One case commented:
“Before taking the CCMT course, I had no way to solve the problem. If I had an argument with someone I might not talk to her or him and perhaps stop having a relationship with them at all.”This peacebuilder also shared that before CCMT training, they tended to talk about conflicts to other people, but not address them with the party the conflict was actually with. After CCMT training, this person felt they possessed skills to help deal with the conflict directly with the person it was with (including intra-family conflicts). Empathetic listening and emotional regulation skills were also considered empowering for this transformation.
Additionally, two cases identified awareness of pre-judgments (their pre-judgments of their spouse, as well as their spouse’s pre-judgments of them) as a key skill.
It is worth noting at this point that one of the “external demands of life” mentioned by multiple cases was relationships with neighbors and extended family. When these relationships tended toward criticism, gossip, or neighbors bickering with their own spouses, it created strain on the marital relationships of the interviewed peacebuilders and could become a source of conflict.
“I believe that some of family conflict results from the external environment. For example, when we live next to the neighbor who always fight and argue, we gradually imitate it.”
“The modern society sometimes affects the way we are. This causes conflict as well.”
