Magister Artium - MA / Ethiopian ethnic groups exhibit highly autochthonous cultural norms and values that are embedded in their traditional beliefs, systems, and religions. This study shows how, at the grassroots level, the Gurage ethnic group in Ethiopia, uses culturally legitimate forms of conflict resolution practices to mobilize and reinforce gender hierarchies, and how the discourses of culture, custom, tradition, social stability and cohesion are connected to gendered power relations. The study provides an analysis of how discourses of culture in African contexts influence, and become a compelling framework for both men and women to define themselves in institutions of marriage, and in related practices of conflict resolution and mediation.Drawing on a rich body of Southern African theory and analysis and by deploying it in relation to marriage in the Ethiopian context, the research shows that customary practices of conflict resolution have been one of the central Ethiopian definitions of authentic culture. Ethiopia, unlike the rest of Africa, reveals many complexities in exploring popular mechanisms and institutions that are very convincingly ''pre-colonial''. At present, these are manifested through cynicism towards western culture, reluctance to readily embrace it, and an accentuated sense of national pride shaped through the struggle against hovering ethnocentricism, imperialism and neo-imperialism. The research explores the dynamics of power that influence married couples' decisions about where and how they should resolve their martial disputes, and in selecting between the formal justice system and customary mediating mechanism. First-hand information was gathered from women and customary leaders, via participatory methodologies, and the data served as input to explain why and how discourses of culture are being mobilized so powerfully to reinforce gender hierarchies in Ethiopia. The research findings evidently show how ''culture'' is ''made real'' and authentic for Ethiopians, particularly for members of the Gurage ethnic group, through the dealings of popular cultural practices: the resolution of marital conflicts. I argue that marital conflict resolution in Gurage is an elaborate practice that validates patriarchal agenda, overseen by male elders, to regulate problems within individual marriages. The research problematised the recognition of ''customary practice'' in the Constitution as alternative systems by presenting the limited rights Gurage women have as opposed to the ''freedom of choice'' that is granted in the Constitution. The case reveals the difficulty of having two laws that have different understanding of human rights.

The aim of this study is an examination of the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) conflict resolution role (through multilateral mediation) in the Zimbabwe conflict and to determine how this role impacted on the development and outcome of the conflict. The underlying problem is not so much the intervention of SADC but the process and impact thereof. The primary research question is: Would the events in Zimbabwe and the outcome of the 'Zimbabwe-problem' have been substantially different without the involvement and conflict resolution role of SADC? This question is underpinned by two subsidiary questions: Firstly, what was the conflict management role, including that of conflict resolution, that SADC played? Secondly, did this role contribute to a positive outcome by overcoming limitations and how? In response the argument is that SADC, despite institutional limitations and operational constraints, played a positive role that prevented an escalation of the conflict and that contributed to a de-escalation thereof on account of its mediation. The study includes a framework for analysis to explore the conflict resolution role of a regional organisation in intra-state (domestic) conflict; a contextualisation of SADC's role with reference to the nature, scope and development of the 'Zimbabweproblem' as conflict; the analysis of the conflict resolution role through SADC mediation; and an evaluation of key findings as a basis for policy and research recommendations. The study is demarcated in conceptual, temporal and geopolitical terms. At a conceptual level, the key variables are conflict, conflict resolution and the role of international (regional) organisations. In terms of time-frame, the study covers the period from 2002 to 2014. The commencement year of 2002 is based on the constitutional and humanitarian crises that emerged and necessitated SADC intervention. The concluding year of 2014 marks the first full year since the end of the Global Political Agreement's (GPA) Government of National Unity (GNU) and allows for a retrospective assessment of the outcome(s) of SADC's role. The noncomparative case study focuses on Zimbabwe as the national-level and SADC as the regional-level (Southern African) units of analysis. The research design is that of a historical case study and entails a critical literature-documentary analysis. Although SADC's initial response and involvement was delayed and limited, it developed into a concerted mediation effort and a dedicated conflict resolution role. This role, despite limitations and constraints, overcame challenges and produced a settlement agreement. It is evident that events in Zimbabwe and the outcome of the 'Zimbabwe-problem' would have been substantially different and undeniably more detrimental (even disastrous) not only to Zimbabwe but also to the Southern African region without SADC's involvement and conflict resolution role. Its intervention contributed to the de-escalation of the conflict and to acceptable levels of stability (unstable peace) in the region and within the country. A retrospective and diachronic assessment confirms a relative improvement in political, economic and social conditions (if juxtaposed with the first decade of the 2000s. This, however, does not imply a termination of the conflict and the existence of stable peace. The residue of dissatisfaction produced by the GPA; the prevailing electoral and constitutional contestation; and the authoritarian and repressive regime trends still apparent in Zimbabwe attest to continued latent and manifest conflict. This confirms the tenet that intra-state conflict is never really terminated, seldom resolved but only managed in an effective manner to produce a minimally acceptable outcome of unstable peace. / Mini Dissertation (M Security Studies)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Political Sciences / M Security Studies / Unrestricted

