ABSTRACT
In all societies, irrespective of their system of organization, or location in time and space, there are three basic modes by which conflicts are handled. These are; violence and coercion, various forms of bargaining and negotiations, and the intervention of a third party. Knowledge of the many roles and functions that third parties provide and the factors that contribute to their effectiveness can be, and hopefully will be, instrumental in promoting the values of peace, balance and conflict resolutions. The conception identifying conflict with violent interactions in which behavior and perceptions are in opposition has remained a basic conception in conflict studies. Conflict management is often confused with conflict prevention or conflict control. This is a regrettable confusion. To suggest that conflicts can be managed implies that conflicts are dynamic social processes, moving from an incipient, latent stage, to maturity and termination. One basic distinction between types of conflict management concerns the distinction between endogenous and exogenous conflict management.
