50 Activities for Conflict Resolution

Portrait of a Peacemaker

55

40 minutes

PURPOSE:

To examine the qualities of peacemakers, who avoid violence in favor of

resolving conflicts through peaceful means.

EQUIPMENT: Flipchart

MATERIALS: Pencils, paper; Handout: Comparison of Users of Violence with

Non-Users of Violence

PROCEDURE:

1. This activity is about “Peacemakers,” defined in Webster’s New World

Dictionary as “…persons who make peace by settling the disagreements of

others.”

2. Pass out the handout and ask participants to list in the left-hand column

several well-known figures who used violence to resolve conflict situations.

In the right-hand column, list other well-known people who used nonviolent

means.

3. Pair up participants and ask them to compare their lists and discuss their

selections. Then ask them to write down the qualities they see shared by the

various peacemakers.

4. After several minutes, reconvene the group and ask them to report on their

discussions. Use the flipchart to record the names of the people they selected,

and also the overall qualities they found common to the various peacemakers.

5. Ask participants to return to their partners and then join up with another

pair, forming groups of four. Perhaps the best way to explain their task is to

tell them to look for the person most likely to receive “The Peacemaker of the

Century” award (as if there is such an award). The assignment is to review

the flipchart responses and select the one person they feel most worthy to

represent the finest example of a Peacemaker.

6. Have the groups report out and lead a discussion using questions such as the

following:

• In the beginning of the activity, was it easier to think of those who are or

were known to use violence, or to think of the peacemakers?

• What does that tell you about our society in general?

• How might any course of events have been changed if those who promoted

violence had applied the same qualities and skills used by peacemakers?

50 Activities for Conflict Resolution

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DEBRIEF:

Everyday we learn about leaders and conflict. This activity gives us a chance to

look beyond the workplace and immediate conflict situations and explore the

qualities of successful peacemakers.

This topic is a complex one, and we have only touched the surface by discussing

the peacemakers and their qualities. It is important to recognize that in many

conflict situations, violence-prone parties often have a personal agenda in which

power is more important than resolution. Therefore, focus on peacemakers and

peacemaker characteristics in general, and learn as much as you can from them.

Portrait of a Peacemaker

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Handout

Comparison of Users of Violence to Non-Users of Violence

People known for their use of

violence

People known for making peace

without the use of violence