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the situation IS a threat or holds hope for them.
(http://\\'ww.colorado.edulconflict'peace/problem/incfrrn.htm) The South African
apartheid government called the freedom fighters terrorists. The freedom fighters called
the White people racists. Democracy for the African people meant human rights and the
right to vote, while for many White people it meant being stripped of power and
privileges. This made constructive conflict management very difficult as was evidenced
by the failure ofnon-governmental organisations and church institutions to mediate.
The situation can be made more difficult when a group frames the situation in
terms ofvalues, while the other frames it in terms ofneeds, rights, and interests because
. the conflict resolution mechanism cannot be the same for both. Both groups will have
to find a common understanding on the way they see the conflict so that there may be a
uniform approach to the solution.
In the South African situation it became necessary to sit down in CODESA and
find common grounds, which were in the interest ofthe country as a whole, and not of
particular groups.
Actors
The actors in the conflict can be both internal and external. The following
aspects need to be identified concerning the actors:
> The identity groups involved in the conflict and their characteristics
> The real leaders of these identity groups i.e. is it politicians,
soldiers, religious leaders, intellectuals; the amount of pressure
from their followers and opponents
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