Removing the veil.pdf - DSpace@NEHU

Latent
Conflict
Conflict
Escalation
Conflict
Emergence
Understanding Conflict / 7
(Hurting) Stalemate
De-escalation/Negotiation
Dispute Settlement
Post-Conflict
Peacebuilding
Time
Figure No 1: Life Cycle of a Conflict: 13
The Conflict Early Warning System research project (cited
in Jurgen Axt 2006)14, have classified the stages of conflict into
six phases:
• Dispute phase, (opposing claims expressed through
existing institutional processes);
• Crisis phase, (opposition use existing institutional
processes, but their substitution with violence is openly
. threatened or expected); -
• Limited violence phase, (legitimacy or usefulness of
institutional processes is question, 'and systematic and
regular use of force is considered justified);
• Massive violence phase, (regular, systematic, and
unrestrained use of force; institutional processes for
peaceful settlement are disabled or avoided,);
• Abatement phase, (actions leading to temporary
suspension of opposition, use of violence, and
expectations), and
• Settlement phase (resolution of opposing claims and
establishmentor re-establishmentof mutually recognized
institutional processes).
Theories of Conflict
Most conflict involves value difference and power
disparities, whereas misperception and miscommunication plays
an important role in the evolution of adversarial relationship. Even
though a conflict originates from economic and other material