This research explores the indigenous conflict resolution processes practiced by the Tharu community living in Nepal’s Bara, Dang and Bardiya districts, the role of Tharu traditions and customs, and the function of the Barghar-Mukhiya. Due to geographic and monetary challenges experienced by the Tharu accessing Nepal’s formal justice system, they continue to serve as a viable and vibrant vehicle for resolving minor and major conflicts at the community level and form the basis of researcher’s Barghar-Mukhiya model. Shaped by Tharu collectivist culture and traditions, it supports the social fabric of the community. Utilizing qualitative case study methodology, this research assesses important aspects of the Barghar-Mukhiya model, processes and impact. Primary data sources include individual and focus group interviews, and researcher observations; and, secondary sources include document collections and archival material. Research findings explore six emergent themes: Rituals/Festivals, Inclusion/Dialogue, Identity/Security, Structure/Barghar-Mukhiya, Process/Reconciliation Processes, and Participation/Acceptance. This model is assessed for strengths and challenges. Where it is practiced, it continues to help maintain community harmony and peace. The model’s core of restorative practices, forgiveness, reconciliation, consensus-based decision-making, and use of dialogue circles is instrumental in transforming conflicts. This research contributes to the field of peace and conflict studies, providing analysis of an indigenous model that strives to reach a balance between traditional beliefs and the modern judicial system.

This qualitative meta-data-analysis was designed to identify themes of experience of Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Arab intergroup dialogue participants. A review of the literature indicated a scarcity of research that describes the ‘meaning-making’ processes that these participants undergo while engaged in structured intergroup dialogue, and this study was designed to address that shortage. The analyst conducted a targeted search of academic journal articles and Ph.D. dissertations published after 1999. The result of this search was a set of 17 primary reports, and the findings of this study are based on the verbatim quotations of Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Arab intergroup dialogue participants as cited within the set of primary reports. The analyst performed a thematic analysis of said quotations and, guided by contact theory, social identity theory, and intersubjectivity theory, concluded that Israeli Jews, Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, and Palestinian Arabs in the Occupied Territories all enter dialogue carrying varying levels of fear and anger; and if they remain dedicated to dialogue processes, they eventually—to varying degrees—seek truth, pursue justice, and realize unity. This study’s primary contribution is its explication of the specific areas intergroup dialogue facilitators and researchers need to focus in Israel-Palestine. The findings indicate that more research needs to be conducted on inter-religious, narrative, and activist models. Furthermore, the data evidences the presence of geotheological influences on participant perspectives. Overall, the findings of this dissertation are consistent with previous research that affirms the power of dominant group narratives to sustain intractable conflict and the necessity of intergroup dialogue to foster cross-group friendships that can overcome intractable conflict.

This study, which is entitled, “Elizabeth I and the 1559 Act of Uniformity: A Study of the Impact of Gender Roles and Religious Conflict” analyzes the impact of 16th century gender roles and religious conflict to explain the decision of Elizabeth I, Queen of England from 1558 – 1603, to champion the passage of the Act of Uniformity through Parliament in 1559. Through the analysis of primary sources, specifically Elizabeth’s letters from her childhood through the Act’s passing in 1559, an understanding of these influences on Elizabeth is developed which illuminates important turning points in her life and the subsequent development of her personal desire to mitigate religious conflict in England and to bring unity to her people. The analysis was conducted through the use of historical analysis of primary sources in combination with the use of Narrative Thematic Analysis in order to discover themes within the sources. The themes which emerged then offered insight into Elizabeth’s personal development and her decisions regarding the Act of Uniformity. The focus of this dissertation is guided by the context of 16th century gender roles and the 16th century Protestant Reformation which ultimately laid the foundation for Elizabeth’s birth and directly influenced her education as well as religious and personal development. The impact of gender roles and the expectations placed upon Elizabeth is intertwined with the subsequent religious conflict Elizabeth witnessed in England from her birth. The results focus on illustrating areas of conflict in the 16th century and how each area of conflict is relevant to comprehend if there is to be success in altering the path of both gender conflict and religious conflict in the modern era.

