SYNOPTICS, part X: application of the synoptics model for the social analysis of states: Colombia (1991) and Nigeria (1992)

Synoptics - a method to diagnose and consult in socio-political conflict situations - is here used to describe and analyse the two conflict situations on the level of states in Colombia 1991 and Nigeria 1992. Several conflict scenarios are described to understand better the political micro, meso and macro scenes. The following case studies are developed along some of the main questions for synoptics social analysis with regard to diagnosing socio-political events: 1) description of focus event; 2) general description of the embedding sovereign social system; 3) description of the agents of the focus event; 4) location of focus event with regard to the level of social systems; 5) 'C'-analysis of the process of the focus event ('C' = common Challenge, and describing the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Omega spaces within the social system; 6) gestalt/general pattern of the conflict, and considerations with respect to the future.