Conflict Resolution Research Articles

DISPUTE BOARDS COMO MEIO DE RESOLUÇÃO DE CONFLITOS NA LEI DE LICITAÇÕES E CONTRATOS ADMINISTRATIVOS (LEI N. 14.133/2021): A IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DOS DISPUTE BOARDS NOS CONTRATOS ADMINISTRATIVOS

This article analyzes the application of Dispute Resolution Committees as a means of resolving conflicts in administrative contracts, focusing on the Law on Tenders and Administrative Contracts (Law no. 14,133/2021). Dispute Boards emerge as a preventive and effective tool to deal with the complexity and high amounts involved in public contracts, such as concessions and public-private partnerships (PPPs). The study addresses the origin and concept of Dispute Boards, their preventive and resolutive action in contracts, and their increasing use in the public sector, highlighting the challenges and limitations in this context. Furthermore, it deals with Dispute Boards compared to other conflict resolution mechanisms, such as arbitration and mediation, comparing their advantages and advantages. Finally, areas for future research are suggested, such as the economic impact of Dispute Boards and the analysis of practical cases involving large-scale public contracts.

"Water conflicts: more than conflicts over distribution? Assessing conflict structures with cases from Germany."

Conflicts tend to be complex and, in many cases, multi-faceted. However, by adapting an approach by Vuković, this study illustrates a method for structuring such conflicts, which can facilitate insights that are more profound by dividing them into relevant dimensions of the problem. Given that some conflicts are ongoing and new ones may emerge in certain cases, this study also assesses the potential of using the adapted methodology as a structured basis for constructing scenario analyses. In this study, two cases from Germany on the topic of water are analysed. The first case explores a pair of conflicts that arose within a short period involving a chemical company called Currenta. These conflicts are about a controversial wastewater discharge and an attempt to obtain more water rights, despite the possible future water stress. The second case concerns the Nordheide region, which is favoured for its groundwater reservoir. In recent decades, there has been a growing dispute between the water company and the residents of Nordheide about the possible harmful effects of further water extraction. Both cases illustrate the evolving nature of water conflicts, indicating that they can extend beyond a dispute over distribution. In addition to this key finding, the cases demonstrate the diverging concerns of the actors, as well as the significance of decision-makers involved in these conflicts. A nuanced assessment of water conflicts prior to further action, such as conflict resolution, is therefore encouraged by this study.

Analysing the resilience of rights-based civil society organisations (CSOs) in the era of (de) securitisation: Insights from Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This article investigates the resilience of rights-based Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Ethiopia amidst restrictive legal frameworks, particularly the Proclamation No. 621/2009 Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSP), government securitisation, ongoing conflicts, and subsequent regulations. Using a qualitative research method, the study employed purposive sampling and key informant interviews, supplemented by secondary data. The findings indicate that despite significant challenges, including a restrictive legal environment and operational hurdles, CSOs play a crucial role in peacebuilding, democracy, human rights promotion, and conflict resolution. While some CSOs adopted themselves to unrestricted thematic areas and rescaled their geographic scope to fit government expectations, others were resilient continuing to work on peacebuilding and other rights based themes. Some of the methods used to navigate the restrictive legal and political environment include leveraging personal connections with high level political figures, trade-off with government by serving it as a bridge to engage with critical constituencies, informal channels of fundraising as well as voluntarism.

Management of Inter-Religious Conflicts in Kwara State: Prospects and Challenges

Nigeria has experienced various inter-religious conflicts that have obvious effects on peace. In Kwara State, for example, inter-religious conflict has surfaced as a major feature of inter-group relations. This paper examines the management of inter-religious conflict in Kwara State. Nigeria with the use of descriptive analysis. Conflict theory was employed as the basis of the study. The Kwara State Government applied various strategies in the management of inter-religious conflict, among them attempts to provide good governance and equitable development, litigation, use of police actions to prevent or quell emergent violence, establishment of inter-faith dialogue committees and partnership with traditional and religious institutions such as the Ilorin Emirate Council. Other government response strategies include court processes and the deployment of security forces. These have attracted considerable attention. In view of the situation on ground, the study advocates for some measures towards effective management of inter-religious conflicts in the state. These include the establishment of a committee comprising all representatives of social groups within the state. The committee should provide a forum for discussing and resolving communal issues instead of resorting to violence. Besides, it is further recommended research be carried out for an in-depth understanding of the causes and solutions to inter-religious conflicts in the state, where experts in conflict resolution would be used to curtail possible outbreak of conflicts, while increased attention is devoted to the prevention of social conflicts, the peaceful resolution of existing conflicts should be intensified through constant dialogue.

