NEW PERSPECTIVES

FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE
OF EUROPE AND THE WORLD

Brno, Czech Republic

March 11, 2009
 Conflict Resolution

Dr. Frank Kaufmann

Inter Religious Federation for World

Peace
New World Encyclopedia
 Conflict resolution
A broad topic

This topic is vast and can be discussed

and taught for the length of an entire
course, or even be studied as a multi-
disciplinary "major."
 Conflict resolution
A sub-topic

An isolated sub-aspect of the larger

concept or program to build and
sustain enduring PEACE, opportunity,
and prosperity.
Conflict resolution is a subtopic of
peace
 Peace

Programs for peace are necessary

even where there is not conflict
Peace has 3 interrelated bases that
must be recognized, understood, and
in order
The elements (players)
The conditions
The relations (dynamics)
 Peace

Investing in peace involves us in three

distinct and different activities
Building
Establishing
Sustaining
The relationship between peace
and conflict resolution
Peace work does not require the
existence of conflict to be necessary
If conflict is present peace work
cannot effectively proceed
Conflict cannot be resolved absent the
context of a sound program for peace
This is one major reason that despite
massive, costly efforts to resolve
conflict, conflict persists
 Conflict resolution
(Today’s topic)

Three universals are found in ALL

occasions of conflict
The core dynamic of evil
An identifiable relational structure and
dynamic from a total of 6 possible
choices
The presence of both material and
non-material (spiritual) aspects.
 The core dynamic of evil

Conflict is the opposite of love

Love
The welfare of the other overwhelms any
concern I have for myself
Conflict
The welfare (or even worse, greed) of myself or
the group with which I identify overwhelms any
concern I have for the other
Conflict arises out of the willingness to
sacrifice the other for my self or my group
“Boundary dissolution”
 The 6 universal relations

The Family is the microcosm of all human

relations, no matter how large or how small
the groups (political, cultural, social) in
question
Bi-directional parental relations (gender)
Bi-directional sibling relations (elder,
younger)
Bi-directional parent-child relations

All would be peacemakers have lifelong on the

job training
Conflict is material and non-
material (spiritual)
Resolution MUST incorporate elements that
are both material and spiritual.
That is the nature of what you are dealing with
(conflict)
The spiritual uniquely contains the single most
indispensable seeds for resolution
Spirit is self-giving, matter is self
maintaining. Material does not have an
inherent rationale for the resolution of
conflict
Repentance, forgiveness. (Non-rational
outside religious or spiritual understanding)
 Religious conflict

All religions should take the lead to repent

for the abundance and increase of conflict
in our world
As the institutions responsible to safeguard
and provide the core and requisite dynamic
for conflict resolution, religions must take
the lead in resolving our own conflicts.
This will restore the status and proper role
of religion and spiritual life in the modern
world.