Conflict/Conflict Resolution

• Talk to the class about the word “conflict” and what it means – in its simplest form it is that two or more people disagree about something. Working in pairs, ask the class to list six examples of conflict, to include individual disagreements, local, national and international examples. Ask the students to watch the news later and list any conflicts they hear about.
  
• Ask the pupils to think privately about a time when they had a disagreement with somebody – maybe a family member or someone at school. Did the argument get sorted and if so do they feel that somebody “won”? Discuss how it is sometimes difficult to resolve a conflict and leave everyone feeling that it is fair.
  
• Ask for two volunteers (A and B) to role-play a situation in which they have been arguing over the ownership of a DVD (or chose another situation which may be relevant). Person A currently has the DVD. Person B is given a piece of paper saying they would like to solve the problem and person A has a piece of paper saying they do not want to solve the problem. Begin to ask questions in order to establish that this is the case and then ask the class what needs to happen in order to begin to resolve conflict (both need to want to sort out the problem). Why didn’t person A want to solve the argument and what could be said to persuade him / her?
  
• Ask the class to discuss ways of solving the problem. Look at the possibilities suggested and try to ensure that the following are covered:
• Intervention by someone more powerful who imposes a solution.
• A compromise between the two people involved.
• One person gives in after discussion.
• Mediation – someone outside agrees to try and resolve the problem by encouraging both sides to look for a solution.
  

Ask the original A and B to re-run the scenario, trying out the different solutions suggested. Which worked the best? Has anybody lost out in the solution chosen?

Does the class think the two people are likely to sort out the problem alone or is it sometimes easier if somebody else has ideas? Why? (It is important for children to know that some arguments can be sorted out by the people involved through discussion and another person is not always needed!)

5. In this case, the dispute was not over something really important.

• Ask the pupils to think of something that is really important to them and that they feel they would have to fight for. Why is it so important?

• What conflicts does the class know about, now or in the past? Do they know what people were fighting about?

• Ask the pupils to think about a time when they felt they must stand up for themselves or for someone else. Was there a situation when somebody thought fighting physically was the only answer and do they still think this now? What other solutions were used/could have been used?

• Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. Why is Gandhi famous and what did he mean by this? Is it easy to walk away when fights begin and is it the right thing or the wrong thing to do? Why?

• What has been the affect of conflict on Andrea and Riva?

• Did they have any personal part in the conflict? Is this fair?

• When large-scale conflicts break out, who has responsibility for sorting them out? Is it just those people immediately concerned or should other countries or organizations get involved? Find out about some of the organizations that have been set up to help.

6. Forgiveness

•  Ask the pupils to think about a time when somebody did or said something to them that they did not like. How difficult was it to forgive? How does it feel when you cannot forgive someone?

• Are there situations when the class believe people should not be forgiven?

•  What can happen if people do not forgive? Look at the quotes from the play in activity 2 in the Prejudice/Stereotypes section of the pack to think about Andrea and Riva’s situation.

(See The Standards Site – Citizenship at Key Stage 3, “What part does forgiveness play in resolving conflict?”)