![meaning of conflict](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_62119c5deee044d9b63a17957a243f5d~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_546,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/11062b_62119c5deee044d9b63a17957a243f5d~mv2.jpg)
We are all victims and perpetrators of pain. Whether it’s intentionally or simply by the way our actions are perceived by others, humans inflict pain on others, whether they acknowledge it, or not.
If you’re a meat eater, imagine the fear and pain experienced by the animal in the slaughterhouse, if you have treated a beggar with disdain, imagine their suffering, the courage mustered to ask for help, only to have their hope for a meal for the day shattered, with the reminder that others see them as vile, when all they need is a little respect to start working on self-respect.
Every human being is born deserving of and has the right to be treated as a human being. The problem lies in the word " every." Every human has a different perspective, which prioritizes their perceived rights.
Somewhere along the way when “your” rights clash with “my” rights, things can get ugly, going as far as conflict, especially when group-think gains traction.
Meaning Of Conflict
The most basic version of conflict is a serious disagreement or argument, generally a protracted one. Usually based on a lack of common understanding, conflict ratchets up a notch where those concerned have weak communication skills and unclear or unreasonable expectations. It also often features manipulation and power plays.
Violent conflict- or war, is an escalated version, between states or nations. It is thought that a nation will go to war if the benefits of war are seen to outweigh the disadvantages, and if there is a thinking that there is not another mutually pleasing solution that could be agreed on. More specifically, some have argued that wars are mainly fought for economic, political, religious, and ideological reasons.
Reasons for conflict
When it comes to wars, the theories listed by Britannica as being the reasons why people go to war are grouped as follows:
Biological: Using analogies from the animal world, ethologists have developed theories centering on man's innate drives.
Psychological: Conflicting views among psychologists include:
An innate aggressiveness in man.
Public opinion and its influence, especially when things are tense.
The effect of social and political institutions on human behavior which give people opportunities to exercise their inclinations towards good or evil, and impose restraints. Whether you are good or evil often depends on which side you are on.
Social: Man behaves differently in different social contexts and the two schools of thought are:
Liberal: Historically, the state is the result of interaction between individuals and society and it's assumed that because society self-regulates socially, economic cooperation based on free trade and an international division of labor would be in the interests of everybody. This cooperation- it's assumed, would keep wars to a minimum. Liberal theorists look at autocratic governments, who may wage war against the wishes of peacefully inclined people, and suggest that a universal right to vote- the key element of democracy, is the solution because the people would surely vote any bad actors out of office. This school also advocates for international organization as a corrective measure because an unregulated international society does not automatically lean toward peace.
Socialist: While liberals saw political structures as important as far as determining the inclination of states to go to war socialists saw it as a socio-economic issue. They theorized that wars arose between capitalist states arising from capitalist competition and imperialist rivalries, between capitalist and socialist states arising from class struggles, and colonial wars of liberation between subjugated people and their colonial masters.
Nationalism: Some say that wars ultimately arise from the allegiance of people to nations and the connection between a nation of people and a state and their right to national self-determination. The rulers of a state are put in place to look after the "national interest," and are judged accordingly. It is this national interest that occasionally clashes directly with the national interests of other states.
Human Rights And Conflict
Every one of the approximately 8 billion people on Earth has an inalienable right to life. Arguably. Although different states have different views on when humanity starts, at the latest- from the second we are born, we are regarded as humans.
![What are human rights](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c47e73702a694f288ec311c545c2d563.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/c47e73702a694f288ec311c545c2d563.jpg)
As humans, we exist in a world where human-constructed human rights are balanced by human-constructed duties. For example, one person may be captured and kept as a prisoner of war despite the right to liberty, and when gathering up this right by escaping, kills his captor- who has a right to life, to secure his right to liberty. The duties of both were to respect the rights of another human life, including a duty to respect human life and showing mutual respect. Both may have failed in their duties, or it may be that their competing rights came into conflict.
Many brutal wars- between nations and within nations, are currently being fought around the globe. More often than not, it’s not the leaders who bear the brunt of the conflict, but the people they are purporting to lead. It's people on both sides of the conflict- each of which regards the other as the enemy, who suffer the horrors and ravages of war and whose human rights are disregarded. Meanwhile, the warmongerers and lords of war orchestrate their strategies to gain or keep control, often over two things: power and resources.
Casualties Of Conflict: Humans And Human Rights
Remnants of ancient walls found by archeologists suggest that we have been fighting each other for thousands of centuries, with clans building walls to protect themselves against invading clans. With no Instagram to record every human experience, the causes of conflict are difficult to decipher. It seems likely that different ideologies and control of resources played a key role in ensuring that groups of people survived and thrived.
Colonizing almost every land mass on Earth, 1016–1017 (10-100 quadrillion) ants are estimated to be on Earth. Human numbers may not come close, but we take up much more space- and resources. But somewhere along the way, some people wanted more and the easiest way to get this was to take from others. For some, enough is never enough and conflict arises when they want the bigger slice of the pie, unable to comprehend that there is a place in the sun for everyone.
Too many people are unable to see past their own needs or develop emotional intelligence- the ability to understand your own emotions and the emotions of others and groups, to have a better functioning world. This is where individual needs and rights get blurred.
