Hello Friends and Supporters,

As 2024 begins, we are excited to welcome the next group of Teachers in Training who will be learning to advance the understanding-based model in classrooms, organizations, and companies worldwide. At the same time, a new group of seasoned conflict professionals prepares to meet monthly to explore how their inner experiences can help or hinder their work in the mediation room.

Amid news of global conflict, a divisive election season just beginning to heat up, and the ongoing challenges of bringing together parties in conflict, the new year brings many opportunities for professional development while bringing people together in the communities we serve. 

For those looking to enhance their conflict resolution skills, we have several programs beginning soon that help, from 40-hour basic training, matrimonial mediation on the East Coast to our Your Next Steps series in the summer and monthly interactive webinars to provide ongoing support; there is something for everyone in the coming year. 

Best regards,

James Dykeman

Executive Director

Board President Hansa Patel is an attorney, mediator, and teacher. As an attorney, Hansa zealously advocated for abused and neglected children or defended their parents’ rights in the San Francisco juvenile dependency court for fourteen years. Hansa is passionate about serving the underprivileged community. Feeling depleted by the court system, Hansa explored new ways to empower her clients to resolve conflict. Mediation empowers Hansa’s clients to choose how they want to engage with conflict, co-create resolutions, and even transform a relationship. In the USA, Canada, and Africa, Hansa teaches mediation, including integrating mindfulness skills into conflict resolution. Hansa wants her clients to have the same tools she cultivates in her children:  a mindful approach to resolving challenges in life.

Treasurer Juliana Yanez is a family law attorney in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Juliana started her legal career as a business litigator. Juliana transitioned into family law in order to help families navigate difficult transitions. Juliana also served as a registered Indiana domestic relations mediator where she mediated child custody disputes. She is also an active member of SF La Raza lawyers and also serves on the board of La Raza Centro Legal, San Francisco.

Thank you to all of our friends and supporters who helped the Center for Understanding in Conflict raise nearly $14,000 to help fund the future of understanding-based conflict resolution education. Funds raised will help expand accessibility, evaluate and adapt programming to meet the needs of diverse audiences and voices while working to ensure that we equip those who participate in our teaching and training programs to meet the complex demands of bringing together those in conflict across all sectors of our society, at home and abroad.

Star Wars and Conflict Resolution – A Galactic Journey into the Art of Peacemaking

In the vast universe of conflict resolution literature, Star Wars and Conflict Resolution by Noam Ebner and Jen Reynolds stands out as a unique and captivating exploration of the intersections between the iconic Star Wars saga and the principles of conflict resolution. As lightsabers clash and starships soar through the cosmos, Ebner and Reynolds skillfully weave a narrative that celebrates the epic space opera and delves deep into its potential for teaching valuable lessons about mediation, negotiation, and peacemaking.



The authors begin their journey by drawing parallels between the Force and conflict resolution techniques. They argue that certain universal principles bind conflict resolution methods just as the Force binds the galaxy together in Star Wars. From active listening to empathy and negotiation strategies to transformative mediation, “Star Wars and Conflict Resolution” successfully bridges the fictional and the practical, inviting readers to explore the forceful dynamics that shape conflicts in both galaxies.

Looking Back, Forging Ahead with Guest Gary J. Friedman

Gary Friedman, author, mediator, and co-founder of the Center for Understanding in Conflict, joins The Other Chair to talk about his impressions of how the field of conflict resolution and mediation has changed and the evolution of the understanding-based model and the nonprofit he founded to advance awareness and education of conflict resolution practice to bring together people in conflict in communities across the country and globally since 1982.

Our flagship experiential certificate training program centered around the Understanding-Based Model. 

Realistic simulations, in which participants work through mediations from beginning to end, with coaching from our teachers, offer participants the chance to hone their skills and experience the emotional challenges faced by parties in dispute. Participants describe these different learning modes and their interplay as enjoyable, engaging, and rewarding.

Online

Jan. 26 & 27 and Feb. 1 - 3, 2024

June 20 & 21, 26 - 28, 2024

West Coast

March 13 - 17, 2024

November 6 - 10, 2024

East Coast

April 25 - 27, 2024

May 29 & 30, June 5 & 6

Join the Center for Understanding in Conflict for a comprehensive 24-hour Basic Mediation Training covering basic theory and skills of understanding-based mediation in a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

This certificate program teaches individuals the basic theories and practical skills needed to help people in conflict. Participants will learn to deescalate unproductive arguments and conflict dynamics and guide parties and lawyers involved toward positive discussions and effective decision-making. The training also covers how law and lawyers play a part in mediation, preparing participants to mediate conflicts in various settings including private contexts, court-referred cases, and community disputes.

In this 24-hour program, adapted from our gold standard mediation training, you will learn how to support parties working through conflict or engaging in other important conversations in a different way. 

Join the Center for Understanding in Conflict for a comprehensive 16-hour Advanced Matrimonial Mediation Training which will:

• Teach participants relevant New York State matrimonial and family law.
• Teach advanced skills helpful to mediate divorces and family cases effectively rooted in the understanding-based model.
• Qualify as an advanced mediation course approved under Part 146.4(b)(2) of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge of New York State.
• Provide 16 hours of NYS CLE credits.
• Be combined with the 24-hour Basic Mediation Training Course to receive a 40-hour completion certificate.

As you work with all parties in the room, these foundational concepts underlie a different approach to conflict and our conflict resolution model. The six underlying concepts of the understanding-based approach are simple to grasp but challenging to implement when approaching diverse conflict scenarios.

Join Gary J. Friedman on Wednesday, January 10th, to learn about common challenges experienced when working through the concepts, along with tips and best practices for staying the course while adapting to evolving dynamics within the mediation room.

Conflict coaching helps individuals, groups, and organizations manage and resolve conflicts effectively by empowering participants to address and navigate disputes constructively. Join Hansa Patel and Danillo Alves on February 7th, 2024, to learn principles and practices, from the importance of maintaining impartiality and confidentiality to looping, cultural sensitivity, and how to give feedback and encourage self-reflection.

Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 12:00 PM - 1:30PM EST

The Understanding Model: What it is and What it is Not: An in-depth conversation with Gary Friedman, co-founder of the understanding model

Family and Divorce Mediation Council of Greater New York

ONLINE

The Center for Understanding in Conflict, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Learn how to support our efforts to bring together parties in conflict.