Conflict Transformation in Zimbabwe: Elephant Conservation Analysis

This report delves into the application of conflict transformation principles to address the critical issue of African elephant conservation in Zimbabwe. It highlights the complex interplay of factors contributing to the decline of elephant populations, including illegal hunting driven by consumer demand and business interests, habitat loss, and human-elephant conflict. The report examines the socio-economic and ecological values of elephants, emphasizing their importance for tourism and the overall ecosystem. It explores the role of government policies, legal frameworks, and community-based initiatives, such as the CAMPFIRE program, in mitigating these challenges. The report suggests that conflict transformation offers a valuable framework for resolving disputes among stakeholders, including businesses, conservationists, and local communities, by fostering collaborative approaches and promoting sustainable practices to ensure the long-term survival of African elephants.

Conflict Transformation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Conflict transformation is referred as concept which is designed for reframing ways where
discussions regarding peace-building initiatives are made in respect of ethnic conflict (Dietrich,
2013). In traditional time, conflict management and conflict resolution has been used to manage
and resolve conflict. In current scenario, conflict transformation is used in addressing underlying
conditions that give rise to conflict and ensuring sustainable peace in advanced. With rise in
requirement of business and consumers, animals’ species is declining from country. Here, case
study of African elephant from Zimbabwe is taken in order to conserve and protect them.
Therefore, with help of conflict transformation this arise conflict will be resolved for protecting
elephants.
MAIN BODY
With rise in need and demand of consumers and businessman, there is difficulty in
managing and conserving animals. The case study of African Elephants has been taken from
Zimbabwe. People are focused towards survival of large mammals such as African Elephants for
their charismatic feature and role for nature and human (Lederach, 2015). African Elephants is
regarded as important for both consumptive and non-consumptive tourism. In between 1989 to
2006, 70% of African Elephants were hunted. As there is socio-economic and ecological value of
such elephants but still there are hunted illegally, human elephant conflict, illegal trafficking and
habitat loss. There are 352300 African Elephants in 18 nations which have indicated that 30%
has declined in past years (TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE AFRICAN ELEPHANTS
CONSERVATION IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT: A CASE STUDY OF ZIMBABWE, 2019).
Zimbabwe is regarded as second largest in terms of African Elephants after Botswana. The
existence of African Elephants helps respective country to provide benefits to landholders and
local communities. There are various drivers and illegal hunting of wildlife conservation in
different places of Zimbabwe. With rise in poverty level, there is also increase in wildlife crimes,
illegal hunting and use of snaring, poisons and firearms that create impacts on carnivores and
vultures. If such activities remain continues then in coming years there will be no any African
Elephants in world. It is very important for business and consumer to make plan, policies and
strategies for conserving African Elephants from world.
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This is very significant for all countries to save African Elephants in order to increase
tourism as it is part of nature which reflects beauty of nations. Here, Zimbabwe need to adopt
and robust laws for enforcement for protecting African Elephants through developing partnership
and collaborative arrangements with their landholders and communities. There is First Line of
Defense against illegal wildlife trade. Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous
Resource (CAMPFIRE) is carried between 2016 and 2018 by Zimbabwe government in
conjunction with Union of European in order to create opportunity for strengthening community
for conserving African Elephants. There is high conflict for African Elephants conservation
outside protected areas. This all arises because of difference in review regarding choices of
management and decisions about conversation.
There is discussion among stakeholder where some are against hunting and some are
supporting it. Due to this management made implication of wildlife polices for conservation of
animals species (Miller and et. Al., 2012). In order to conserve animal species of African
Elephants it is responsibility of government to make rules and regulation. As there are various
benefits which business receive from African Elephants such as tooth of elephant is very costly
which is used for making different product such as ring, bag and others. Similarly, tail of African
Elephants is used for making bracelets for people. Both tooth and tail of elephants is costly
where individual doing business related with animal can earn maximum profits from it. In other
hands, it is the beauty of our nations which helps to attract large number of tourist to visit place
and increase economic growth of particular country. This creates conflict among both parties for
conservation of African Elephants in world. In this case conflict transformation can be used to
resolve such arise conflict from market. Government of Zimbabwe is very strong in case of
preserving and conserving African Elephants. There are some legal rules and regulation made for
animal species where individual is not allowed to kill or hunt animals for their commercial or
personal welfare. The conflict transformation is totally new concept in market where
management and resolution are part of it. They conflict solution maker need to make proper
strategies, plans and policies for their wildlife conservation. With help of government and legal
laws it can be made possible. The individual breaking any laws, rules and regulation made for
conservation of animals should be punished. They can impose penalty and fine both for hunting
or killing any African Elephants.