Reassessing Peace: The Implications of the Abraham Accords for Conflict Resolution in the Gulf Region

Established in 2020, the Abraham accords marked a remarkable step towards the normalisation of relations between Gulf Arab states and Israel. They have been hailed as a potential turning point for peace and regional cooperation. However, the recent Israeli military operations since the end of 2023 raise critical questions about the durability and impact of these accords. This paper proposes an in-depth examination of the implications of the Israel/Gaza war on the Abraham Accords and their dynamics in peace-building. It will explore how the war has potentially reshaped (or not) alliances, influenced public opinion, and altered the strategic calculations of Gulf states, particularly in their approaches to conflict resolution and engagement with external actors. This research aims to contribute to the understanding of the complex interplay between regional conflicts and their broader implications for peace and stability in the Gulf, offering insights into the future trajectory of Gulf states in the realm of conflict resolution and peace-building combined with self-interested dynamics. The comparative analysis will delve into two case studies: the United Arab Emirates, which signed the Abraham Accords, and Qatar, which did not, highlighting how similar conflicts have historically altered political alignments, economic dependencies, and social narratives within the Gulf.

Attitude-based self-regulation: A diary study on the role of attitudes in the experience and resolution of self-control conflicts in the context of vegetarians.

Attitude-based self-regulation: A diary study on the role of attitudes in the experience and resolution of self-control conflicts in the context of vegetarians.

Conflict Resolution in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Construction Industry

Purpose: The high incidence of conflicts within this sector has significant ramifications, such as project delays, exceeding budgeted costs, and project abandonment (Oyewunmi et al., 2018). Cultural and linguistic disparities, inadequate communication, and competing interests among stakeholders are some of the causes of these conflicts. These conflicts are made worse by the intricate contractual arrangements, weak conflict resolution procedures, and weak regulatory frameworks that characterize the sector. Even though Nigeria's economy greatly benefits from the oil and gas sector, the frequency of conflicts impedes the sector's expansion and stability. Materials and Methodology: The methodology adopted is by secondary data which entails the examination of pre-existing data from many sources, including academic journals, industry reports, and government papers. The quality of the secondary data used in these studies depended on the reliability and validity of the sources, the methodology used in data collection, and the rigor of the analysis. Findings: The ecological consequences of oil production are a significant cause for conflict in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Construction sector. It is critical for all parties involved to collaborate to reduce this impact and ensure the industry's long-term viability. Regional interests frequently influence the oil sector, particularly in areas with abundant oil resources. These interests may occasionally result in confrontations with other parties. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The research recommends that fairness and equity should be the watchword in distribution of the gains and pains of the economy so that no regions of the country will feel cheated. There should be transparent allocation of proceeds. The active participation of young individuals in the Niger Delta region in the formulation of policies that will directly impact their welfare is crucial and should be adopted.

Restorative Justice and Agrarian Reform Conflict Resolution

Abstract: The government emasculates agrarian reform. The government no longer interprets agrarian reform as a restructuring of land ownership. Furthermore, the interpretation of agrarian reform now primarily focuses on asset legalization, land redistribution, and social forestry. The issue lies in the emasculation of agrarian reform. Various structural agrarian conflicts remain unresolved after the government's implementation of agrarian reform. Differences in interpretation of agrarian reform trigger the conflict. The government's interpretation is different from the community's interpretation, which considers agrarian reform to be a systematic effort to provide the community with access to land. The author recommends the concept of restorative justice as an effort to resolve this problem. The government should use restorative justice instead of the militaristic approach to resolve the problem. This article employs an empirical legal research method, combining a sociological perspective and a case study approach. This article contains several important findings, one of which is that asset legalization is not an agrarian reform. Asset legalization fails to address the issue of land ownership inequality. The government's implementation of land redistribution fails to address the issue of land ownership inequality. The government's version of land redistribution not only fails to resolve the issue of land ownership inequality, but also seizes land from marginalized communities. The same goes for social forestry. Social forestry leaves behind unresolved agrarian and environmental conflicts. Differences in interpreting agrarian reform actually cause all these problems. Therefore, we can use restorative justice as an alternative to solving the problem. As a problem-solving model involving victims and suspects, this resolution model seeks peace between the two parties. The hope is that there will be no more bloody agrarian conflicts, especially related to agrarian reform in Indonesia. Keywords: Agrarian Conflict, Agrarian Reform, Restorative Justice

