Process

1. Stickman, Images and Storyboard: A Conflict resolution workshop Course:Inventions Spring 2012 Instructors:Nikolaos Mavridis  and Leonard Retel Helmrich By: CristóbalMartínezand Francis Sowani | Abstract Goals Background A conflict is defined as a situation in which actors use conflict behaviour against each other to attain incompatible goals and/or express their hostility. Most people, however, are not well educated on conflict, its complexity, and some fo the basic steps that can be taken towards its resolution. While differences are essential part of daily life, conflicts resolution at individual and small community levels are essential to achieve a civil level of living. This project provides a new platform for individuals in conflict to interact and explore each other through image, playing and reflection. Participants are guided through three stages that culminate into a storyboard of their conflict—with a beginning, and escalation and agreed feasible steps toward their conflict resolution. —This is all achieved through the interactive stickman workshop and with the help of the mediator. • Provide a system in which through playing and interacting, individuals construct and observe the development of a conflict resolution. • Help people in conflict to understand each other from different perspectives and hence increase possibility of participants to construct with the other instead of against the other. • Provide an alternative platform for people to have dialogues to solve ethnic, religious, political, cultural and personal conflicts Started as a simple toy: “Stickman” Developed into a big idea: Conflict Resolution Workshop • Creates a new space and method for communication between actors in a conflict. • Creates a new educational space for general skills of conflict resolution. • Allow actors in a conflict to create a new narrative outlining their own conflict and the possibilities for its solution. Sample Scenario: 3rd Stage Process 1 The workshop is divided into three stages 3 First Stage Here the current situation of the participants is observed. Participants get to experiment with the stickman and learn to create a storyboard. Participants are not forced to talk to each other or interact through the medium of dolls. 2 Friend 2 assures friend 1 everything is fine. Second Stage Here the discussion about conflict is started. Aims to understand terms as conflict behavior, incompatible goals, hostility and rational/irrational, coercive/non-coercive action. Also participants represent an imaginary conflict of two friends with the dolls. They apply learned terms about conflict theory in this imaginary conflict. Third Stage Here the participants look for points of connection and convergence(common interests). They represent their conflict in different ways as well as represent their own needs and alternative solutions. Ultimately, participants build the image of an ideal where their conflict is solved. They then cooperatively decide on the steps they need to take to achieve that ideal Representation of Conflict, friend 1 observing situation First step towards ideal, asking if everything is fine. 4 5 Friend 2 lookf for someone else Ideal Achieved: both friends being aware of each other and enjoying the party Conflict to Ideal The final product of the workshop is a story board of the conflict from its first representation to the ideal soution. The steps to reach this ideal are shown.. Each participant receives a copy of the story board for his/her own further reflection. It is and objective, visual view of the work of the participants. Acknowledgement and References Our sincere thanks to the following professors: Nikolaos Mavridis, Leonard Retel Helmrich P. J. Henry, Susanne Quadfland Anne Morning Literature Review: Bartos, Otomar J., and Paul ErnestWehr. UsingConflictTheory. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2002. 12+. Print. Eagly, Alice Hendrickson., Reuben M. Baron, V. Lee. Hamilton, and Herbert C. Kelman. "TheContribution of BicommunalContacts in Building a Civil Society in Cyprus." The Social Psychology of GroupIdentity and Social Conflict: Theory, Application, and Practice. Washington, DC: American PsychologicalAssociation, 2004. 193-211. Print. Future Work • The next steps of the project work are: • Look into the possibility of online flash animation and provide the workshop online and anonymously.. • To ensure the workshop is interactive, educational and fun. • To develop an online or physical version of the workshop for children.