Theory & Practice of Systemic Conflict Transformation
- Background
- Activities
- BPS study: a systemic approach to conflict transformation
- Action research project: Theory & Practice of Systemic Conflict Transformation
- Berghof Handbook Dialogue Series: A Systemic Approach to Conflict Transformation
- Development of systemic methods for strategy planning, conflict analysis, monitoring & assessment
- Resources
Background
Systemic conflict transformation (SCT) represents a collation of best practices in conflict transformation work and systemic models of social relations. It draws on methodologies from other disciplines, such as family therapy and psychotherapy, change management and organisational theory and cybernetics. The primary advantages of interpreting any given violent conflict as a system, which develops and proceeds in a systemic manner, include the following:
- It helps internal and external actors to reflect better the complexity of conflict systems (and their respective sub-systems). On the one hand, the definition of the system’s boundaries – the ability to see the elements of the system as combined and mutually influential – facilitates the development of a deeper understanding of the conflict and its dynamics i.e. “a system is more than the sum of its parts”. On the other hand, the necessary simplification of the complexity of violent conflict permits the identification of doable interventions.
- It can serve as a shared reference point for diverse actors and initiatives, for example, in conflict analysis, planning and implementation of conflict transformation activities and, thus, foster greater coherence and complementarity.
- It helps generate hypotheses about the most efficient and effective interventions within the conflict system.
- SCT focuses on change processes and resources within the conflict system, as well as facilitates the identification of relevant internal actors and outlines better the respective contributions and roles of external institutions.
- Guiding principles, such as multipartiality and inclusivity, are operationalized on the basis of a systemic understanding of conflict. For example, this can be done through initiating and institutionalizing resource networks for all key stakeholder groups, processes of multi-stakeholder dialogue and/or other peace support structures.
Activities
Since 2004, BPS has been active in developing and furthering a systemic approach to conflict transformation through different studies and activities. The following sections provide a short overview.
TopBPS study: a systemic approach to conflict transformation
Between 2004 and 2005, we implemented the study A Systemic Approach to Conflict Transformation during a 15-month action research project with financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA). It systematizes some components of our conceptual approach, elaborates our understanding of systemic thinking and presents it to practitioners in the field, policy and decision makers in ministries and administrations and researchers. In addition, we prepared four separate short studies on Nepal, Aceh/Indonesia, Sudan and Southern Sudan, in which options for systemic conflict transformation were identified in the respective region.
TopAction research project: Theory & Practice of Systemic Conflict Transformation
The action research project can be seen as a follow-up to our first study. It was designed in 2006 with the aim to develop further a systemic framework for conflict transformation. The project is based on the assumption that systemic thinking provides avenues for addressing some crucial shortcomings in the field of peacebuilding, such as bridging the gap between theory and practice and linking intervention strategies to conflict analysis. In addition to this, it encourages new insights on the discussion of peace and conflict impact assessment and the linkage between the micro, meso and macro levels.
In view of the broad spectrum of theories, principles and methods of systemic thinking in the field of sociology, chaos theory, cybernetics, family therapy and organisational development and their particular interpretations, some crucial questions emerged for this project:
- What is the respective potential of various understandings of systemic thinking for conflict transformation?
- How do these understandings differ in respect to their consequences for peacebuilding strategies?
- Under what conditions do concepts such as the “open systems theory” or “system dynamics” assume that a system transformation can occur?
- What kind of systemic understanding is the most useful for addressing the core challenges in the peacebuilding field?
- What consequences does systemic thinking have for the development of methods for conflict analysis, planning, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment?
We have invited peace researchers, practitioners and systemic experts from various disciplines to discuss these issues. The results will be published in an edited volume in late summer of 2011.
The project is funded by the Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies and also comprises the exchange of practitioners and researchers in international workshops: “Exploring the Potential of Systemic Conflict Transformation” (Berlin 2008) and ”The Fundamentals of Peace. Modelling the dynamics of sustainable peace from theory and practice” (Washington 2010).
TopBerghof Handbook Dialogue Series: A Systemic Approach to Conflict Transformation
Together with our sister organisation, BCR, we published a Berghof Handbook Dialogue Series on systemic conflict transformation. The lead article in this edition was written by Norbert Ropers and is based on BPS’ practical experiences in Sri Lanka. It presents lessons learned and open questions regarding the application of systemic thinking in the Sri Lankan context and advocates several advantages of the approach. This article is then discussed by a set of practitioners from the field of peacebuilding and conflict transformation.
TopDevelopment of systemic methods for strategy planning, conflict analysis, monitoring & assessment
A further field of work is the development of systemic methods for strategy planning, conflict analysis, monitoring and assessment. Currently, we are developing systemic tools and training material for planning and assessing peacebuilding projects. We have carried out evaluations with a systemic approach.
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TopResources
| Title | Region/Topic | Authors/Editors | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Systemic Approach to Conflict Transformation – Concept and Fields of Application | Systemic CT | Wils, O.; Hopp, U.; Ropers, N.; Vimalarajah, L. & Zunzer, W. | 2006 |
| Systemic Conflict Transformation - Guiding principles for practitioners and policy makers working on conflict | Systemic CT | Unger, Barbara; Wils, Oliver | 2006 |
| Evaluation Report: Peace Building Programme of Sinani - KwaZulu-Natal Programme for Survivors of Violence South Africa | Systemic CT | Körppen, Daniela; Mkhize, Nhlanhla & Schell-Faucon, Stephanie | 2008 |
| A Systemic Approach to Conflict Transformation | Systemic CT | Körppen, Daniela; Schmelzle, Beatrix & Wils, Oliver (Eds.) | 2008 |