An Exploration into Parallel Stories of Co-parenting

This research aims to gain insight into how divorced couples prolonged conflict influences co-parenting process and to identify the factors influencing the effectiveness of co-parenting arrangements and to identify challenges experienced during co-parenting. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with six couples practicing co-parenting in Kerala, each with at least one child. Interview followed a dyadic interview model and analysed using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis identified 4 key themes The four themes are; 1) Roles etched in stone (sub-themes; custodial arrangements, mother as a primary care taker, father as a breadwinner, divorce as a social problem). 2) Balancing the seesaw of co-parenting dimensions(sub-themes; co-parental communication, parenting practice, conflict resolution). 3) Riding the stormy sea (sub-themes; emotional rollercoaster, communication can be real challenge, troublesome other & I, parental alienation) 4) Finding solace in life’s storm (sub-themes; social buffers, professional assistance, spiritual fortitude). The research findings underscore the impact of traditional gender roles and societal expectations on post-divorce co-parenting, often relegating mothers to primary caregiving and fathers to financial roles, which limits fathers' emotional involvement and exacerbates mental well-being challenges for mothers. Effective communication is crucial for managing co-parenting complexities and minimizing conflicts arising from inconsistent practices and financial disparities. The study advocates for a parallel co-parenting approach that promotes autonomy for each parent, clear communication, and conflict resolution strategies, particularly benefiting high-conflict situations. By fostering flexible and resilient co-parenting dynamics, parallel parenting approach aims to improve emotional involvement from fathers, reduce societal stigma towards mothers, and ensure the stability and well-being of divorced families. The findings can help us understand the intricate challenges of co-parenting after divorce in Kerala.

Needs Analysis for Designing English Course for Tourist Police in Mandalika Special Economic Zone

In the era of globalization and increasing international travel, effective communication in English has become a fundamental requirement for individuals working in various professional fields.The objectives of this research are to find out the authentic tasks and authentic texts that needed to be included in designing English for the tourist police in Mandalika Special Economic Zone (Mandalika SEZ), and to know how the design of the English course for tourist police in Mandalika Special Economic Zone (Mandalika SEZ) to improve language skills in their workplace. The subjects of the study are five tourist police officers who are fluent in English from 15 Tourist Police officers who work in the Mandalika Economic Zone. The techniques used to collect the data are observation, interview, questionnaire, and focus group discussion. The data analysis technique follows Miles and Huberman’s model (reduction, data display, conclusion drawing/verification, and syllabus design). The syllabus encompasses a total of seven key authentic tasks tailored to enhance the officers' communication and operational capabilities in various scenarios. These tasks include: Communicating During Emergencies, Giving Directions, Conducting Safety Checks, Conflict Resolution, Writing Reports, and Providing Assistance. In conclusion, the English syllabus for tourist police officers in Mandalika SEZ is carefully crafted to meet their needs through practical tasks, relevant materials, and effective assessment methods. This design enhances both language skills and real-life problem-solving abilities, serving as a valuable model for future training and improving the overall service quality and efficiency of the officers.

Effect of Political Stability on International Tourism in Kenya

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of political stability on international tourism in Kenya. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Political stability is essential for international tourism in Kenya, as stability fosters a sense of safety that attracts foreign visitors. During peaceful periods, Kenya sees growth in tourist arrivals and revenue, while political unrest, such as the post-election violence in 2007-2008, results in sharp declines as safety concerns deter tourists. Tourism in Kenya is highly sensitive to political fluctuations, with even minor instability affecting tourist perceptions. To sustain and grow its tourism sector, Kenya must prioritize political stability through effective governance, peaceful elections, and strong conflict resolution strategies, which will help build a resilient tourism industry. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social conflict theory, political economy theory & the institutional theory may be used to anchor future studies on the effect of political stability on international tourism in Kenya. Implementing robust governance practices, such as transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption measures, will enhance the overall tourist experience and foster trust among potential visitors. Formulating policies that promote good governance and strengthen institutions will create a conducive environment for political stability.

CONFLITOS DE INTERESSES: UMA ANÁLISE HISTÓRICA DAS PRÁTICAS DE PUNIÇÃO E MEDIAÇÃO

This article investigates the historical evolution of punishment and mediation practices, focusing on the Brazilian context. Starting from the premise that conflict resolution should go beyond punishment, it seeks to explore alternatives that promote reparation and the reintegration of offenders into society. Human dignity, as discussed by Guedes (2018), is considered a central principle in justice practices, highlighting criticism of the traditional punitive system, as analyzed by Foucault (2013). Contemporary examples of mediation, such as peace circles and restorative justice programs implemented in Brazil, are examined in light of Lima's (2017) contributions and relevant legislation. The study concludes that implementing restorative practices represents a viable path toward building a more inclusive and humane justice system, capable of promoting social peace and respect for the dignity of all involved.

