This activity focuses on introducing young people to the ‘onion model’ of conflict analysis. It will help individuals understand how to use the model in analysing conflict. The conflict onion will introduce critical thinking and a better understanding of the difference between positions, interests and needs in a conflict.
What you will need:
- Conflict cards
- Paper and pens
- Flipchart paper and marker pens
- Images of fruit and vegetables
Before you start
- Prepare a poster with two onions on it, clearly showing three different layers by drawing a small circle, a
bigger one around it, and a bigger one around this. - Copy and cut out the conflict cards and the images. You can copy the images twice to have enough. You can
also come up with other examples of conflict situations that better fit your context. - Read the explanation of the onion model so that you are ready to explain it to the group.
What to do:
Divide the group into 2-4 small groups and give each group one conflict card
Ask the participants to think about the history of the conflict on their card, what might have caused it? Can you think about where both sides are coming from? What is the reason for the conflict? Get them to write there answers on the paper.
Collect all the answers together.
Then get the groups to discuss how the conflict may continue? How could the conflict be resolved?
Get each group to present there ideas and create a discussion around their answers. Ask the young people: Can it be resolved just like that?
Explain that conflict are built on history and there are many reasons behind a conflict. resolution is a process rather than a one-step solution.
Spread the fruit and vegetable pictures on the floor around the room. Get the young people to walk around, when you call stop they should stand next to the fruit or vegetable they like the most. Then do the same but with the one they like the least. Do one last round where they should stand next to the fruit or vegetable that best describes conflict to them.
Start a discussion where you ask them why they chose their answer- the explanation can be as ridiculous as they want.
Show them the poster of the two onions and explain how they will be focusing on ‘conflict onions’. Ask how onions can be represent conflict. Go on to explain the onion model for conflict analysis.
Get everyone back into their groups and distribute the previous answers so that they get different answers from the ones they wrote. Think about the onion: what are their positions, interests and needs? Ask them to draw two of their ideas into the different layers of their own two onions
Come back together and share your ideas with the group’ results.
Discussion Questions
- How did you find this exercise? Was it difficult?
- What do you think about this onion model? How can it help when it comes to real conflicts?
- Are the positions, interests and needs of one person often different from others?
- What happens if you don’t know the interests and needs of the others in a conflict?
- What can you do to find out about the layers of the onions in a conflict?
- Can you try to think of an example from your life about a conflict and use the onion model to analyse it?
Take it further
If you liked this activity why not have a try at How to treat each other or Fly your message to dive deeper into ideas around peace.
This activity is from IFM-SEI Peace Education Handbook