ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights that explanations of situations and events are often not sufficient for successful conflict management, conflict resolution and ultimately for conflict transformation. Rather, a better approach to these matters is to replace such explanations with sound understandings, using a number of prerequisites, causes and origins. From this, the chapter presents a framework of conflict transformation. Whilst the possibility of genuine understanding is a largely philosophical one and based on the ideals of a very particular tradition, it is nonetheless possible to explicitly test the above framework of conflict transformation on a more practical – intellectual – level. The approach presented here is inclusive of groups and individuals that are invariably excluded by contemporary perspectives and conflict resolution techniques because they are not understood or because knowledge of their motives, intentions and beliefs is lacking.
