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Hello Friends and Supporters,
Conflict is an inevitable part of life, yet how we choose to engage with it makes all the difference. At the Center for Understanding in Conflict, we believe that conflict holds the potential for transformation—when approached with curiosity, openness, and a commitment to understanding. Whether you are working to build a mediation practice, navigating difficult conversations in your personal or professional life, or seeking new ways to support others in conflict, the journey is both challenging and deeply rewarding.
This month, we explore the complexities of conflict resolution from multiple perspectives. From practical insights on building a mediation practice to discussions on community mediation and the evolving role of ombuds programs, we highlight the many ways people are engaging with conflict in meaningful and impactful ways. We also invite you to deepen your learning through our upcoming trainings, webinars, and resources designed to support those who seek to transform conflict into opportunity.
Wherever you are on your path, we encourage you to continue exploring, learning, and challenging the ways we understand and navigate conflict—both for ourselves and for those we serve.
In partnership,
James Dykeman
Executive Director
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ANNOUNCING YOUR NEXT STEPS 2025! | |
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Have you completed a conflict resolution training and want to integrate consensual dispute resolution into your work or start a new practice?
This annual interactive three-part series will help you assess your goals, identify challenges, and create a concrete action plan to move forward. Designed for those eager to incorporate the Understanding-Based Model but unsure of the next steps, the series includes practical exercises, structured support, and strategies for bringing in clients.
Sessions take place via Zoom on May 16, June 13, and July 11, 2025. The full program fee is $300, and participants are encouraged to attend all three sessions. Register now to take the next step in your conflict resolution journey!
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The Challenges and Rewards of Building a Conflict Resolution and Mediation Practice
Starting a mediation or conflict resolution practice is a journey filled with both excitement and uncertainty. For those drawn to this work, the desire to help others navigate conflict with understanding and dignity is a powerful force. But the path from passion to sustainable practice is not always clear. Unlike more traditional professions with established career trajectories, mediation requires practitioners to carve out their own space, often with little guidance on how to make it all work.
One of the greatest challenges is establishing credibility. Potential clients, whether individuals, businesses, or attorneys, often don’t fully understand what mediation offers. Many assume that resolving conflict means either engaging in a heated battle or surrendering entirely. The understanding-based approach to mediation, as taught by the Center, offers something different—an opportunity for people in conflict to take ownership of the resolution process themselves, with the mediator serving as a guide rather than a decision-maker. Yet for new practitioners, explaining this approach and convincing clients of its value can feel like an uphill climb .
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A Practical Guide to Organizational Ombuds: How They Help People and Organizations by Charles L Howard
At its core, this book emphasizes the value of communication and empathy in resolving disputes. Rather than glossing over the emotional complexity of divorce, Friedman encourages readers to acknowledge and explore their feelings. He views conflict not as something to avoid but as a tool for deeper understanding. With that foundation, couples can uncover what truly matters to each of them and find solutions that meet both practical and emotional needs.
The process outlined is built on the understanding-based approach, which centers on the idea that the people involved in the conflict are the ones best equipped to resolve it. By creating space for open conversations and mutual exploration, mediation avoids the adversarial tactics that often escalate tension in traditional divorce proceedings. The book provides couples with tools to work through disagreements, including clear frameworks for discussing finances, parenting plans, and other practical matters, while keeping the focus on shared goals and fairness.
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Community Mediation: Finding the Center of Hope with Guests Cassie Lively (CCR) and D.G. Mawn (NAFCM)
In this episode of The Other Chair we welcome guests Cassie Lively, Executive Director of the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Chicago, and D.G. Mawn, President of the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM).
They explore the history of their organizations and the role of community mediation with practical steps for those looking to get involved in this essential work.
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Our flagship experiential certificate training programs centered in the Understanding-Based Model | |
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In this gold standard 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. Highlights include:
- Positive neutrality –supporting all parties without taking sides
- The Loop of Understanding – enhancing understanding and empathy
- Creative Options — innovating to meet differing needs and interests
- A Foundation for the Future — building the groundwork for the parties to make effective and lasting decisions together now and in the future
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West Coast
March 5 - 9, 2025
November 5 - 9, 2025
East Coast
June 23 - 28, 2025
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Working Creatively with Conflict: 40-Hour Conflict Resolution and Matrimonial Mediation Training (East Coast)
Participants will learn matrimonial law and the core skills of the Understanding Based Approach, through lively demonstrations and role-plays, all of which immerse participants in the learning (16 and 24-hour can be taken seperately, or together for a 40-hour program). Realistic simulations, in which participants work through mediations 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 modes of learning and their interplay as engaging and rewarding.
Upon completing this 40h Mediation Intensive Training, participants will have completed the requirements for a 24h Basic Mediation Training under Part 146 of the NYS Rules of the Chief Administrator of the Courts (“Part 146”) and the requirements for a 16-hour Advanced Matrimonial Mediation Training under Part 146.
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This will be an interactive process with exercises and briefings on practical aspects of starting and/or incorporating ADR into a practice or your work and bringing people in the door. You will leave with a concrete action plan to develop the next phase of your work.
Who should take this series? People who are excited about incorporating the Understanding Based Model into their work but aren’t sure how or are looking for structured support in taking this step.
May 16, June 13, and July 11, 2025
9 – 11:30 AM PT • 12 – 2:30 PM ET • 6 – 8:30 PM CEST
ONLINE
May 16: Assessing Yourself
We will assess where you are now, clarify what you are looking for in the future, determine what needs to change, and identify possible barriers.
June 13: Assessing Your Situation and Creating a Plan
We will delve into the concrete aspects of your current situation, compare it to your desired situation, and explore how to close the gap between the two.
July 11: Implementing the Plan
We will explore how to let the world know about your new approach, share plans and ideas, and leave with concrete next steps.
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Looping the Dynamic
As conflict professionals, we become great at observing and responding to the words used by parties in conflict. But there is a whole different level of interaction happening at the same time – that of the parties’ dynamic, i.e., what’s happening at a meta level including what’s their nonverbal communication. For instance, we can learn a lot by noticing the parties’ tone of voice, how much they interrupt, their body language, and how they’re interacting. Part of our job as conflict professionals is to observe the tenor of the interaction between the parties, and to make sure the discussion is moving forward. Reflecting our observations of their dynamic back to the parties can help them better understand whether this interaction is working for them and whether it’s a productive way to move forward and sometimes it can provide the keys to unlock the conflict.
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Struggling to explain what you do as a mediator in a way that sparks interest and understanding? Join Melanie Rowen and Caitlin Meredith for How to Tell People You’re a Mediator, where you’ll learn how to use storytelling to educate potential clients – and your broader community – about the value of mediation.
Together, we’ll explore how to craft compelling narratives that illustrate the kinds of conflicts you help resolve, the impact of your work, and why mediation matters to you personally. Whether you’re networking, marketing your services, or simply answering the question, “So, what do you do?”—this session will give you the tools to communicate your role with clarity and confidence.
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COMMUNITY VIDEO FOR FEBRUARY | |
I Knew What Would Happen
Humans like to create and tell stories. When a conflict arises, the parties craft their individual stories about what has already happened and what they expect will lead to the end of the conflict. When they engage a conflict professional, their story adapts to include how the conflict professional will influence the outcome, typically to their advantage. When the conflict professional walks into the room, they also have a story about what the process will look like and sometimes even their own picture of the outcome. In this webinar, we will explore the role of expectations in working through conflict. How do the parties’ and conflict professionals’ stories about their roles, responsibilities, process, and possible outcomes impact working through the conflict? How do we work with these stories and expectations during the conflict resolution process?
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