Conflict Resolution
As mentioned in the previous program, Liberia is at a state where majority of
our population is traumatized. As a result, the risk of conflict is high and
unfortunately, most of the conflicts surround young people. Starting a conflict
is as easy as just saying a word. Resisting a conflict may be difficult but is
also as easy as just ignoring a word. Our conflict resolution program covers
different topics ranging from preventing conflicts to resolving them.
What is Conflict Resolution?
Conflict Resolution gives you as an individual the rules for maintaining
positive relationships and methods for peaceful problem solving that help you
use your conflicts to learn, think and understand better. It is a formal name
for settling problems in a way that lets you hold on to your dignity, while
letting others save theirs as well, without anyone doing anything wrong or
violent. Eventhough Liberia is suffering from high illiteracy rate and most of
the people are ignorant to a lot of things, Conflict Resolution in our state may
not at all times yield the ideal outcomes, but at the very least, they help us
keep away from making a bad situation worse.
What can Conflict Resolution do for Liberia?
As a matter of fact, Liberia is one country on the planet that needs all the
best Conflict Resolution strategies, especially amongst young people. With good
Conflict Resolution strategies, every Liberian can be proud of being a Liberian.
When we all learn how to handle ourselves better, we are not quite as worried
about the misunderstandings, personal slights and power struggles. We tend to
focus more on more the positive and when we set the tone, our choice to act
responsibly shows leadership. When we do make mistakes, we just put up the
responsible attitude and ask for forgiveness and/or make the appropriate
restitution, and resolve to do better next time. This is hard, but is a
never-ending learning process, and with time, it translates into less stress.
Key steps to resolving problems:
- Decide what emotion you are feeling.
- Analyze the conflict. For example; who is fighting about what?
- Communicate
- Identify the problem. Considering both sides, find what need is not satisfied.
- Search for solutions: brainstorm ideas together that would fix the problem.
- Choose the solution
- Closing: discuss what can be done differently to avoid similar situation in the
future.
- Identify the problem.
- Focus on the problem.
- Attack the problem, not the person.
- Listen with an open mind.
- Search for solutions: brainstorm ideas together that would fix the problem.
- Treat a person's feeling with respect.
- Take responsibility for what you say and do.
The road to peaceful Conflict Resolution is a long and rough one, but with the
desire and desperation for change in Liberia, it is achievable and workable.
For more information, contact us at our head office in Paynesville or drop us a
line at info@ycwliberia.org. We are
also seeking for volunteers in conducting workshops for members and target
beneficiaries.