The Nature of Conflict

Alberto Mudjadju"

Conflict is a natural and necessary part of our lives.Conflict arises when individuals or groups of people, in order to satisfy their needs and interests, pursue objectives that are perceived as incompatible. Conflict can only exist between beings of the same species; therefore, the idea of "human-animal conflict" falls apart because neither party is aware of the existence of such conflict. Whether at home with our family, at work with our colleagues, or in negotiations between governments, conflict permeates our relationships. The paradox is that conflict can be a destructive or unifying force. This duality makes it an important concept to study and understand. Conflict is a necessary and inevitable aspect of national and international relations. The challenge that governments face is not to eliminate conflict, but to deal effectively with it when it arises. We all know how destructive conflict can be, whether from personal experience or media reports; we have all witnessed examples of the negative aspects of conflict. Conflict can build new relationships; sometimes it brings together people who previously had no relationship. During the process of conflict and its resolution, they may discover that they have common interests and then establish a permanent relationship. Conflict can create alliances, just as it builds relationships; sometimes adversaries join together to form alliances in order to achieve common goals or defend themselves against a common threat. During conflict, previous antagonisms are suppressed in order to move towards these greater goals. Conflict prevention refers to efforts to prevent the outbreak of violence. Conflict prevention should preferably focus not only on containing a potentially violent situation, but also on addressing the root causes of the conflict. The concept of Conflict Management has been widely used in business and organizational contexts to describe the processes and efforts to manage the negative implications and manifestations of conflict. The problem with this concept is that it implies that the symptoms of conflict are treated, that the conflict and its effects are controlled, but without paying due attention to the causes. Conflict Resolution implies that conflict can be resolved when its root causes are addressed. Consequently, this concept is associated with an approach focused on identifying these deeply rooted causes and seeking solutions through a process of joint problem-solving. However, in many situations it is neither possible nor desirable to find definitive solutions. The concept of Conflict Transformation has become popular because it suggests that the goal is not only to prevent or end something harmful. Conflict Transformation advocates the idea that conflict can be a catalyst for positive, lasting, and deeply rooted changes in people, relationships, and community structures. Therefore, Conflict Transformation refers to a process that seeks to modify the entire context of the conflict. It is a process that denotes change or transformation of the actors, problems, rules, relationships, perceptions, communications, and structural causes of conflicts in non-violent ways.

2025/12/3