EDUCATION IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION AS AN ELEMENT OF PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY IN TRANSITION OF LITHUANIA

1. EDUCATION IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION AS AN ELEMENT OF PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY IN TRANSITION OF LITHUANIA Prof. Juozas Lakis Vilnius, Lithuania lakis@mruni.lt +370 606 20 604

2. The theoretical frameworkof the paper is built on the key concepts of well known scientists: • Kurt Lewin (1943), Cultural Reconstruction and The Special Case of Germany • E.S.Glen(1981), Man and Mankind: Conflict and Communication between Cultures • Kamil Kozan(1997) Culture and Conflict Management: a Theoretical Framework • Morton Deutsch (1973, 1994,2000), Constructive Conflict Resolution: Principles, Training and Research

3. The possibility to transform political and civic patterns of activities • Kurt Lewin, a world known social psychologist and experimenter discussed the problems of future democratization of German society after expected clash of Nazis regime. • He stated, that real changes of cultural patterns are possible through participation, i.e. involving every individual in some democratic activities. • Elaborating this idea Lewin had written about the complexity of democratization process. When someone is going to transform one cultural aspect, he has to be conscious that there is a thousand and one other aspects of the same system, and all of them will be resistant to any changes.

4. Glen,s (1981) and Kozan,s (1997) models of conflict management Confrontational model: conflicts are governed by norms of fair play, mutual concessions and compromise Regulative model: beurocratic means are used extensively to minimize conflicts or to aid avoidance; direct confrontation and personal use of authority is minimized through extensive use of rules On the way of transition the regulative modelof problem solvingissubstituting by the confrontational model

5. M.Deutsch (1973,1994,2000)was developing theory of cooperation and competition, which “provides insight into the conditions that give rise to cooperative and competitive processes”

6. Assumption • Education in conflict resolution, and particularly with the respect to consensus-building techniques and collaborative interest-based approaches to conflict resolution, can play an important role in strengthening the culture of cooperation in public life

7. Conflict management and resolution Developing positive judicial and organizational environment for managing and solving conflicts Enhancing functionality, innovative and cultural potential of government and public organizations engaged in conflict solving Educating social players on problem solving, conflict resolution, and cooperation Conflict management priorities

8. Recalling K.Lewin it is unlikely to built democracy by lecturing every particular individual about democracy. The progress is possible by involvement social actors into democratic movements • Education in CR brings to people knowledge and skills how to deal with interest-based and identity-based differences and by experiencing solidarity, trust and mutuality

9. Several post-war generations of Lithuanian society rose in the spirit of ideological cliché “the united Soviet people” • Any public manifestation of conflict was impossible, those who tried to do so were at risk to be called as enemies of socialistic values • These generations now appeared far behind the orientations towards human commonality, trust, and cooperation with the others.

10. Lithuanian people used to address their disagreements and disputes to bureaucratic institutions, to courts or even to criminal gangs • They never have been trained how to express themselves in an unrestricted manner, how to compete in a civil way, and how to deal with conflicts

11. Educational field I • This brings on the list of the priorities the need to nurture a new approach to conflict resolution

12. II. Adopting alternative dispute resolution (ADR) • ADR is described as “non coercive processes which are alternatives to the formal legal or court system” (J.Scimecca, 1993) • There are known some formats of these processes: arbitration, conciliation, facilitation, fact-finding, negotiation, and mediation

13. Educational field III • Graduate Classes, postgraduate Seminars and Clinics aimed to develop competence in the field of CR • Qualifying professional mediators

14. The first projects introducing modern strategies of conflict resolution were implemented in Lithuania 15 years ago. Later some other projects were accomplished They have not brought an expected progress

15. Some experimental projects have been conducted lately to probe mediation as a way of conciliation in the courts • The code of judicial mediation was approved by the Council of Courts.

16. What is required at present, that is conflict resolution didactics as an integral part of education of all levels and forms

17. Actual conflict resolution may be found in some university programs and postgraduate studies The next stage will ensure developing classes and programs in law, social psychology, political science, public administration, and sociology

18. Some amendments with elements of dispute resolution and peace education may be incorporated into the curricula of primary and secondary schools • Also certificate programs have to be designed for professionals to meet their specific needs in conflict resolution skills

19. In Conclusion • Today two institutes are active in the field of CR: • The Universities and some NGO’s • But neither political parties nor business • We do not have CR services on the agenda of many public institutions, and on the service market