What Is Conflict Transformation?

Overview

Conflict transformation is the art of turning animosity, hatred, and domination into a spirit of collaboration, creativity, and community. 

Origins

Conflict transformation is a growing field of study and is a relatively new term, but it is not a new idea. It is inspired by people’s movements around the world such as:

• The Indian Satyagraha non-violent resistance movement and the work of Mahatma Gandhi
• African American Christian theological traditions, U.S. Civil Rights, and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King
• South American liberation theology and the work of scholars and activists like Gustavo Gutierrez
• The South African anti-apartheid movement and the work of Nelson Mandela, as well as the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
• Mennonite Christian pacifist tradition, specifically the work of Dr. John Paul Lederach at Notre Dame University
• Indigenous peacemaking movements

The Dream of Conflict Transformation

The dream of conflict transformation is to end cycles of hostility and violence and build a healthier and more equitable world. Many practitioners find motivation through religious teachings or virtue codes, but the practice doesn’t necessarily need to have a theological component. Most universally, it falls into the realm of social ethics — in other words, the study and practice of treating each other rightly.

The reason conflict transformation is so challenging is that hostility tends to escalate and warp our perspective of how we ought to treat each other. When we are gridlocked into animosity, non-violent resistance or creative approaches to conflict can seem passive, weak, or strange.

However, conflict transformation is incredibly powerful. Each of the movements in the Origins section above has had an incredible impact on political and cultural realities. The secret is not just in the method — the “how” of transforming conflict — but in the approach — the “why.” Instead of rushing to resolve or simply trying to contain damage, conflict transformation practitioners focus on repairing systemic power imbalances and healing broken relationships.

Instead of rushing to resolve or simply trying to contain damage, conflict transformation practitioners focus on repairing systemic power imbalances and healing broken relationships.

Conflict transformation is often paired with the idea of restorative justice, which draws from indigenous wisdom traditions around the world that value restoring someone to right relationship and standing in the community instead of punishing them. In restorative justice models, motivation and power dynamics are crucial. Conflict transformation seeks to make space for understanding how power functions within conflict and how larger systems must be addressed before individual relationships can be mended or improved.

Conflict Transformation vs. Conflict Resolution

Few scholars who work in conflict studies use the term “conflict transformation,” but the term is growing in recognition because it’s goals are quite distinct from a traditional conflict resolution approach. In fact, some practitioners like myself advocate that when we focus on resolution, it can cause us to miss important steps of healing relationships and root causes of the conflict, like fear and power imbalances. Committing ourselves to resolution can prevent us from really seeing each other and creating together. Especially in situations of impasse where resolution is not possible, seeking or forcing resolution can be a distraction.