explain the importance of increased attention and interest in the area of multiculturalism. Industrial enterprises nowadays are increasingly aware of this issue as they become more open to different cultures and they are confronted with intensive international migration and previously isolated societies become more pluralistic. As a result of these processes, individuals are more frequently in contact with members of different cultures.

How Does Reliance on Automated Tools During Learning Influence Students’ Air Traffic Management Skills When the Tools Fail?

Research on potential NextGen technology has shown that advanced conflict detection and resolution tools can increase air traffic controllers’ performance and decrease their workload. However, use of NextGen tools can change the way controllers represent and manage their sector. Kraut et al. (2011) found that when NextGen tools failed in a simulated environment, experienced controllers were able to recover from the error and revert back to manual air traffic management techniques. One question is whether students would be able to recover from failures of technology if they were trained to rely on NextGen tools during acquisition of their air traffic management skills. To answer this question, we performed a simulation in which students were trained over 16 weeks to manage a sector consisting of both NextGen equipped and unequipped aircraft. Reliance on manual skills versus NextGen tools was induced by varying the percentage of equipped aircraft, being mostly NextGen equipped aircraft (75% vs. 25%) or mostly non-equipped aircraft during the first 8 weeks of learning. After the 16 weeks of training, participants were tested under nominal and failure conditions. Results showed that under nominal conditions, the training type was not an important factor. Instead, the percentage of equipped aircraft was the important factor: More equipped aircraft led to better performance and lower workload. However, when comparing the same scenario in which there was a failure of NextGen tools, the group trained to rely more on manual skills early in training performed better than the group trained to rely more on NextGen tools early in training. Implications of these findings are discussed.