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CONFLICT AND OMAGH ESSAY Conflict is an inevitable occurrence that occurs throughout all woks of life and its effect expand far beyond the individual person and pose a significant impact on the wider community. Conflicts can be as small as a disagreement with friends or family or as big as a bombing or war. Conflict can be expressed as a fight or struggle due to a clash between people with opposing beliefs or interests. Conflict occurs in social settings and has a great impact on a persons daily life and the lives of those in the society.
Conflict is part of life of humans. It can be in various types such as racial conflicts such as in the Middle Eat, religious conflict, Bali Bombing and September 11, cultural or inner conflict. As seen in the movie Omagh, Peter Travis emphasises conflict and how people respond. The Real IRA were cowards and responded with bombing Omagh, whereas the Gallagher family especially Michael was seeking justice for their dead son Aiden without turning to violence, but conducting procedures through the right channel by communicating and being rational.
Conflict isn’t always bad or negative. It can bring people together both publically and privately together and people offer support to each other, for example in Omagh, the Omagh Self Help and Support Group was formed for the victims of the bombing. Conflict also brought out and unexpected quality from Michael. He stood up for his son which changed hi. He wasn’t scared to talk publically anymore. Wherever humans are, if people choose to respond to conflict without violence and anger, then a much greater conflict is avoidable.
Some people such as Mahatma Gandhi who avoided to respond to conflict with violence and aggressiveness tend to bring about a better future for their people. Gandhi was a man of peace. His values and principles of non-violence, faith and truth are still remembered today. He objected to violence because it appeared to do good, but the good is temporary and the evil it does is permanent and that violence, impatience and anger cannot do good in the long run. Another great person that avoided conflict even when he was unfairly treated was Nelson Mandela. He was a man great courage and tolerance.
He taught his followers to ‘adopt a peaceful course of action to avoid all violence’. Similar to Gandhi, he also rejected violence. In the 1950’s, Mandela was arrested and imprisoned for twenty-seven years. After that twenty-seven years of imprisonment, he would have seeked revenge but he didn’t, because he believed in avoiding conflict. Instead, he kept teaching peace and equality. Mandela led a life that symbolizes the triumph of human spirit. Latter in 1994, he led South Africa as President. It is people like Nelson Mandela that try and circumvent conflict even when a human is concerned.
Martin Luther King was and African American that tried to end racial discrimination, which is a hug issue n our society today. He fought and stood up equality amongst all people. He was inspired of Gandhi’s success with non-violent activism. He stood up for what was right. He didn’t respond with violence but just spoke out publically. Conflict is everywhere, it is how it is dealt with that matters. The three great men dealt with conflict by teaching good values and principles, and proves that violence is not the only way to resolve conflict.
Te Gallagher family encountered conflicts. When Michael was caught up with all the meetings , he was neglecting the family and there was no one to look after the family at home most of the times. In the film, it is depicted that Patsy, Michael’s wife was unable to cope with the loss of her son alone and her reluctance to participate or interfere in the argument that took place Cathy arrived. She accused her father of ‘always at a meeting’. The scene illustrates how family member’s individual expressions of grief and loss and subsequent needs become a source of family conflict.
People take conflicts too far is by terrorist attacks. Instead of decreasing conflict, they make it inevitable. One example of this is the September 11 attacks and the Bali Bombings and in Omagh the Real IRA. These extremists think that violence and claiming innocent individuals is the way of resolving conflict, but it makes it worse because violence can never be the answer of resolving conflict, it just makes it worse. People that are carrying out these attacks are cowards. They cannot face the situations rationally as did Michael Gallagher.
He was fighting for justice not revenge for Aiden. Conflict is part of life, but it is how people react and respond to it is what makes it inevitable. Some deal with conflict in a very calm and rational way like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. They stand up for what they believe in by just communicating and not violence like Michael Gallagher in the film, but there are some events such as September 11, Bali Bombing and Omagh Bombing bestows the world very less hope of resolving greater conflicts.
WRITTEN EXPLANATION In my expository essay, while considering the prompt and major terrorist attacks, I formed an opinion that it is true that whenever or wherever humans are concerned, conflict is inevitable but it is how people respond to it is what matters. People tend to respond with violence such as September 11 etc but make things worse whereas some rely on values and principles such as peace, patience, faith and hope that mostly tend t smooth things up a bit as did Gandhi, Mandela etc.
People searching for the truth seem to have a worthier cause like Michael Gallagher, than wanting to know why. My essay was intended to inform where humans sometimes stand in terms of conflict and how it can be approached and resolved and that it can be avoided if people take it the right way. The language and audience are towards the Year 12 students of MacKillop College Swan Hill. My essay draws on Omagh the film, September 11 attacks, a bit on Bali bombing, Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther which are events and people that relate to conflict really well.