Through his book Conflict Transformation, Dr. Lederach talked about many inspiring things. I share some of these with you in this short article.

Dr. Lederach talks about the difference differences between conflict resolution and conflict transformation. The difference lies in the fact that the conflict transformation strategy involves developing actions that aim to change something by leading us to think deeply to understand the conflict and to develop strategies that respond directly to the problem and go beyond that to develop approaches to change in the long and medium-term to ensure that the problem does not recur. During conflict transformation, we constantly are informed and we learn on the day to day bases what opportunities we have and how we can approach those with strategies that lead to change. We need to have the capacity to think strategically about the changes that we are trying to promote.

Conflict transformation wakes with the personal journey it requires understanding the deeper patterns to design strategies that go beyond because this approach goes beyond the simple solving problem but leads to the significant change It requires a long time commitment that aims to create change over decades. The conflict transformational approach will ask to look deeper into the problem and think carefully about the strategies and make long and medium-term strategies.

Generally, the conflict seeks to separate us we must practice the relation change which is about building and rebuilding the trust and understanding that need to happen between people for change to take place. Relational change is about strategies, commitment, deep personal reflection building, and rebuilding trust trough ongoing dialogue because some time we solve a problem quickly and we forget how deep it is. It is very important that people in the local communities are engaged and are giving the support they need.

I think we need to advocate for a conflict transformation approach because this approach allows us to make or develop actions that aim to change things and therefore leads us to think deeply to understand the conflict and to develop strategies that respond directly to the problem and go beyond to develop approaches that support change in the long and medium-term.

Nature of change

Conflict have always something to do with personal change. We need to look carefully at our own life and way of being because apart from us there are people in our environment who have also been affected by this conflict and who perhaps do not share our point of view.

As young people, we should not just focus on the event but understand that conflict transformation is a process we should have our own capacities to continuously involve not depending on somebody.