This study defined family mediator effectiveness as ‘having a lasting positive impact on parties after mediation has concluded’. The purpose of this research was to uncover the nuances that give some family mediators effectiveness. This study used Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology as presented in the book, Idea: General introduction to pure phenomenology (Husserl 1962/1913). Since this was a phenomenological study, advanced family mediators shared their lived experience to provide valuable information. Participants for this study were selected for their family mediation experience. A group of 18 advanced family mediators who had at least 15 years of experience and at least 75 mediated cases in the area of adult family and divorce (all issues) were selected from Mediate.com. The data analysis process for all five research questions yielded 1,750 horizons with a final 224 themes. The final outcome was an integrated phenomenological framework for understanding family mediator effectiveness.

American prisons are overflowing with inmates exacting an incalculable human and moral cost on inmates, their families, and society. A central theme in criminality is the inability to deal with conflict and the affiliated emotions in an appropriate manner. Further, problem-solving, communication, and consequential thinking skills are lacking in the lives of many inmates due to lack of proper role models, lack of skills, and lack of expectations. Focusing on inmate education is one of the most effective forms of crime prevention according to leading criminological theorists. This phenomenological study was an assessment of a ten-session, holistic conflict resolution course for inmates called Reach Out with Purposeful Engagement Skills. The course is centered on emotional intelligence skills including self-awareness, self-regulation, and empathy, and incorporates a multi-theoretical framework consisting of (a) human needs theory, (b) hope theory, (c) social construction theory, (d) appreciative inquiry, and (e) restorative justice principles. The teaching methodology was centered on positive criminology, a sub-group of positive psychology which embraces concepts such as compassion, encouragement, goodness, gratitude, positive modeling, and spirituality. An underlying belief was that recognition of individual participant strengths, if nurtured and developed, can contribute toward personal change. Results of the study describe participant’s perceptions of self-efficacy in conflict resolution which resulted in personal change and empowerment. This study contributes toward qualitative literature supporting socio-emotional education for inmates delivered in a constructive environment to inspire transformation at a deep and necessary level in order to support and promote desistance.

While the challenge of improving young North Americans’ civic engagement seems to lie in the hands of schools, studying alternative ways of teaching citizenship education could benefit the current educational system. In this context, free schools (i.e., schools run democratically by students and teachers), guided by a philosophy that aims at engaging students civically through the democratic activities that they support, offer a relatively unexplored ground for research. The present inquiry is a case study using tools of ethnography and drawing upon some principles of complexity thinking. It aims at understanding students’ citizenship education experiences during democratic activities in a Canadian free school. It describes many experiences that can arise from these activities. They occurred within a school that operated democratically based on a consensus-model. More precisely, they took place during two kinds of democratic activities: class meetings, which regulated the social life of the school, and judicial committees, whose function was to solve conflicts at the school. During these activities, students mostly experienced a combination of feelings of appreciation, concernment and empowerment. While experiencing these feelings, they predominantly engaged in decision-making and conflict resolution processes. During these processes, students modified their conflict resolutions skills, various conceptions, and their participation in democratic activities and in the school. Based on these findings, the study concludes that students can develop certain skills and attitude associated to citizenship education during these activities and become active from a citizenship perspective. Hence, these democratic activities represent alternative strategies that can assist educators in teaching about citizenship.

Current political research on peace negotiations is fundamentally incomplete because it lacks the capacity to explain individual intents, choices and actions. This dissertation asks what impact individual negotiators, their approaches and choices of tactics have on peace talks and their outcomes. Individual people—be they representatives of rebel groups, non-governmental organisations or states—negotiate peace agreements. Consequently, an examination of individual motivations and actions in negotiations yields important knowledge. A fuller understanding of political negotiations, negotiators, and their tactics in Sierra Leone and Liberia is facilitated through a multidisciplinary consideration of the psychology, law and management studies literatures that consider individual motivations, biases, and behaviours. Based on extensive field research in Sierra Leone and Liberia, including numerous interviews with key players, I argue that individuals and their specific approaches and tactics influenced and altered the course of these peace negotiations, as well as their outcomes. Negotiators engaged in peace talks with underlying approaches (such as competitive, collaborative and cooperative styles) and then came to use various tactics (including shifting goalposts, hardball, silence, and bad faith), many of which were influenced by their innate biases and frames. Exploring these individuals’ conduct gives us previously unexplored insight into peace processes.

Religion has often been viewed as a source of conflict and violence in international relations. Yet history provides that religion has also been a source and inspiration for peace building and non-violent resistance. The role of religious leaders in conflict transformation has been treated as a marginal phenomenon. Appleby (2000) points out that identifying and documenting the roles of religious actors in resolving protracted conflicts remains an unfinished task. This thesis is an attempt to meet such challenge by focusing on religious leaders and their role in search of solutions in deeply rooted conflicts. Working from the premise that religious leaders can make a substantial contribution in conflict transformation, the overarching goal of this thesis is to examine what roles religious actors play and how equipped they are to serve their communities in their capacity as peacemakers.