Evaluating long-term conflict management strategies for protracted social conflict

Evaluando estrategias de manejo en conflictos prolongados para conflictos sociales prolongados

Much of the destructive conflict experienced around the world in recent times has been described by various conflict theorists, such as John Burton and Edward Azar, as deep-rooted social conflict. Such conflict is characterized, particularly by its protracted nature; that is, it is extremely difficult to settle or resolve.
It is, therefore, extremely durable and is waged over very long periods of time. It also operates at deeper levels of the human psyche. Attitudes in deep-rooted social conflict harden, and needs, such as those for identity, security and participation and religious and cultural values, are often the dominant elements in conflict.
Most traditional or orthodox attempts at settlement, however, are fleeting and very short-term in their approach, and concentrate mainly at the top, political levels. It is also mainly the manifest, behavioral aspects of the conflict that are addressed in most management processes. The roots of the conflict are often left untouched, and therefore, settlements do not last and the conflict simply enters new phases. More recently, however, there have been attempts to deal with the deeper levels of conflict attitudes, and the issues of justice and reconciliation have assumed much greater importance in the settlement processes.

This paper attempts to contextualise and evaluate the South African experience, assessing the success of the longer-term conflict management attempts used there, including mainly the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Their impact on the structural base of conflict and the social pathologies experienced in the period after the 1994 settlement are assessed, and lessons drawn in respect of successes and failures, which could perhaps be of value to other communities emerging from destructive phases of deep-rooted social conflict.

While the paper is theoretically grounded in the human needs approach, and draws heavily on the associated literature, it also includes the findings of a recent empirical study among victims of apartheid atrocities, carried out by the presenter, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The important and often highly problematic relationships between justice, peace, truth and amnesty in deep-rooted conflicts are also highlighted in the presentation. For instance, if there is a fundamental human need for justice, then amnesty from prosecution may be a serious obstacle in the way of true conflict resolution.

Some pointers towards genuine resolution, derived from empirical research are offered, by way of conclusion.