Addressing deep-rooted conflict: guidelines harvested from the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Republic of Ireland

• Main Author: Jerke, Megan Jeanne
• Other Authors: Maloney, Maureen
• Language: English; en
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: deep-rooted conflict; Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation; Republic of Ireland; dynamic systems thinking; chaos theory; interest-based mediation; transformative conflict resolution; case study; UVic Subject Index::Humanities and Social Sciences::Social Sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1828/1015

This exploratory qualitative case study provides a description of the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation’s practice in addressing deep-rooted conflict, from the Republic of Ireland. This research grew out of practical problems from the field of conflict resolution in Canada, in particular interest-based mediation, in addressing deep-rooted conflict. Using an extended epistemology, data is harvested from praxis to create naturalistic generalizations: guidelines for addressing deep-rooted conflict. The research findings are the result of a synthesis of three data sources: interviews with facilitators from Glencree, textual data, and nearly five months of onsite observation. The main themes derived from the research include: Glencree’s Diverse Practice; Glencree’s Approach to Conflict; Glencree’s Identity; Glencree’s Approach to Deep-Rooted Conflict; and Implementing Glencree’s Approach. This study is intended as a snapshot in time of a set of dynamic and emergent ideas addressing conflict in practice. Through an inductive research design, findings from praxis are related to theory from the field of conflict resolution. In addition, implications for addressing deep-rooted conflict are identified, including Glencree’s emphasis on the need for flexibility as a characteristic for conflict work, and an underlying worldview incorporating aspects of dynamic systems theory and chaos theory.