It is possible to criticize without attacking others. In this week’s column on hate messages, Chartier Niyungeko, an expert in peaceful conflict resolution, outlines non-violent ways to expose and tackle issues, not individuals.
“When we analyze the problem, we are not going to go after the people involved in the situation first, but rather we go after the situation itself,” he explains.l.
When you find yourself in a conflictual situation or one that pits two groups against each other, the best approach to finding lasting solutions is to analyze the situation to understand the root of the problem. According to the expert Niyungeko, by seeking to understand the problem, one begins a process of questioning which leads the person who criticizes to discover
“When we analyze a problem, we don’t go after the people involved in the situation first, but rather we go after the situation itself,” he explains. Going after individuals delays or falsifies possible solutions
Some do it on purpose
There are several reasons that lead people to attack the sources of the problems rather than the individuals. The first reason is ignorance, Niyungeko said. He explains that when one is ignorant, one does not know what to do. The second reason he gives is the lack of experience and skill in handling conflict situations.
But, apart from all these reasons, there are some who do it on purpose, says the expert. He says that often it is to provoke them or to show them that they have the power or that they can do better than them.
Attacking individuals rather than problems: a danger
Attacking individuals to denounce a situation is dangerous, especially in a post-conflict society, Niyungeko said. He explains that this risks triggering open conflicts while the wounds have not yet healed.
Living in a situation that pushes to criticize, to denounce, it’s normal every time we are with more than one person. But be aware that by attacking the stakeholders, we will not solve any problem because often the individuals involved are only the foliage of the problem and the roots are elsewhere.
Beyond all this, publicly attacking individuals because of a problem that haunts society is not without danger. They become the main targets of those who choose violent means to try to solve a problem.
The expert in peaceful conflict resolution suggests: “Differentiating between the problems of the individuals involved in these problems, must be a daily exercise”.
