Conflict Analysis Model and Concepts

As a conflict analysis and assessment model, Dr. Amr Abdalla's C.R. SIPABIO highlights the importance of certain factors in understanding and formulating suitable interventions on conflict. These factors which include context, relationship, sources, issues, parties, attitudes/feelings, behaviors, intervention, and outcomes operate generally in conflict situations.

The contextual factors could be class, geography, history, ethnicity, media, gender, religion, and culture. The relationship factor is the level of conflict; for example, inter-personal, inter-group, and international. The sources of conflict could be relationship, value, structural, interest, and data conflicts. The issues pertain to the incompatibilities of goals. The parties are the participants of a conflict. The attitudes are the feelings, emotions, and perceptions of the participants. The behavior is the action of the parties to further their goals. The intervention is also an action of the parties or even a third party to find and reach resolution to the conflict. The outcome is the effect of the behavior or intervention.

Click here for an example of application of CR SIPABIO as a conflict analysis and assessment model.

The significance of these factors in conflict resolution is of utmost consideration. How noble and good the intentions and efforts might be of the parties attempting to resolve the conflict, they would not hold ground and water without taking into account these factors mentioned above. It clearly shows how crucial conflict analysis and assessment is to the desired conflict resolution.

There are some models presented in the other reading like the Galtung’s model which defines negative peace (absence of direct violence) and positive peace (addressing structural and cultural violence), and the hourglass model which uses Galtung’s ideas and the escalation and de-escalation phases of conflict . The different yet parallel stages of conflict (management, resolution and transformations) and peace (peacekeeping, peacemaking and peacebuilding) are mentioned in these two models.

These models as in other models of various disciplines are useful and helpful in the approach and making sense of a phenomenon. In this case, it is conflict. However, the models should not be treated as “be-all, end-all” tools. There is no blueprint for conflict resolution. This is shown in the vicious cycle of conflicts that seems to have ended through a peace agreement, but then with a trigger of provocation and unfortunate circumstances, the conflict goes on and on.

Needless to say, each conflict is as unique as fingerprints of a person. Caution, research and reflection are necessary as there are other necessary things to work towards conflict resolution. It takes more than models, skills, timing, resources, charisma, positive attitudes towards peace, but these are significant elements for conflict resolution.