Indigenous Conflict Management Strategies

We know that since the end of the Cold War, conflicts in non-Western countries have been frequent, frequently violent, largely intra-state, and protracted. But what do we know about conflict management and resolution strategies in these societies? Have the dominant Western approaches been transplantable, suitable, effective, durable, and sustainable? Would conflicts in non-Western societies be better handled by the adaptation and adoption of customary, traditional, or localized mechanisms of mitigation? These and similar questions have engaged the attention of scholars and policy-makers. Indigenous Conflict Management Strategies: Global Perspectives is offered as a global compendium on indigenous conflict management strategies. It presents diverse perspectives on the subject. Fully aware of the tendency in the literature to over-generalize, over-romanticize, and over-criticize the localized and customary mechanisms, the book takes a slightly different approach. It presents a variety of traditional conflict management approaches as well as several cases of the successful integration of the indigenous and Western strategies in the contemporary period. The main features, strengths, challenges, and weaknesses of a multitude of indigenous systems are also presented.

Indigenous Conflict Management Strategies in West Africa:Beyond Right and Wrong expands the discourse on indigenous knowledge. With several examples and case histories, the work defines, characterizes, and explains indigenous conflict management strategies in West Africa, particularly in Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The book critically evaluates indigenous conflict management strategies with a view to determining their effectiveness in the context of the societies’ history and culture, and the relevance and adaptability of these strategies in contemporary contexts. This book takes a scholarly approach, avoiding romanticizing or idealizing indigenous conflict management strategies in West Africa. It advocates a set of mechanisms by which the best elements of indigenous knowledge and skills in conflict management may be deployed to settle contemporary disputes, and made portable for adoption and adaptation by other complex societies in the region and beyond.

This book presents a variety of traditional conflict management approaches as well as several cases of successful and unsuccessful integrations of indigenous and Western strategies. As it explores these methods, the book also analyzes the central characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of a multitude of indigenous systems from around the globe.

Africa has experienced dozens of conflicts over a variety of issues during the past two decades. Responding to these conflicts requires concerted action to manage the crises – the violence, the political discord, and the humanitarian consequences of prolonged fighting. It is also necessary to address the long-term social and economic impacts of conflict, to rebuild communities, societies and states that have been torn apart. To accomplish this requires the involvement of institutions and groups rarely considered in formal official African conflict management activities: schools, universities, religious institutions, media, commercial enterprises, legal institutions, civil society groups, youth, women and migrants. These groups and organizations have an important role to play in building a sense of identity, fairness, shared norms and cohesion between state and society – all critical components of the fabric of peace and security in Africa. This volume brings together leading experts from Africa, Europe and North America to examine these critical social institutions and groups, and consider how they can either improve or impede peaceful conflict resolution. The overarching questions that are explored by the authors are: What constitutes social cohesion and resilience in the face of conflict? What are the threats to cohesion and resilience? And how can the positive elements be fostered and by whom? The second of two volumes on African conflict management capacity by the editors, The Fabric of Peace in Africa: Looking beyond the State opens new doors of understanding for students, scholars and practitioners focused on strengthening peace in Africa; the first volume, Minding the Gap: African Conflict Management in a Time of change, focused on the role of mediation and peacekeeping in managing violence and political crises.

Contributing to the general pursuit of constructive and sustainable conflict solutions, and the achievement of both negative and positive peace, this book highlights the valuable role of scenario building processes in formulating viable strategies for electoral violence prevention, through tackling the structural roots of the electoral conflict. Conceptual elements, pioneered and widely promoted by the individuals and organizations referenced throughout the book, are linked in a manner that c...

This handbook was written for staff working in protected areas around the world (including parks, wilderness areas, research areas, and other types of protected landscapes) who encounter conflicts of all kinds. The Handbook can also be a resource for other interested parties who want to play a constructive role in protected area conflicts. A simple framework is offered and some strategies for responding to different types of conflicts in protected areas are explored. Case studies, which are the heart of the Handbook, describe a variety of both short and long term approaches for dealing with conflict.

As communication and leadership skills are both essential for personal and organizational success, new approaches and management styles are continuously being sought. Emerging technologies, automation opportunities, and a diverse workforce are just a few of the challenges business professionals must be prepared for in today’s workplace environment. The Handbook of Research on Strategic Communication, Leadership, and Conflict Management in Modern Organizations provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of managing and solving conflicts, and introduces updated approaches for refining communication and leadership skills. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as emotional intelligence, organizational crises, and virtual team management, this book is ideally designed for professionals, leaders, managers, and human resource specialists seeking current research on developing the skills and consciousness needed to effectively communicate, negotiate, and collaborate in diverse organizations.