Children’s Rights in the Early Childhood Education Curriculum and Activity Book in Türkiye

This research evaluates the representation of children’s rights in the Early Childhood Education curriculum and Activity Book in Türkiye. Content analysis was used to assess the scope, depth, and frequency of children’s rights-related learning achievements in both the curriculum and the Activity Book, revealing that these achievements do not explicitly emphasize children’s rights in areas such as cognitive, language, and motor development. However, 11 out of 17 social-emotional development objectives and 116 activities indirectly addressed children’s rights. The research suggests a need for the explicit inclusion of fundamental rights in the curriculum and the Activity Book, tailored to children’s age, enhancing skills in conflict resolution, safety awareness, empathy, and opposition to rights violations. Keywords: early childhood education; children’s rights; human rights; content analysis.

Implementing a novel process for solving contentious conservation problems: The genetic status of K'gari wongari (Fraser Island Dingoes) as a case study

SummaryMany conservation problems remain intractable because of conflicting views between policymakers, managers, researchers, conservationists and community stakeholders. Novel approaches to resolving these conflicts are required to achieve conservation outcomes that are more broadly acceptable. The conservation and management of K'gari wongari (Fraser Island's Dingoes) is emblematic of such a situation. Here we describe the successful implementation of a novel approach to advancing one such formerly intractable issue – assessing the genetic health and status of the island's Dingoes to resolve latent conflicts and assist protected area managers with their conservation activities. We developed a participatory, independent approach centred on community workshops to identify research priorities, expert workshops to identify appropriate research methods, then the commissioning of independent scientific research to address community priorities in accordance with the experts' suggested methods. The overall aim of the project was to provide managers with robust and policy‐ready information on the genetic health and status of the Dingoes – information that also met community expectations and was widely supported by subject matter experts. The participatory approach of the project achieved this aim and was completed successfully and satisfactorily for all involved despite the occurrence of some expected challenges and necessary compromises. Here we describe the background to the problem, how the project was designed, the key challenges the project faced during implementation, and the key learnings from the exercise, thereby highlighting its innovative features as a participatory conflict resolution process. This process could be applied to advance other conservation problems hampered by conflicting stakeholder views.

Community Conflict Resolution Model in Climate Central Sulawesi Investment

This study is based on the view that Central Sulawesi is a region with increasingly rapid development of the Investment Climate. Not only positive impacts that always occur but also negative impacts. The presence of the state to provide security and comfort to investors is one thing that is needed, on the other hand the state must also be present to provide justice to citizens related to the condition of the region that is always explored by certain parties. The state that is present as a manifestation of the mediator between investors and citizens must present a balance. However, the balancing tool used is of course the law, which is manifested in the form of policy. policies often create inequality between investors and citizens, therefore the law of harmony is present in an innovative form as a manifestation that the law is not arbitrary and not a tool of power, and by the Law of Harmony considers that the Law is the Resultant of an agreement on the goals to be achieved. The desired legal study will be poured into the form of a policy pattern. The pattern born in this study is the antithesis of comparative studies.

Symmetrical communication: an intra-organisational system to support conflict and crisis resolution in organisations

Symmetrical communication: an intra-organisational system to support conflict and crisis resolution in organisations

Making It Tractable to Detect and Correct Errors in Graphs

This paper develops \(\mathsf {Hercules} \) , a system for entity resolution (ER), conflict resolution (CR), timeliness deduction (TD) and missing value/link imputation (MI) in graphs. It proposes \(\mathsf {GCR^{+}\!s} \) , a class of graph cleaning rules that support not only predicates for ER and CR, but also temporal orders to deduce timeliness and data extraction to impute missing data. As opposed to previous graph rules, \(\mathsf {GCR^{+}\!s} \) are defined with a dual graph pattern to accommodate irregular structures of schemaless graphs, and adopt patterns of a star form to reduce the complexity. We show that while the implication and satisfiability problems are intractable for \(\mathsf {GCR^{+}\!s} \) , it is in PTIME to detect and correct errors with \(\mathsf {GCR^{+}\!s} \) . Underlying \(\mathsf {Hercules} \) , we train a ranking model to predict the temporal orders on attributes, and embed it as a predicate of \(\mathsf {GCR^{+}\!s} \) . We provide an algorithm for discovering \(\mathsf {GCR^{+}\!s} \) by combining the generations of patterns and predicates. We also develop a method for conducting ER, CR, TD and MI in the same process to improve the overall quality of graphs, by leveraging their interactions and chasing with \(\mathsf {GCR^{+}\!s} \) ; we show that the method has the Church-Rosser property under certain conditions. Using real-life and synthetic graphs, we empirically verify that \(\mathsf {Hercules} \) is 53% more accurate than the state-of-the-art graph cleaning systems, and performs comparably in efficiency and scalability.

