Believers Skeptics And Failure In Conflict Resolution

This book discusses the following questions: Why are some conflicts so enduring and why is conflict resolution so hard? The author begins by introducing two conflicting perspectives, Skeptics and Believers, to highlight the lack of consensus on conflict resolution. The book further examines the literature on the sources of violent conflict, including ethnic, economic, environmental, and religious sources, and investigates the claim that an absence of knowledge, power, or political will are at the center of conflict resolution failures. By focusing on the problem of state formation, the author demonstrates the ways in which the nature of the state contributes to violent conflict. In the end, conflict resolution fails because individuals, groups, and external powers choose war and often prefer it over peaceful alternatives.

At the turn of the twenty-first century, manipulation of the democratic process coupled with preexisting political and economic grievances led to years-long civil wars in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d'Ivoire. During and after these conflicts, international peacekeeping efforts and humanitarian intervention became the dominant paths for restoring stability by rebuilding the state. Using these three countries as case studies, this manuscript sheds light on internationally driven state building in war-torn West African nations, the problematic nature of the postcolonial state, and the difficulties of securing its people's wellbeing. Connecting peace and conflict, democracy, and international development studies, Bah and Emmanuel argue that there is a clear nexus between the concepts and practices of peace building and statebuilding; that peace building and statebuilding are not domestic matters alone but also matters of global intervention; and that civil wars can be viewed as opportunities for state building through creative postwar partnerships and organization. This study goes beyond the familiar concepts of failed states, R2P, peacekeeping, and peace mediation and introduces and enhances the concepts of state decay, new humanitarianism, people-centered liberalism, and institutional design. In doing so, it provides critical lessons that local and international actors can draw on as they try to figure out practical solutions to the political, economic, and social problems that impede the development of peaceful and democratic multiethnic postcolonial states in Africa and beyond. Applying comparative-historical methods and theory to archival materials and expert interviews, International Statebuilding in West Africa seeks to shift the discourse on civil wars from their causes and implications to the opportunities they provide to rework failed states—and to shift the discourse on African states from their colonial and neocolonial legacies to their shared moral and security interests with the rest of the world.

Offers a comparative analysis of the processes and aftermath of decolonisation from philosophical, historical, literary and legal perspectives.

Siblings will rival. Relatives will drop in and stay too long. Children will demand to know “Why?” Interpersonal conflict is seldom as intense as two gunslingers glaring at each other from ten paces at High Noon. It is seldom as colorful as a red-faced husband and wife, standing in their kitchen, shouting insults. It is more often a tale of two perspectives demanding to be heard. Conflict is one of those peculiar concepts few people can define without a dictionary, but most people know it when they see it! We also want it resolved promptly and to our personal satisfaction. How should Christians resolve interpersonal conflict? Should we simply give in to someone with whom we disagree just to avoid conflict? What are the rules when Christians become petty, insensitive or argumentative? If we love our neighbor as we love ourselves, how do we confront conflict without compromising our values? The solution is to understand and learn to confront the behavior, not the people we love. "A Tale of Two Perspectives" explores the dynamics of interpersonal conflict from a Christian point of view. It blends business conflict resolution strategies with biblical narratives to demonstrate a compelling and innovative point of view. Dr. Norris uses his background as a pastor, chaplain, business executive, husband and father to embroider his work with contemporary examples that may sound uncomfortably familiar. He examines how our communication style, personality, attitudes, emotions, frame of reference and spiritual values influence our capacity to resolve conflict effectively.

What does the Bible say about conflict resolution? Nobody likes conflict, especially when both parties are “part of the same team.” Unresolved conflict can lead to missionary attrition, but healthy conflict-resolution can be a wonderful growth opportunity, leading to problem-solving and team-building. In Managing Conflict Creatively, Dr. Palmer first introduces the dynamics of conflict and the common styles of conflict management. After providing a Biblical background, he then identifies types of conflict and how to develop conflict management skills, specifically in cross-cultural situations. Lose your fear of conflict as you walk through case studies, engage in discussion questions, and learn to: Identify the stages of conflict and steps of healthy problem solving Encourage healthy conflict resolution in its early stages Identify your personal conflict style and the characteristics of an effective moderator Overreact less amid conflict Consciously choose a conflict-resolution style tailored to each situation Disagree well and resolve conflicts and misunderstandings without harming your witness Manage conflict in positive ways that foster growth and collaboration This manual is intended to serve as a teaching tool and a study guide for cross-cultural conflict management courses in Bible colleges, mission organizations, and churches. Thirty years after its original publication, this practical, Bible-centered approach to the dynamics of conflict and conflict management in cross-cultural situations remains relevant, both abroad and in today’s hybrid cities.

CONFLICT, and the division, ill-will, and heartache it brings, seems to prevail all around us. Regrettably, people of faith are not immune from the impact of conflict. In fact, too often it seems that those who profess faith in Christ experience conflict in disproportionate measure. Christian families, church leadership teams, Christian owned businesses, and even churches themselves, too frequently disintegrate under the heavy burdens of unresolved conflict. This book is presented as a resource for gaining a fuller understanding of conflict between Christ followers, and for increasing the effectiveness of conflict resolution efforts. It uniquely draws from multiple conflict-resolution disciplines, combining and unifying each with a fuller and more complete understanding of Biblical guidance offered on the topic. And it provides the effective strategies necessary to restore peace and unity among those entwined in conflict. Whether one is embroiled in a conflict or is seeking to help manage or resolve a conflict between others, this book is ultimately designed to help the readers’ efforts to promote and restore unity and peace between those within the community of Christ followers who are struggling in conflict, and to do so in a way that honors God and the guidance provided in His Word. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. William (“Bill”) Buelow has been guiding others to the successful resolution of conflicts for more than 30 years. Uniquely qualified and experienced as a counselor/therapist, attorney, mediator, chaplain, pastor, and educator, Bill combines the best practices of each discipline as he works with church leaderships, families, business leaders, and others toward restoring Christian unity, trust, and common purpose in a manner that is consistent with and under the authority of biblical instruction. Bill has earned doctoral degrees in law and ministry and a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and has completed advanced training in Transformative Mediation. The author of multiple legal publications, Bill now offers this book as a practical guide to understanding conflicts between Christ followers and to assist readers’ efforts to effectively promote and restore unity and peace between conflicting Christian brothers and sisters.

Conflict happens whenever people live together -- even in Christian families, Christian schools, Christian businesses -- and even in the church. These case studies, both present day and biblical stories collected by Robert S. Kreider and Rachel Waltner Goossen, help readers learn to deal with conflict by experiencing the various roles: the peacemaker, the confronting antagonist, the weaker party, the victim. Questions for discussion and resources such as guidelines for role playing are provided to make this useful for group study or training in conflict resolution. Rich in insights that lead to ways of peacemaking in a conflict-ridden society.