Just like water, conflict infiltrates our lives at all levels. There is inter and intra conflict; there is group, community, country, and multi-nation conflict. There is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual conflict. There is physical conflict over water resources whether it is used for agriculture or saved for fish. There is emotional conflict over water resources whether it is an economic resource or an inherent right. There is mental conflict over water resources whether technological innovation will mitigate the impacts of climate change on the water cycle or do conditioned socioeconomic behaviors need to evolve. And do we perceive water only as a resource to be utilized or do we value and revere it as the source of life. Yet, water is always transforming, evolving, moving, flowing, and undulating.
“Conflict is normal in human relationships, and conflict is a motor of change” (John Paul Lederach, The Little Book of Conflict Transformation). Conflict is a very taxing experience physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Persistent conflict at any level changes human psychology invariably contributing to a focus on the quickest resolution of discomfort, anxiety, and pain. Subsequently, the bigger picture as to the origins of the conflict, how to use it as a catalyst for change, and how to prevent it in the future are often overlooked. More oft than not it is a natural case of fight or flight, negating the rationale mind. Concurrently, the degree of conflict within the individual is often reflected in the intensity of conflict in countries and between nation states. Just as the ocean is a compendium of water drops, civilization is a compilation of individuals. The willingness of individuals to be reflective and accountable to their own intrapersonal conflict the more apt they are to reflect on their contribution to the whole. When we as individuals cultivate greater awareness of our own conflict it becomes a transformative process that invariably ripples outwards altering interactions with family, friends, immediate community and global community.
From a personal perspective I have preferred to avoid conflict (intra and inter) because I wanted to be accepted, I did not want to make someone feel bad by countering their perspective, and inevitably emotions were involved. Emotions are inherently messy and personal; and I didn’t like to feel whether it was my own fear and pain or someone else’s. Consequently, I was always willing to yield my position, what resonated with my soul to avoid conflict. The more I reflect on this I realize that it was a disservice to myself and those involved to simply maintain the status quo; the potential to transform two lives was being missed. Like a boulder in the stream two perceptions can be derived either it is something to avoid or it is time to change course. The first is disempowering whereas the latter is empowering. When I own my conflict and resolve it at the lowest level I am more inclined to perceive conflict on a larger scale as an opportunity for constructive change.
It is interesting to observe that at an individual level I have afforded myself the opportunity to avoid conflict but on a global scale, there is only one Earth. Avoidance may buy some time but eventually climate change and the ensuing water crisis must be addressed. When I personally sidestep conflict that leaves me ill prepared physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually to address global conflict that cannot be circumnavigated. It is easy to negate personal responsibility, hell it is encouraged and praised in our culture. The childish antics of celebrities, politicians, sports athletes, and many unconscious individuals are hoisted on a pedestal of pop media glorification and foisted upon the collective social psyche as the norm. The ignorance is bliss, I’m the center of the world, me, me, me mentality only compounds the negative feedback loop of global capitalistic materialism which purports consumption to be the solution for all malaises. Real issues of racial, economic, and environmental disparity are ignored. The collective psyche is in an eddy continuously circling back missing the opportunity to change course and move forward with the flow of the river.
Fortunately, the predicament posed by climate change and the looming ecologic, social, and economic collapse is forcing humanity to make a choice. Either be accountable and resolve conflict at all levels or continue to ignore the obvious. The comfortable conditioned paradigm is no longer an option but rather an impediment to survival. The attributes of sustainability, conservation, collaboration, and community, once perceived as obstacles to progress, are more and more the foundation to the continued existence of life on Earth as we know it. The juxtaposition between the antiquated unviable way of resource exploitation and the evolving alternative of holistic integration is a conflict. Yet, this may be the greatest moment to ascertain the true capacity of humans to adapt. “Conflict transformation is to envision and respond to the ebb and flow of social conflict as life-giving opportunities for creating constructive change processes that reduce violence, increase justice in direct interaction and social structures, and respond to real-life problems in human relationships” (John Paul Lederach, The Little Book of Conflict Transformation).
Historically, large scale social conflict has been precipitated by an outside demographic that has physically demanded the collective take accountability for social distortion and change. The diversification and holistic transformation of the Forest Service in the 80’s was instigated by conflict between the “timber beasts,” often older white males and “ologists,” often younger ethnic women. The new demographic had to demand workplace change (sexual harassment lawsuits, positive workplace trainings, and sheer growth in numbers) often at a high cost of social cohesion, organization efficiency, and compromised feminine identification. The 60’s were another period characterized by large scale social conflict; racial, generational, economic, religious yet this uncomfortable tension ultimately contributed to the inclusion of more diverse perspectives in society. More recently, the gay rights movement demonstrates the transformative capacity of conflict to create inclusion. As more people embrace their homosexuality, the ripple effect is that it becomes more personal to those who are resistant. The evolving perceptions of homosexual rights demonstrates that the “human community and relationships are not static but ever dynamic, adapting, and changing” (John Paul Lederach, The Little Book of Conflict Transformation).
Water conflict and climate change are not limited to any social demographic or geographic area; they transcend all boundaries. The shear scale and implications of inaction for life on Earth demand a paradigm shift. “The narrowness of resolution approaches may solve problems but miss the greater potential for constructive change” (John Paul Lederach, The Little Book of Conflict Transformation). In order for massive global conscious evolution to be sustainable the transformational process must be manifest simultaneously at the grassroots level of individuals and intentionally integrated into the social fabric of community relations. That raises the question as to what psychological transition needs to be made in order to perceive conflict as other than an experience to be avoided. What as individuals do we need to acknowledge inwardly to more effectively leverage conflict as a transformative opportunity? How do we as conscious individuals approach and engage our community to perceive conflict otherwise?
The path of water often appears tortuous yet it always follows the path of least resistance. Conflict is taxing physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually yet great change is born from conflict when our perception changes. Water is always changing energy and matter. Conflict can be intense, verbally combative or it can result in win-win compromise. Water sculpts the Earth with canyons and paints the sky with clouds. Conflict molds culture and society; the enlightenment period, science and religion (Earth is round versus flat). Water evaporates, precipitates, and freezes. Conflict is chest thumping, passive aggressive, and acquiescence. Water rains, hails, snows, mists, and steams. Conflict is intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, nation, and multi-nation.
Reading the river is always easier in the light than in the dark, that which was hidden is revealed, and that which sounded terrifying becomes manageable. If we are willing to read between the obstacles of our own relationship to conflict, we empower creative impulse and recognize alternative perceptions. Conscious evolution is a choice, are we willing to change or are we entrenched in a perception that constrains us to repeating the same destructive behavior over and over. “Water is the driver of Nature” (Leonardo da Vinci). Let us follow the river, let it be the catalyst for our collective evolution.