Galtungs Conflict Triangle Johan Galtung Norwegian sociologist mathematician

Galtung’s Conflict Triangle

Johan Galtung �Norwegian sociologist, mathematician, helped found discipline of peace & conflict studies �Lots of theories…. Works on positive vs. negative peace; structural violence; conflict & conflict resolution; peacebuilding; imperialism; USA as republic & empire �Often critical of W. countries & attitude toward Global South

Conflict & Violence �Conflict can be negative but also POSITIVE. �Conflict does NOT equal violence, but violence is one possible response to specific conflict �Possible to identify specific causes & more general conditions that make violent conflict more likely

ABC Triangle �Framework to analyze stakeholders/ actors �Attitudes �Behavior �Context/ Contradictions

Manifest Level: How people act encourages conflict, immediate evidence of conflict Behavior Violence, genocide, insurgency attacks, discriminatory acts Behavior has roots in peoples’ attitudes & politicaleconomic context Latent Level; How people think encourages conflict; deeper causes of conflict Attitudes: Racism, discriminatory attitudes, sexism, victimhood, trauma Context/ Contradictions Inequality, dispute over territory or resources

Context & Contradiction �Incompatibility of goals/ needs/ interests btwn parties �Social structure / values? (patriarchy? Caste? Ethnicity? Rich-poor? ) �Scarcity? (of anything- water, oil, elected officials? ) �Competition? (in elections? For power? For market share? ) �Migration? (rural to urban? N. Africa to Europe? ) �Change? (social, political, economic, globalization, climate, etc)

Attitudes �Psychological conditions �Cognitive (perception, enemy construction, negative stereotypes, etc); feelings (hate, anger, suspicion, etc)

Behavior �Polarizing & often destructive activities of parties (actual visible behaviors) �Throwing, burning, killing, shooting, rioting, demonstrations, war, etc.

Conditions making violent conflict more likely: Conditions making violent conflict less likely: • Little or no democratic means of • Democratic institutions exist, with full dispute resolution; minorities excluded political equality and participation from political representation • Equal sharing of resources and • Wealth, territory or resources shared wealth unequally and controlled by powerful elites • Equality of opportunity for all • Poverty • Government respects the rule of law • Government is above the law, making • Disputes can be resolved fairly arbitrary and illegitimate decisions through a fair and independent judicial system • Judicial system is absent or interfered with, not independent or fair • Respect for human rights (especially of minorities) • Human rights are abused

http: //tilz. tearfund. org/en/resources/publications/footsteps/footsteps_91 -100/footsteps_92/abc_of_conflict_analysis/

�Sometimes violent conflict is shallow- the roots of the violence are not deep (maybe a misunderstanding? ) �Sometimes, there may be little violent behavior, but there are deep-rooted problems in people’s attitudes and the context. ◦ Latent conflict: must address the roots of conflict before they lead to actual violence �The most difficult kind of conflict is persistent conflict, in which violence is both visible and deep-rooted. � http: //tilz. tearfund. org/en/resources/publications/footsteps_91 -100/footsteps_92/abc_of_conflict_analysis/

Conflict Triangle Example: Syria

Behavior Violence, genocide, insurgency attacks, discriminatory acts Manifest Level: How people act encourages conflict, immediate evidence of conflict Latent Level; How people think encourages conflict; deeper causes of conflict Attitudes: Racism, discriminatory attitudes, sexism, victimhood, trauma Galtung’s Triangle: Syria Context/ Contradictions Sunni majority is in in conflict with President’s Alawite sect, which has drawn in Sunni and Shia regional powers. Sunnis feel marginalized by Assad’s Shia-led gov’t; Islamic State (ISIS) believes it is right to create Sunni Muslim caliphate across Syria and Iraq – does not accept current int’l borders Taken from Murphy and Gleek (2016)

Behavior Violence, genocide, insurgency attacks, discriminatory acts Manifest Level: How people act encourages conflict, immediate evidence of conflict Galtung’s Triangle: Syria Latent Level; How people think encourages conflict; deeper causes of conflict Attitudes/Assumptions: Assad gov’t believes it should stay in power & that rebel forces are ‘terrorists’ challenging legitimate authority of the state. Sunni rebels feel Assad gov’t not legitimate, demanding greater representation and political equality; Sunnis marginalized by Assad-led Shia government Context/ Contradictions Sunni majority is in in conflict with President’s Alawite sect, which has drawn in Sunni and Shia regional powers. Sunnis feel marginalized by Assad’s Shia-led gov’t; Islamic State (ISIS) believes it is right to create Sunni Muslim caliphate across Syria and Iraq – does not accept current int’l borders Taken from Murphy and Gleek (2016)

Behavior Assad gov’t: military campaign vs. insurgency, chem weapon attacks (Aug 2013) Sunni rebel forces: violent insurgency Manifest Level: How people act campaign to est Sunni Islamic ISIS: military encourages conflict, immediate evidence of everyone caliphate; fighting Conflict Triangle: Syria conflict & others! Latent Level; How people think encourages conflict; deeper causes of conflict Attitudes/Assumptions: Assad gov’t believes it should stay in power & that rebel forces are ‘terrorists’ challenging legitimate authority of the state. Sunni rebels feel Assad gov’t not legitimate, demanding greater representation and political equality; Sunnis marginalized by Assad-led Shia government Context/ Contradictions Sunni majority is in in conflict with President’s Alawite sect, which has drawn in Sunni and Shia regional powers. Sunnis feel marginalized by Assad’s Shia-led gov’t; Islamic State (ISIS) believes it is right to create Sunni Muslim caliphate across Syria and Iraq – does not accept current int’l borders Taken from Murphy and Gleek (2016)

Your Turn! �Working with a partner (maybe a group of 3), you will choose a conflict (some we’ve studied, some we haven’t) and do some background research on these elements of the triangle- attitudes, context, and manifest behaviors �Next class you will present your conflict triangle to the class [verbal presentation, but create a visual triangle to help encourage focus while you speak] �Try to incorporate a few different perspectives for each element �Grade will be participation + presentation together.

Conflicts �Somalia (civil war, 1990 s-) �Kashmir (India-Pakistan) �Darfur �Colombia (1960 s-) �Yemen (civil war, 2015 -) �Kurdish-Turkish (1948 -) �Boko Haram (Nigeria) �Libya (2011 - or 2014 -) �South Sudan (2013 -) �Central African Republic (2012 -)