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THE MEANING OF CONFLICT

Conflict is the absence of peace.
Conflict emanates from differences in our attitudes, beliefs, needs, interests, and values. Sometimes, students quarrel or fight over a common interest. Individuals, families, and communities, in other times, quarrel and fight over a piece of land. In our country, there have been instances of both inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic, intercommunity, and intra-community disagreements, e.g., the Nigerian civil war, Aguleri and Umuleri crisis or war in Anambra State, Ezza and Ezillo war in Ebonyi State, etc. Therefore, conflict can be defined as disagreements between individuals, groups, communities, or countries.

Conflict is either non-violent (peaceful) conflict to boil down to violence. When we have or become violent, we should not be allowed to be diplomatic because of conflict, violence, claims, lives, and property.

TYPES OF CONFLICT

There are two main classifications or categories of conflict:
(i) violent conflict, and
(ii) non-violent conflict.

Violent conflict: Conflict is said to be violent when it involves the use of physical force, for instance, when people fight or go to war.

Non-violent conflict: Conflict is said to be non-violent when it does not involve the use of physical force; but sometimes, it is based on certain rules and regulations; for instance, sports competition.

EXAMPLES OF CONFLICTS

(i) Inter-personal conflicts:
This is a conflict that involves one person and another. Two persons must be involved in inter-personal conflict. Usually, it occurs as a result of misunderstanding between two persons. If this conflict is within an individual, it could be called intra- personal conflict; in other words, internal conflict. Intra-personal conflict occurs when an individual takes the wrong decision or makes a wrong choice. When two friends have misunderstandings, such a conflict is inter-personal.

(ii) inter-communal conflict
When two communities have conflict, it becomes inter-communal conflict. An example in Nigeria is the conflict between Ezillo and Ezza in Ebonyi State, Umuleri, and Aguleri in Anambra State, Obosi and Onitsha also Anambra State, ModakekeIfe people in Ogun State. Such inter-community conflicts could be called intra-ethnic conflicts, i.e., when a conflict is between two communities in one ethnic group, e.g., Modakeke and Ife, Aguleri/Umuleri or Ezillo/Ezza. Ife and Modakeke are Yorubas, while Aguleri and Umuleri, Ezza/Ezillo are lgbos.
When the conflict is between two ethnic groups in Nigeria, it becomes inter-ethnic conflict, though intra-national conflict, because both ethnic groups are in the Nigerian nation, e.g., Hausa/lgbo, Itsekiri/Urhobo, Kataf/Hausa, Yoruba/ Hausa conflicts in Nigeria are called intra-national or inter-ethnic conflicts.

CAUSES OF CONFLICTS

Conflicts are caused by the following factors:
(i) Disagreements, struggle or quarrel over land ownership and other resources, and greed. Sometimes, people would want to own alone what belongs to all, embezzlement or mismanagement of public funds or common funds. All the above point to our needs. We should give attention to our needs, and those of other people to avoid conflicts.

Also, the way we look at issues our attitudes, opinions, beliefs, values, etc.- could cause conflicts. Differences in the above factors could degenerate it to conflicts. It is also said that power n into 'icates. Sometimes people over-use power; and this has led to conflicts in ri many parts of the world, i.e., because of d leaders who exhibit absolute authority, imposing and forcing people to do what e. is against their wish.

Sometimes, things like rumours, news, gossip, whether true or false, cause conflicts. People are made to either like or hate a person or a group Through these means, transferred or misplaced aggression, feelings of of people, negative behaviour a of inciting people against others or against a leader also cause conflicts, depending on their nature or degree.

Conclusion

Thank for reading to the end. I believe you have learnt something from the article and I will like to hear from you at the comment section.