The Practical Importance of Traditional and Local Methods in Conflict Resolution

Abstract

Ways of preventing and resolving conflict have become widely known in their current form, which has taken shape over the last eighty years. Dealing with conflict is not a new field, however. With regard to the ancient beginnings, we have to rely on imaginative guesswork, but for reconstructing subsequent developments we can build on many traditions that have survived. These traditions are not only of historical significance; they can be of great practical value to all of us who are dealing with conflict and helping others to deal with conflict. What is therefore shared in this article is meant to encourage us to learn from traditional ways of dealing with conflict, and to apply the methods, insights and skills that are indeed relevant in conflict situations of our time.