I wish bargaining was always as fun as in Morocco or Egypt when you are
doing some shopping in the souks. I have still this memory of my trip in Egypt
when I was little; my father tried to bargain in a souk, but at the end, the
vendor was too good. Tourists seem to not have enough practice; maybe because
haggling is specific to some countries, such as in Latin America, Africa and
Asia. There, bargaining in street markets is expected and if you don't, you'll
actually offend the vendor. It's considered as an art. However, there is a
whole ritual to follow. In fact, all over the Internet you can find tips to
improve your haggling strategy, but when you are not used to it, it can be
quite challenging.
Bargaining in street markets in North America or in Europe is considered
as inappropriate, but that actually doesn't mean that occidental people do not
bargain on a regular basis. Buying a new car or negotiating a job offer are
examples of bargaining situations. As I’ll graduate this summer, I will soon
jump in this scary world full of sharks, where bargaining may play a valuable
role if I want to survive and get my dream job. So, what are you best tips for bargaining?
Imagine you get a cold, because you don’t treat
yourself, your cold turns into flu. Flu is contagious; therefore, you are now
contaminating your surroundings. As a result, a good advice is to treat your
cold before it gets worse. Conflicts are like epidemic. If you don’t deal with
them at an early stage, they would probably become more damaging. Nevertheless,
this example concerns only your daily life. Thus, now, imagine you are living
in a country infected by conflicts like in Darfur. Conflicts can take bigger
proportions if they are not taking care of. The United Nations have understood
this issue. Therefore, a few years ago, the international organization has
established Peacekeeping Operations in order to promote peace in countries
devastated by conflicts.
Many celebrities, such as George Clooney, have joined the
movement in order to make people aware of the value of peace and the work of
the UN Peacekeepers.
Many celebrities, such as George Clooney, have joined the
movement in order to make people aware of the value of peace and the work of
the UN Peacekeepers. However, as George Clooney says it in the video,
"peace is certainly more than a celebrity endorsement". That is why,
in order to find a way from conflict into peace, UN Peacekeeping has highlighted
3 basic principles:
- Consent of the parties;
- Impartiality - Non-use of force except in self-defense and defense
of the mandate.[1]
These three basic rules could, actually, be applied by
everyone on a daily basis. Of course, they have to be adapted to the situation.
We do not really defend a mandate, but we certainly can reduce the amount of unnecessary
conflicts. As a result, don't you believe that individuals should try to
establish peace in their daily life; and then, maybe fewer countries would be torn
by conflicts? The epidemic wouldn't spread anymore…
