Book Review: Jacob Bercovitch, Social Conflicts and Third Parties: Strategies of Conflict Resolution (Boulder, Colorado: Bowker Publishing Co., 1984, 163 pp., £20.00)

This article seeks to analyze the typology of management along with conflict resolution in terms of their correlation to the social theory of conflict. Social conflicts can be categorized into a number of types. Based on their types the social conflicts can be divided into two parts, namely vertical conflict and horizontal conflict. The vertical conflict is a conflict that has bottom-up as well as top-to-bottom patterns. Conflict management involves every effort to avoid conflicts which are, generally, violently-biased disputes. Such efforts are founded on the basis of resolution processes employing any means of power and authority. The conflict management implies the existence of conflict interventions carried out by conflicting parties or third parties who have considerable power or resources to stabilize the conflict. Within the context of power, the conflict management is usually implemented in three forms, namely formal-legal power, traditional power, and charismatic power. The formal-legal power is power based on such legitimacy tools as law and legislation. The traditional power is power based on claim of belief, faith, and customs. The charismatic power is power based on personal abilities which deal with magical and supernatural realms.

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Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler Farmers

Land ◽

10.3390/land10040382 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 382

Author(s):

Laura Becerra ◽

Mathilde Molendijk ◽

Nicolas Porras ◽

Piet Spijkers ◽

Bastiaan Reydon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conflict Resolution ◽

Indigenous Peoples ◽

Field Measurements ◽

Third Parties ◽

Participatory Mapping ◽

Social Cartography ◽

Land Conflicts ◽

Land Administration ◽

Fit For Purpose ◽

Communal Lands

One of the most difficult types of land-related conflict is that between Indigenous peoples and third parties, such as settler farmers or companies looking for new opportunities who are encroaching on Indigenous communal lands. Nearly 30% of Colombia’s territory is legally owned by Indigenous peoples. This article focuses on boundary conflicts between Indigenous peoples and neighbouring settler farmers in the Cumaribo municipality in Colombia. Boundary conflicts here raise fierce tensions: discrimination of the others and perceived unlawful occupation of land. At the request of Colombia’s rural cadastre (Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi (IGAC)), the Dutch cadastre (Kadaster) applied the fit-for-purpose (FFP) land administration approach in three Indigenous Sikuani reserves in Cumaribo to analyse how participatory mapping can provide a trustworthy basis for conflict resolution. The participatory FFP approach was used to map land conflicts between the reserves and the neighbouring settler farmers and to discuss possible solutions of overlapping claims with all parties involved. Both Indigenous leaders and neighbouring settler farmers measured their perceived claims in the field, after a thorough socialisation process and a social cartography session. In a public inspection, field measurements were shown, with the presence of the cadastral authority IGAC. Showing and discussing the results with all stakeholders helped to clarify the conflicts, to reduce the conflict to specific, relatively small, geographical areas, and to define concrete steps towards solutions.

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Book Review: International Relations: Business, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding: Contributions from the Private Sector to Address Violent Conflict

Political Studies Review ◽

10.1111/j.1478-9302.2011.00251_23.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 118-118

Author(s):

Sandra Buchanan

Keyword(s):

Conflict Resolution ◽

International Relations ◽

Private Sector ◽

Violent Conflict

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Understanding and Rethinking ‘Conflict Resolution’: A Conceptual and Theoretical Framework

10.3366/edinburgh/9781474479325.003.0002 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 24-71

Author(s):

İ. Aytaç Kadıoğlu

Keyword(s):

Conflict Resolution ◽

Theoretical Framework ◽

Third Parties ◽

Theoretical Approaches ◽

Middle Range ◽

Elite Level ◽

Grassroots Level

This chapter details the conceptual and theoretical approaches of conflict resolution and develops a framework to understanding non-violent attempts to resolve ethno-nationalist conflicts. The chapter focuses on two interrelated arguments. Firstly, that conflict resolution efforts of states, sub-state groups and third parties provide a framework for ending ethno-nationalist violence. Secondly, that conflict resolution as a process develops an understanding of non-violent resolution efforts during the pre-negotiation and negotiation stages. The chapter divides conflict resolution approaches into three levels; the elite, middle-range and grassroots level approaches. As the book addresses peacemaking efforts between states, opposition groups and third parties, the relevance of the elite level approaches as well as other groups and the initiatives of other actors towards peace are clarified by conceptualising three major parts that play a role in peacemaking efforts: backchannel communications, P/CROs and official negotiations.

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