The triangle of violence

• The FORB Learning Platform’s short film ‘The Triangle of Violence’.
• A projector and screen or laptop or another device for showing the film(s).
• Pre-prepared flipchart sheets and markers for each group.
• Post-it notes in three different colours.

Find the film here on the website.

• Prepare flipchart sheets for each group with the diagram below.
• Prepare one or two illustrative examples of direct violence, structural violence and cultural violence from the participants’ context to help them understand these concepts.
• Test the equipment you will use to screen the film in the training room ahead of time.

Explain the following:

In most contexts FORB violations are linked to social conflicts. The triangle of violence is a very useful conflict analysis tool. In this exercise, we’re going to look at three different kinds of violence: direct violence, structural violence and cultural narratives of violence and use them to do our own FORB context analysis.

The advantage of this approach is that it helps us reflect on the potential ways in which we contribute to or accept structural violence and cultural narratives of violence. This is empowering because it means there is something we can do about it!

First, we’re going to watch a short 6-minute film together that explains these three different kinds of violence.

After showing the film, lead a brief plenary discussion to clarify key concepts by asking:

• Was there anything you didn’t fully understand or want to know more about?
• Was there anything you find challenging, or hard to accept?

Use the illustrative examples that you prepared earlier to help answer any questions from participants.

TIP! It’s important not to rush into the groupwork exercise without clarifying key concepts, otherwise participants might find the exercise overwhelming.

GROUPWORK (55 MIN)

Divide the participants into small groups and ask each group to appoint a spokesperson to present their findings to the plenary. Hand out the pre-prepared flipchart sheets, post-it notes in three different colours and marker pens to each group.

Tell the groups that their task is to brainstorm as many violations of FORB in their context as they can, starting with examples of direct violence. Tell participants to write examples of direct violence on a specific colour post-it notes and stick them to their diagram (Allow 15 min for this – less if direct violence is not common in your context).

Tell the groups to move on to brainstorming violations of FORB that are examples of structural violence. Ask them to write these on another specified colour of post-it note and stick them to their diagram (allow 20 min).

TIP! Remind participants of the gender dimension. Are there particular kinds of violation that affect women or men, or do violations have a different impact on women and men?

Finally, ask the groups to look over the FORB violations that they’ve identified on the direct and the structural levels of the triangle. Ask groups to discuss the following questions:

• What attitudes or justifications in people’s minds make these violations seem okay to some people in our community/country?
• How are those attitudes and justifications being transmitted and perpetuated?

Remind participants that these are the cultural narratives of violence. Ask them to write these on the third colour of post-it note and to stick them along the arrows on the diagram (allow 20 min).

TIP! Why not schedule a break or introduce an energiser at this point? The ‘Fistfight/Push and pull’ games work particularly well with this exercise.

PRESENTATIONS AND PLENARY DISCUSSION (50 MIN)

Invite each group to present their findings (up to 5 min/group). Ask group presenters to skip examples and points already made by groups before them, to avoid unnecessary repetition. Give each group a round of applause and congratulate them on their hard work.

Lead the plenary discussion with the following questions:

• Was it harder to think of examples of some kinds of violence than others?
• What don’t we know? Structural and cultural violence are often invisible to us! Do we know what the law says about freedom of religion or belief, or about how other groups are affected by violations? How can we find out?
• Have we thought about how men and women might be affected differently by structural or direct violence, or cultural narratives of violence?
• How do the different types of violence relate to one another?
• Are there any ways in which we contribute to supporting violence, through our attitudes, way of talking, actions or lack of action?
• Given the roles we have in the community as individuals or organisations, what kinds of violence can we contribute to reducing?

Thank everyone for their thoughtful contributions and say you hope they found the exercise helped them to deepen their understanding of FORB violations in their context, or perhaps view them in a different light. Mention any coming sessions in the training that will focus on action planning to tackle some of the issues highlighted.