Dominating the news over the last two years, Ukraine vs Russia and Israel vs Palestine wars have devastated vast tracts of land and everything on it. Not limited to loss of life, the conflict has caused immeasurable suffering for thousands of people in states on both sides.
In Africa, internal conflict is rife, and the recent 'People's Uprising' in Bangladesh has given the world better insight into the lives of ordinary Bangladeshi citizens who struggled against their leadership. Unlike wars between nations which cause suffering, internal conflict often arises from suffering, and the human rights of leadership are given priority over the human rights of the citizens their job is to serve, protect, and help to thrive. And then causes further suffering as citizens rise up to enforce their rights.
Every human life has value. Following anti-government protests in Bangladesh, a brutal crackdown by security forces left over 280 students dead according to official sources but the publication, Time, has put this number at over 1,000 according to diplomatic sources and those on the ground say the numbers exceed 2,000. Most of the 170 million people (around half the size of the US population), were affected.
With internal conflict, there is often influence from other states. Many Bangladeshi believe that the Indian government was involved in keeping the ousted party in power, for their own interests. Whether wars are fought for the greater good remains a contentious issue, and- as with good and evil, it depends on which side you are on. What cannot be denied is the link between conflict, human rights, and human suffering.
Bangladesh Peoples Uprising
Clamping down further on human rights, the government imposed a nationwide curfew and all internet services were cut. The death toll for the nation is no less significant than the 40 million lives lost in WWI. Individual suffering, including families who lost loved ones, those who witnessed the brutality, and people who were connected to the struggle to enforce their human rights are all left with the effects of lives- and their potential, extinguished, and their rights compromised.
A colleague in Bangladesh sent the following exuberant text message on Monday, August 5, after autocratic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was unseated:
“We got independent. We stepdown her. She has flown away."
The hope in the message is palpable and a new temporary government has been installed under the leadership of the well-respected Dr. Muhammad Yunus, CEO of Grameen Bank which has a footprint in 34 countries Significantly, for his pioneering work in microfinance, Dr. Yunus won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. His work was instrumental in alleviating poverty in Bangladesh and was widely adopted in many places globally.
Poverty undermines human rights and the hope that has emerged from the Peoples Uprising that people can lead better lives will be key to the recovery of the country, and the individuals who bore the brunt of the trauma.
Dealing with the trauma of conflict
Many are left shell-shocked after the conflict ends, often long after the battle is won or lost. Some suffer the symptoms of PTSD which cause further suffering. There are practical considerations- funerals to arrange and the daily routines of life to be re-established.
Before life can return to the new normal, people need to find ways to heal. Healing works differently for different people, and finding what works for you, the things that really resonate with you and make a positive difference takes a journey of discovery. Some key elements to dealing with the trauma of conflict are:
Maintain hope: No matter how small the seeds of hope are, nurture them and give them as much attention as possible.
Find out what forgiveness means to you: Whether you are ready to forgive or be forgiven, forgiveness is a process that culminates in a moment. It’s not something that just happens out of the blue, but is thoughtfully, and intentionally worked towards.
Let go of the pain and anger: By letting go, a space is created when you open yourself up, allowing you the chance to fully engage in the life you got when you were born.
Connect with others, because the human connection is what binds us together, keeps us going, and gives our lives meaning.
Practice gratitude: As soon as we are thankful for a new day, we see the promise it brings and the possibilities it offers. Happiness may be found in small things or big, but if we don't see it and acknowledge these things through gratitude, we will miss them, giving up a slice of happiness.
Make your life meaningful: No matter the past, if you are alive and have blood coursing through your veins, you have something to give, something that will make the world a better place, no matter how slight.
Celebrate your wins if you won: If your cause succeeded, celebrate, but keep in mind that on the other side of the conflict are human beings, with feelings and rights.
Accept your loss if you lost: Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. What’s important is how you played the game, and even more importantly, find ways to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and carry on with your life, remembering that on the other side are human beings with feelings and rights.
Let go of the animosity: Find ways to live in harmony with yourself and fellow human Earth inhabitants.
Making sense of our lives, our place in the world, and living human lives with the benefit of enjoying human rights, gives us a reason for being, and a zest for life.
Finding Meaning In Conflict
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_4fdc7f6a3973442f97852dacc981a5d5~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_1307,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/nsplsh_4fdc7f6a3973442f97852dacc981a5d5~mv2.jpg)
Meaning is found in the value of a human life. Each is unique. We all have unique gifts to offer. And we all find meaning in different ways and different things.
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu said,
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting...”
Finding meaning in conflict can mean:
Seeking ways to resolve conflicts without fighting, leads to a more harmonious life.
Finding your role within security services or politics.
Realizing the value of life when a loved one’s life and its potential is taken from them, or witnessing the event.
Those involved in human rights activism may want to consider how to incorporate peace activism into their fight for justice.
In our sophisticated world, AI evolution brings its own challenges to finding meaning, but as humans, it’s our very humanity that gives life meaning. Dying also offers an opportunity to find meaning.
The psychiatrist Viktor Frankl said that suffering is what gives life meaning.
But the challenge to find meaning- whether it's in life in general or in the meaning of conflict, is an intensely personal one.
Comments