Mental contrasting and conflict management in satisfied and unsatisfied romantic relationships

Managing relationship conflict is a difficult yet crucial task for romantic partners. We investigated how imagining a conflict’s resolution affects the engagement in resolving that conflict. For instance, people may indulge in positive fantasies about their future, or they may mentally contrast their desired future (successful conflict resolution) with the main inner obstacle (e.g., anger, frustration) in the current reality. In two experiments, we tested whether mental contrasting increases engagement in resolving ongoing relationship conflicts participants perceived as important (i.e., high incentive value) and solvable (i.e., high expectations of success). In Experiment 1 ( N = 274, from predominantly satisfied relationships), mental contrasting compared to indulging improved the resolution of solvable conflicts over two weeks. This effect did not extend to conflicts of highest importance, which we found to be particularly severe. In Experiment 2 ( N = 270, from less satisfied relationships), mental contrasting, compared to indulging and to working on a concentration task, increased mental engagement with highly important, more severe conflicts over two weeks. Results suggest that mental contrasting helps in resolving solvable conflicts. When facing more severe, less solvable conflicts, however, mental contrasting stimulated mental engagement with conflicts. Our findings suggest that teaching people mental contrasting may complement existing conflict management approaches (e.g., in counseling or in self-help apps).

Matrix representation of the graph model for conflict resolution based on intuitionistic preferences with applications to trans-regional water resource conflicts in the Lancang–Mekong River Basin

With the continual growth in global demand for water resources, the governance of trans-regional water resources has become an important field of cooperation between countries, and conflicts caused by competition for water resources have become a focal issue in international relations. The root causes of trans-regional water resource conflicts include unclear ownership of water resources and the limited rationality of the parties involved. The water rights trading model has proven to play a stabilizing role in resolving trans-regional water resource conflicts versus the traditional negotiation model. To demonstrate the rationality and theoretical strength of the water rights trading model in allocating trans-regional water resources in uncertain environments, this paper proposes a novel matrix representation of intuitionistic stability definitions through a graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR). First, decision-makers’ (DMs’) intuitionistic preferences, unilateral movements, and intuitionistic unilateral improvements in a GMCR with two DMs are represented in a matrix. The joint unilateral movements and joint intuitionistic unilateral improvements for a coalition in a GMCR with multiple DMs are also represented. Next, according to the logical forms of intuitionistic stability definitions, four stability definitions in a GMCR with intuitionistic preferences were redefined to enable matrix representations of graph models with either two DMs or multiple DMs. Finally, we analyzed the state transitions and strategies of all stakeholders in trans-regional water resource conflicts in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin within the intuitionistic graph model. The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, in terms of theoretical research, this article enriches and develops the GMCR and proposes a set of definitions of matrix intuitionistic stability. Second, in terms of practical application, the intuitionistic stability analysis results can provide a reference for water rights trading to solve trans-regional water resource conflicts in uncertain environments and transform trans-regional water resource governance systems.

Exploring Stressors And Their Associated Effects On Workplace Stress In The Ministry Of Interior United Arab Emirates

Stress is a psychological and physical mental disorder that occurs in situations of pressure, which requires available resources to meet organizational and individual demands. This research was about exploring stressors and their effects associated with workplace stress. A mixed method exploratory sequential approach and survey were used to describe Ministry of Interior (MOI) employees'' workplace stress and its stressors that involved two phases: qualitative (phase I) used interviews and quantitative (phase II) used surveys to explore stressors and its effects associated with the workplace stress. This study aimed to explore stress prevalence and the stressors experienced by MOI employees. Qualitative and quantitative analysis is carried out on the collected data. The result of phase I indicated that if there were more frequent stress symptoms among the participants, this would contribute to decreased productivity. Phase II of the analysis relied on the multiple regression technique, Stress Management Conflict Resolution predicts that was statistically significant, which was shown as the R-squared, the overall regression model was significant, F (3,296) =0.14, P > .025, R2 =.014. Workplace stress, the multiple regression model was significant, F (3,296) =98, P > .403, R2 = 98. Absenteeism, F (3,296) =.27, P > .80, R2 = 84. Workload and Responsibility - NIOSH's multiple regression model was significant, F (3,296) =85, P > .85, R 2 = 85 on predicting job satisfaction. The confidence level in the finding was high since the P-value was less than the maximum acceptable value of 0.05. Therefore, the F-statistic was significant.