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In regard to businessman dealing in elephant’s importing and exporting and performing
their business activities should be controlled and checked (Paffenholz, 2014). There are various
principles of conflict transformation which can be used for resolving conflict. There is
controversy among businessman regarding killing of African Elephants for their benefits. With
help of conflict transformation, government can help them and provide usefulness of such
animals for nations. They can make rules where they can kill only one elephants in a year for
their commercial purpose. This can be appropriate solution for both government and
businessman to get profits and less extinction of African Elephants from world. In order to
follow such rule, agreement should be made with government agency that is conserving African
Elephants. All issues related with business and government are solved through conflict
transformation in order to get appropriate solution for arise problem (Pluut and Curşeu, 2013).
The conservation of animal species is important topic in today’s scenario because of killing of
more number of animals. Zimbabwe is known for tourist destination because of African
Elephants which should be preserved and conserved by respective government for increasing
tourist, visitors in order to enhance economic of the country.
Conflict management should not be isolated for managing or resolving but it need to
party of society for ongoing development and evolution (Schilling-Vacaflor and Flemmer, 2015).
This helps in finding root cause for arise issue and provide appropriate solution in order to
achieve their goals and objectives. Though it is long term and complex process which requires
proper interaction and sustained engagement. It is not just an approach but regarded as collection
of techniques in order to think and understand conflict and provide appropriate solution to arise
problems. It is opposed to violent expression of conflict to get solution of problems. This solves
problems of all levels such as micro, meso, macro, local and global. The main objective of
conflict resolution is to find root cause of problems and give best solution to it. Therefore, it is
very important for Zimbabwe to solve instant issues of African Elephants which are diminishing
from world in order to increase beauty of nation in effective and efficient manner (Schilling-
Vacaflor and Flemmer, 2015).
CONCLUSION
From above report, it can be concluded that conflict transformation helps in achievement of
goal and objectives of organisation. There are various issues arising in conserving and protecting
African Elephants in Zimbabwe which are solved through conflict transformation. The
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government of Zimbabwe has set some policies, rules and regulation for those who kills or hunt
animals for their benefits. There is more business use of African Elephants for making product
and selling at high cost. Therefore, with helps of such plan and policies, African Elephants can
be saved, preserved, conserved which can help to increase economic and number of tourists.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dietrich, W., 2013. Elicitive conflict transformation and the transrational shift in peace politics.
Springer.
Lederach, J., 2015. Little book of conflict transformation: clear articulation of the guiding
principles by a pioneer in the field. Simon and Schuster.
Miller, R. L. and et. Al., 2012. Conflict transformation, stigma, and HIV-preventive structural
change. American Journal of Community Psychology. 49(3-4). pp.378-392.
Paffenholz, T., 2014. International peacebuilding goes local: analysing Lederach's conflict
transformation theory and its ambivalent encounter with 20 years of practice.
Peacebuilding. 2(1). pp.11-27.
Pluut, H. and Curşeu, P. L., 2013. Perceptions of intragroup conflict: The effect of coping
strategies on conflict transformation and escalation. Group Processes & Intergroup
Relations. 16(4). pp.412-425.
Schilling-Vacaflor, A. and Flemmer, R., 2015. Conflict transformation through prior
consultation? Lessons from Peru. Journal of Latin American Studies. 47(4). pp.811-839.
Senehi, J., 2015. The role of constructive, transcultural storytelling in ethnopolitical conflict
transformation in Northern Ireland. Regional and ethnic conflicts: perspectives from the
front lines, pp.227-38.
Online
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE AFRICAN ELEPHANTS CONSERVATION IN A CHANGING
ENVIRONMENT: A CASE STUDY OF ZIMBABWE. 2019. [Online]. Available through: <
http://www.illegalwildlifetrade.net/2019/04/12/towards-sustainable-african-elephant-
conservation-in-a-changing-environment-a-case-study-of-zimbabwe/>.
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