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Among the Karimojong, a preliterate tribe residing in northeast Uganda, interpersonal conflict tends to be harsh, bloody, violent, and often results in serious injury. Intra-group conflict resolution practices in this remote community were analyzed through interpersonal conflict stories. Virtually all of the thirty-one stories of violent conflict described here achieve complete reconciliation and full restoration of relationships. The system of conflict resolution so effectively employed among the Karimojong illustrates the place of reconciliation described by Lederach where truth and mercy, justice and peace meet. While Lederach utilizes the concept of reconciliation to discuss intra- and inter-state conflict, the current manuscript illustrates how the paradoxical qualities of truth and mercy, justice and peace are practically employed to effectively resolve situations of extremely difficult interpersonal conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past three decades, the once-adaptive practice of "taking by force" (cattle raiding) by pastoralist tribes in Northern Uganda has been transformed into a violent, ongoing intractable conflict within the tribes that threatens to destroy the Karimojong people and their way of life. This article suggests that in addition to the typical sources of intractable conflict, a massive influx of automatic weapons not only created instability in the community but also led to a shift in cultural norms. Several cultural norms now perpetuate the conflict, leading to increased intractability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the current conflict research concerning collectivism and conflict response styles has been done using quantitative survey measures among educated groups in Asia, Western Europe or the United States. The current project utilized qualitative methods to investigate conflict response styles among literate and non-literate individuals in Karamoja, Uganda. Differing patterns of conflict response were evident among the literate and non-literate groups. Initial conflict response styles among the non-literate people generally included dominating and competing a finding that contradicts much of the conflict literature which predicts avoiding or accommodating response styles among collectivist cultures. Results indicate that conflict responses oriented toward saving the face of the other may be influenced by several factors in addition to collectivism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]