Causes of Conflict

People often have different interests, needs and points of view. This can lead to disagreements (conflicts).

Unless conflicts are resolved they can lead to tension, violence and war.

There are many causes of conflict:

• Identity
  • Identity is the set of characterisitics that makes you who you are- they might include where you're from, your language, your religion and your culture
  • If groups of people have different identities it can lead to conflict. A common reason for conflict is the level of power and independence each group has- conflicts are often about political power and independence
  • Identity conflicts can be caused by nationalism, regionalism and localism. Nationalism is having a strong identity related to the country you're from. Regionalism refers to a regional identity and localism relates to a local indentity
• Ethnicity
  • Ethnicity is a part of identity. It can include things you're born with (e.g. nationality and race) as well as things that are passed down from one generation to the next (e.g. language, culture and religion)
  • Your ethnicity doesn't have to be the same as your nationality
  • Some people have a mixed family background and belong to more than one ethnic group
  • Ethnic conflict is conflict between ethnic groups. It can be the result of an ethnic group wanting more political power. Sometimes it can be the result of a belief that one ethnic group is superior to another
• Culture
  • Culture includes many things that relate to how you live your life, e.g. foods…