The Little Book of Conflict Transformation PDF

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Surname 1 Student’s name Instructor’s name Course Date “The Little Book of Conflict Transformation” by John Paul Lederach's: Good Books, October 2003, 74. Conflict transformation verses resolution or management “The Little Book of Conflict Transformation” is a book which anybody doing studies on matters to do with conflict or people whose occupation has to do with conflicts must read. In this book, John Paul Lederach introduces statement which gives adequate hope and a workable approach on solving of conflict. The author comes up “conflict transformation” and clearly elaborates the exact meaning of this statement and argues it the best alternative to use in conflict other than the use of conflict management or resolution. The author discloses the relationship between conflict transformation and conflict management or resolution and works towards proving his arguments right. To prove his argument also, he opens up the relationship between conflict transformation and change. This essay is based on my own perception on how the author has being able to achieve his goal in this particular book. For instance, in this book, John Paul Lederach lays down a clear difference between conflict transformation and conflict resolution or management. However, he advocates that the best approach towards conflict is conflict transformation and not conflict resolution. In the book, the author elaborates that, “conflict transformation” focuses on a better and deep understanding

Surname 2 of the conflict in question while “conflict resolution” seems to assume that conflict is something bad implying that it is something that should just be ended. The author also adds that, conflict resolution seems to make an assumption that, conflict is something that can be resolved permanently by means such as mediation since it is just a “short term phenomenon.” The author does not leave “conflict management” and therefore he explains that “conflict management” tends to assume that conflict is a long term idea which for its resolving people are controlled or directed as if they are physical matters or objects. In the book we see more clarity on conflict transformation. This where the author explains that “Conflict Transformation is an idea with a deep reach.” He adds that, conflict transformation provide both solutions and social change. He also ends up asking questions like "How do we end something not desired?", but "How do we end something destructive and build something desired?" How do we deal with the immediate crisis, as well as the long-term situation? What disciplines make such thinking and practices possible (Lederach, n.p)? Through this questions the author seems to give more reasons as to why there is the need to focus on conflict transformation or conflict resolution. In the book also, the John Paul explains that he was the founder of the “Conflict transformation program at Eastern Mennonite University. He also adds that, he has done research on conflict transformation for period not less than 15 years. The arguments of the author and the evident he lays on the temple are very much consistent with my own perspectives and experiences and thus I find them convincing (Lederach, n.p). On addition, the author’s research was based on Mennonite framework which is religious and ethical. This motivates me and other people aware of this towards a significant level of trust on the author’s ideas.

Surname 3 “Little Book of Conflict Transformation: Clear Articulation of the Guiding Principles” by John Lederach has got converges and parallels with other books done by some other authors. As the author tries to emphasize on the use conflict transformation instead of conflict resolution, another other emphasizes on the use of conflict resolution or management. A significant example of such books is “The Conflict Resolution Toolbox: Models and Maps for Analyzing Diagnosing and Resolving conflict” by Gary Furlong. However, John Paul in his book explains that, he doesn’t consider himself superior over the other authors on the other books but he only gives his own perceptions or his research which he has done for a number of a good number of years. This is evident in the book in the lines like “My understanding is that both parallels and converges from the work of other authors, although I am not able to explore all of those connections here. I do not want to imply that my particular view of transformation is superior to those who use the term differently or to those who prefer the term resolution (Lederach, n.p).” Through this, the author tries to show that he is just engaged in bringing out a better understanding of conflict transformation but not discrediting the work of other authors. John Paul Lederach is a “Professor of International Peacebuilding at the Joan B. Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, and a Distinguished Scholar with the Conflict Transformation Program at Eastern Mennonite University (Lederach, n.p).” The author has also working in an occupation dealing with conflict transformation and peace enhancement for more than 20 good years. He has worked tirelessly to provide enough support to the “International Conciliation Efforts in Asia, Africa, Latin America and parts of North America.” He has also worked in authorizing and done edition of a number of manuals as well as book both in Spanish and English. Joan was also awarded a Ph. D. in where he had

Surname 4 majored on “social conflict program” from the University of Colorado. This implies that, the author has the capabilities of coming up with something worth to read. And above all he has written some other books like “The Journey towards Reconciliation” which was a major source of reference and provided adequate knowledge concerning insights where analysis majorly on his spiritual growth. The book was aimed at bringing in a better understanding of conflict transformation. I find the book being successful on its duty since the author of this book first gives a good definition of conflict transform and gives a detailed illustration to enhance a good understanding. He says Conflict transformation is to envision and respond to the ebb and flow of social conflict as life-giving opportunities for creating constructive change processesthat reduce violence, increase justice in directinteraction and social structures,and respond to real-life problems in human relationships (Lederach, n.p) .” The author does not just leave the definition at this point and there he uses an illustration of a person in a journey where he uses the persons head, heart, hands and the legs to make sure the readers get a nice understanding of conflict transformation. Conclusion “The Little Book of Conflict Transformation” by John Paul Lederach's has perfectly brought the idea on how to handle the issue of conflict which is a day to day activity. The book focuses on the eradication of conflict resolution or management since resolution and management seem not to handle a conflict from deep inside as transformation does. The author has thus brought with him a massive impact on way conflicts are handled in day to day life. Works cited Lederach, John. Little book of conflict transformation: Clear articulation of the guiding principles by a pioneer in the field. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., 2015.

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