The Conflict & Violence Issue

Volume 8 Issue 4, November 2008

Conflict is born in the fact that we don’t, can’t, and shouldn’t always get what we want. When a desire is thwarted – by another or by our self – the resulting feelings of tension often help to cause a predictable and unfortunate spiral into confusion and the intentional or unintentional mistrust and marginalisation of the dissenting voice. Left groundless and wounded, too often we resort to violently oppressive or repressive means in order to “right” the situation. Sadly, each time we turn to violent acts in any context – even (or especially) as a “last resort” – we help to further legitimatize their use as appropriate tools of conflict resolution in every context.

Systems of political and moral guidance purport to describe (in part) what the good life is and how to live it, and they ultimately succeed or fail in this attempt on the strength of how well – how fully, how fairly, how lastingly – it is that they mediate conflct and prevent violence between individuals and peoples. In appealing to traditions and laws to guide us (and in discussing how we frame them in the first place,) we make important claims about what we believe we owe to others (and what they owe to us) that hinge on our notions of fairness and justice. The best formulations of these principles recognise both that conflict is inevitable in a world of necessary cooperation and overlapping desires, and that lasting resolution of these naturally occurring conflicts requires solutions which ensure some sense of satisfaction for all. No conflict is yet ended if one side walks away angry, and so there can be no peace unless we actively work to end our conflicts well, not just quickly.

Time and time again, we find reason to loseWeight Exercise our temper, break our cool, and manufacture reasons to escalate a simple lack of perspective into an enduring conflict. If we wish to break and avoid these cycles of blame, guilt, resentment, anger, and hurt – for our own good – then we must challenge both ourselves and those with whom we come into conflict to find an answer in mutual patience and understanding.

So many of the problems of this lifetime are rooted in temporary desire and can easily be resolved through compassion, but the violent answer is often the quick and messy “solution” to complex and ever-evolving issues which tempts us away from devising more lasting ones. Conflict may be inevitable, but the way we choose to resolve our conflicts is a decision wholly within our own hands.

Please choose wisely, for everyone’s sake.

Mark Ciesluk
Editor-in-Chief