DEFINITIONS:
By simple definition, the term ’’conflict’’ simply refers to a disagreement between individual or groups.
To take a definition from Coser- ‘’The struggle over values or claims to status, power and scarce resources , in which the aims of the groups or individuals involved are not only to obtain the desired values but to neutralize , injure or eliminate rivals’’.
Another definition by Laue-‘’Escalated competition between two or more parties each of which aims to gain advantage of some kind –power, resources, interests, values. At least one of the parties believes that the conflict is over a set of mutually incompatible goals.
The above readily suggests that there are as many definitions as there are people who attempt to define the term. The above definitions are not radically different from one another. A common strand runs through the different definitions. All of them explain conflict as a process of disagreement between individuals or groups. The definitions present conflict as emanating from differences in goals. A roomful of people , each holding one of these definitions , would therefore, understand each other.
A major impression created by some of these definitions is that people are in conflict because they have incompatible goals. They are in conflict because the interacting entities face the problem of ‘’diversity’’ and because they belong to different groups.
The logical thinking here is that where people are different , they are bound to misunderstand each other. It should be noted, however, that diversity does not lead to conflict but only when it is politized. This is why Lund, defines conflict as ‘’when two or more parties perceive that their interest are incompatible , express hostile attitudes or pursue their interests through actions that damage the other parties. Those parties may be individuals, small or large groups, and countries’’.
In other words, human perception of reality is very vital in the understanding of a conflict situation. Many of us probably in conflict with others wrongly. What we perceive to be problems are often not the problem but something else.
Conflicts are not peculiar to Nigeria alone, rather it is global. For example , the breakdown of communist system of government in the former Soviet Union was accompanied by an unprecedented rise in nationalism and separatist violence , not only in Russia but also former Eastern Europe .
Issues of diversity and conflict were suppressed in this part of the world before the 1980s and the politics of the Cold War unites ‘’everybody’’ . With the end of the Cold War, group interests , which were hitherto suppressed blew into the open, thus leading to different forms of violent eruptions.
DIVERSITY , CONFLICTS AND MEDIA
Diversity is a social science concept. The social scientists in Nigeria are well familiar with the concept of conflict’’. So also , they are familiar with the concepts of ’’pluralism’’ or ‘’multipluralism’’. The three concepts are almost the same.
By the dictionary definition, Diversity means ‘’the state of being diverse, variety’’. We tend to always refer to Nigeria having diverse tribes but all living together as a nation. ‘’Diversity’’ is to ‘’pluralism’’ or ‘’multiculturalism’’ what ‘’six’’ is to ‘’half-a dozen’’
Building a new World of peace requires that conflict management experts and media people /scholars interact more actively.
At present, Nigeria is undergoing a serious trying time. Communal conflicts are on the prowl and we have them here and there without any part of the country spared.
Gombe, Benue , Ebonyi, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Bayelsa and Edo States have one time or the other engulfed in conflicts for a reason(s) or the other. This is without prejudice to the incessant kidnappings, brutal killings, and many other uprisings.
A report by Nextier SDP indicates that in the 12 months to September 2021, communal clashes accounted for 14 out of the 800 conflict incidents and 80 out of the 3,787 casualties!!!
During this period , there were communal conflicts in eight States. Ebonyi and Osun States reported three incidents, Benue and Gombe States had two incidents, while the other four States=Kwara, Niger, Bayelsa and Edo had one incident each.
Ebonyi with 30 causalities, accounted for 47 percent of the reported deaths. Osun , Kwara and Bayelsa States accounted for another 43 per cent of the death.
Of recent, precisely January 2024, a renewed hostility broke out between neighbours –Ifon and Ilobu towns in Osun State. Two casualties have been recorded ,while the State government had imposed a dusk to dawn curfew as a temporary measure to douse the tension while investigations are on going .
This constant but serious misunderstanding that leads to snuffing lives out of fellow human beings should not be allowed to continue unabated. The governments(Federal and States concerned) Stakeholders and political actors where applicable should make it a priority to bring a lasting peace in all these communities
POINTERS
Members of the public comment freely and react according to what they see or hear or read. The media is seen by the public as a vanguard of accurate and ‘’on the scene’’ reporters of events. The media is assumed to have all the facts and cannot be wrong in what is reported. Thus, people tend to depend absolutely on the media for their information.
It is therefore common to see people swearing by the media in their desperate attempt to give legitimacy to their claims on any issue.
In the same vein, the media ‘’arrogate’’ a good knowledge of the kind of society we all live in ; the stage of development we have attained; who and which groups are responsible for the retardation of the growth of the country or a particular society-for instance, which groups are trying to restore sanity to the society and what some other groups are doing towards ensuring ‘’nothing works’’.
All these reports exert much influence on he people and determines their subsequent responses. Ethnic, religious and political entrepreneurs, often capitalize on situations like this to meet their interests.
What readers of newspapers, television viewers and social media influencers , sometimes see , is not the real issues in the ethnic and religious diversities, or social conflicts but media versions of them as dictated by the elites in the society.
Selective reporting, common prejudicial stereotypes about groups, responding to statements or vituperative of politicians, demonization of certain ethnic, religious or political groups in an already divided society must all be avoided as panacea.
THE MEDIA
The media, government, and stakeholders in areas concerned, can douse the tension of these conflicts to bring a lasting solution to this incubus. The media are good agents of sustainable human development; until we find a sustainable solution to all these problems, violent conflicts will continue to be antithetical to the objectives of sustainable human development.
Every word written or spoken by the media is a potential machete , bullet or bomb in the hands of victims and violence perpetrators.
The economic activities where violent conflicts persist are drastically affected. Lives are insecure and people are always afraid what may happen to them or their wards in the next minute. Some even booted out of their place of origin to look for shelter elsewhere!!
The media can deal constructively with the issues of diversity and conflict through what Professor Galtung described as’’ peace journalism’’. This focuses on conflict transformation. Peace journalism presents conflicts as a challenge to humanity , the problem must be creatively dealt with.What it does is to remind the rest of the society , that in conflict , there is also a clear opportunity for human progress and that conflict could be used to find new ways for development of our society.
By- Idowu Tunde
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
The Interviews Nigeria