Merging Ethiopian Wise-Counsel Mediation and Facilitative ...

Exercise Two: Conflict Escalation Role-Play OptionTo deepen participants'’understanding of the nine conflict escalation stages.15 minutes (short version); 60 minutes (long version, including group work).Flipchart, markers, pin-boards, cards of different colours.Step 1: Recall role plays or conflicts you have previously used as case studies in the training, or some conflicts the participantsare familiar with.Step 2: Ask the group which escalation step had been reached in these conflicts and collect different opinions. Ask why theythink X-level was reached and correct misunderstandings of the model if they occur. You can also split the participants intoworking groups where each group deals with one case study. It is best to use a real case with which one group member is veryfamiliar. Let this person introduce the case to the group and then let the group assess the level of escalation.Step 3: Let each group present to the others which facts led them to assess the escalation the way they did.Usually conflicts go through each of the escalation stages and don't jump from stage one to six, for example.In mediation, helping the parties understand step-by-step how this happens in their conflict might create some“de-escalationbecause they can see how they contributed to the escalation. In highly-escalated conflicts, do this with both parties separately.The model provides hints for questions which help to identify the earlier stages, for example:> > When did you feel tension the first time? (step one)> > When was the first time your opponent acted without consulting you which you thought he should have done? (step three)> > What was the worst incident so far? (current level of escalation)Parties might tell you privately what they plan to do next. You can relate this to the model and predict how the other side willpresumably react following the steps of escalation. This sometimes convinces parties to stop the escalation. If escalation is astep-by-step-process, de-escalation has to be like this, too. Therefore, any intervention by mediators or other third-party actors(e.g. NGOs or the government) has to be designed according to the current level of escalation.In the next unit we will look at entry points and intervention options for mediators for each of the stages.Mediation Training Toolbox87