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Challenge 17
We must find better ways to
DEAL WITH CONFLICT'S MASSIVE SCALE AND COMPLEXITY

The course of conflict is determined by the actions of all citizens, not just a few leaders. Thus, we need conflict intervention strategies that enable many thousands of people in different conflict roles to effectively work together as part of a very complex and large-scale peacebuilding process.

The Challenge

One of the biggest contributors to intractability is scale. The conflict resolution field is a "table-oriented" profession which excels in structuring small-group interactions in ways which produce transformative experiences that can significantly improve conflictual relationships. With respect to large-scale, intractable conflicts — the kind that can divide entire societies — the number of people who can participate in such processes is fantastically small compared to the size of the general population. For example, an unusually large program, one with 1000 participants, only constitutes about .01% of the roughly 10 million people that inhabit Israel and Palestine. Efforts to address the "scale" component of the intractable conflict problem will require effective ways of reaching the other 99.99%.

In addition, it's not just a matter of scale; it's a matter of genuine complexity. The course of any large-scale, intractable conflict is determined by the actions of thousands of people acting in a broad range of social roles with widely differing skills, backgrounds, and objectives. Just like a biological system, a change made by one person in one part of a complex conflict might be felt by many other people in other places and roles, in ways that were entirely unexpected. Given the size and complexity of conflict systems, intervenors must assess what the access points are, what change processes might be most effective, where and how these might be implemented, and how any such implementation will affect the rest of the system. They must also understand how their efforts fit with (or work against) all the other intervenors also trying to impact the system.

Meeting the Challenge: What We Now Know

We don't know nearly enough as we need to in this area, but an increasing number of people are beginning to recognize these conflicts for the complex systems that they are, and are beginning to invent ways for intervening in these situations using a systems approach. Some readings that reflect this approach follow:

    Knowledge
    Availability
      Low
    Utilization
      Low
  • Complexity refers to the numbers and interrelationships of factors involved in a conflict: the numbers of parties, issues, technical facts, etc. Complex systems are even more difficult to understand and deal with than "complicated systems" from which they must be distinguished. This essay describes the differences between complex and complicated systems and explains how both make transformation or resolution a challenge.
  • Complex Adaptive Systems
    Beyond complex, societal-level conflicts can be considered to be "complex adaptive systems," similar in some sense to weather, ant colonies, or jazz ensembles. The study of these systems requires us to challenge assumptions deeply embedded in the North American/European understandings of conflict intervention.
  • The Scale-Up Problem
    Much conflict resolution takes place around the table or in small-group processes. Yet, intractable conflicts often involve whole communities or even societies. So methods must be found to widen or "scale-up" the small group processes to the larger society.
  • Meta-Conflict Resolution Many conflict resolvers emphasize mediation, dialogue, or problem solving workshops as solutions to conflict. But intractable conflicts usually need a much more comprehensive approach. This article describes such an approach and articulates the various roles that must be carried out to successfully transform these conflicts.
  • Intervention Coordination
    In most serious conflict, situations there are likely to be a number of independent intervention efforts. This essay explores the importance of coordination and the problems that commonly arise because of a lack of coordination between these initiatives.
  • Track I - Track II Cooperation
    The prevention and resolution of complex conflicts depends on a the efforts of both officials (track one) and non-officials (track two). This essay discusses the importance of cooperation between these two tracks.
  • Levels of Action
    This essay explains John Paul Lederach's "triangle" which describes three levels of society at which would-be conflict resolvers might work: the grassroots, the leaders, and the middle level. While peacework must be done at all three levels, the middle level is especially important, Lederach says, at it links the top with the bottom as well as linking across party lines.
  • Incrementalism   It is often impossible to replace destructive conflict processes with completely new, alternative systems. This essay examines how, over time, incremental improvements can result in significant positive change.

Book Summary:

Other Resources of Interest:

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Organizations Making Noteworthy Contributions to Efforts to Promote More Constructive Conflict
Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation
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John Raleigh Mott
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