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Hello Friends and Supporters,
This July, we’re inviting you to rethink conflict — not as something to avoid, but as something to understand.
Our new training, Introduction to Understanding Workplace Conflict, is designed to help you slow down, see more clearly what’s beneath the surface, and engage in a more effective and human-centered way. It’s ideal for professionals across roles who want to handle workplace tension with greater clarity and skill. We're also gearing up for the Support and Development Group and the Navigating Difficult Conversations series — opportunities to deepen your practice and connect with a community of peers committed to this work.
Plus, don’t miss the latest episode of The Other Chair featuring bestselling author and journalist Amanda Ripley. In “The Right Fight,” Amanda shares her compelling insights into how conflict traps us — and how we can find our way out. Her stories from divided communities and disaster zones remind us that, with the right support, even our hardest conversations can lead to transformation.
This is your moment to learn, reflect, and reconnect — with your work, your values, and your capacity to meet conflict with understanding.
In partnership,
James Dykeman
Executive Director
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ANNOUNCING AN INTRODUCTION TO
UNDERSTANDING WORKPLACE CONFLICT
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Workplace conflict often stems not from what is said, but from what goes unspoken. This training helps participants move beyond surface-level fixes and into the heart of what drives conflict. You’ll learn to slow down, understand what’s really happening – for yourself and others – and engage more effectively with the people and systems around you.
This training is designed for professionals at all levels who are ready to engage workplace conflict in a more effective and human-centered way. Whether you’re in leadership, support, or team-based roles, this course delivers practical value you can apply immediately and build on over time.
| | EXPLORE THE EVOLUTION OF UNDERSTANDING | |
From Courtrooms to Communities - A Journey Toward Understanding
Not long ago, conflict resolution lived mostly in courtrooms. When problems flared – in business deals, families, or neighborhood disputes – the default response was often legal action. Mediation emerged as a quieter alternative, inviting people to sit down, talk, and – most importantly – listen. This wasn’t just a procedural shift. It was a philosophical one. Mediation suggested that people didn’t always need someone else to decide for them.
With the right support, they could face conflict head-on and reach their own resolution. For many, this was the beginning of a new way to think about disagreement – not as something to win or avoid, but as something to understand.
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Resolving Identity-based Conflict in Nations, Organizations, and Communities by Jay Rothman
Jay Rothman’s Resolving Identity-Based Conflict in Nations, Organizations, and Communities offers a deeply thoughtful and human-centered exploration of conflict rooted in identity. For practitioners of the understanding-based approach, this book is both familiar and expansive. It speaks directly to the core belief that when people in conflict are given the space to genuinely see and be seen, something transformative becomes possible.
| | LISTEN IN ON THE OTHER CHAIR | | |
The Right Fight:
Rethinking Conflict
with Guest Amanda Ripley
In this episode of the Other Chair, guest Amanda Ripley, New York Times bestselling author, investigative journalist, and co-founder of Good Conflict, explores how conflict can be not just managed, but transformed. She shares what she’s learned about how conflict traps us - and more importantly, how we can find a way out.
Amanda’s reporting and writing have taken her from courtrooms and disaster zones to schools and divided communities.
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EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING PROGRAMS
CENTERED IN THE UNDERSTANDING-BASED MODEL
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Support and Development Group
September 11 - January 8, 2026
8AM - 5PM Pacific
Offered twice per year, the Support and Development Group is a collaborative learning environment designed for professionals who have completed the Center’s basic training and seek to deepen their understanding and application of the understanding-based model.
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Mediation Lab:
From Training to Practice
October 3 - 4, 2025
8AM - 4PM Pacific
In this dynamic workshop, you’ll follow one continuous mediation case from intake to resolution. At every stage, our experienced instructors will guide you through the evolving process, demonstrating key techniques and then coaching you as you step into structured role plays using the same case.
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Series – Navigating Difficult Conversations
October 9 - 23, 2025
12PM - 2PM Pacific
Through short lectures, guided reflections, group dialogue, and real-life role play, you’ll gain practical tools and insights to approach conflict differently. You’ll also explore your own reactions to conflict, work with allies, and practice core communication techniques like looping and checking for understanding.
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40-Hour Mediation and Conflict Resolution Skills Training (West Coast)
November 5 - 9, 2025
In this gold standard 40-hour mediation training, learn how to support parties working through conflict or engaging in other important conversations in a different way. Our Understanding-Based model focuses on guiding parties to make knowing and informed choices together in a respectful manner.
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2026 SCPI Retreat: Conflict and Compassion (MEXICO)
January 24 - January 31, 2026
Offered through the Self-Reflection for Conflict Professionals Intensive (SCPI), this retreat invites you to step away from the demands of daily life and into a setting of deep reflection and learning. Together, we’ll explore how our emotional responses to conflict shape our work and relationships—and how, by turning toward these emotions with curiosity and care, we can cultivate greater clarity, resilience, and compassion.
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When Progress Stops: Navigating Impasse in Conflict Resolution
July 24, 2025, 12PM - 1PM Pacific
Every conflict resolution professional has been there – the moment when progress grinds to a halt and parties seem hopelessly deadlocked. In this interactive 1-hour webinar, you’ll discover why impasse occurs and learn practical strategies to transform these challenging moments into opportunities for breakthrough.
| | A PROGRAM RECORDING JUST FOR YOU! | | |
Finding Value in Conflict: Navigating Workplace Mediation
Join us for a stimulating and informative roundtable discussion featuring industry leader insights from three of the world’s most advanced technology firms: Intel, Roche, and SAP. Panelists discuss how the Understanding-Based Approach to Conflict has helped address human resource challenges while increasing Return on Investment (ROI) in people management systems.
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