Category Archives: Global and Cultural Awareness

Online petition asks Obama to promote conflict resolution

Posted on January 27, 2009 | Leave a comment

Online petition seeks use of conflict resolutionConflict resolution expert and social justice advocate Kenneth Cloke has created an online petition requesting that U.S. President Barack Obama promote the use of conflict resolution both domestically and internationally.

Dispute resolvers, peacemakers, and ADR professionals are encouraged to add their signatures to a growing list of supporters.

This five-point proposal asks that Obama implement the following steps:

  1. Create a cabinet level ombudsman office or department of peace and consensus building to work proactively to prevent and minimize conflicts
  2. Build mediation, consensus building, diversity, and democratic conflict resolution processes into every proposal for change, whether domestic or international
  3. Invite representatives of international institutions, governments, and community organizations to attend a conference to discuss how to improve conflict resolution competencies and encourage collaborative problem solving around the world
  4. Request that the United Nations initiate a global effort to train diplomats and national representatives in conflict resolution, and incorporate in all treaties a clause requiring signatories to mediate and arbitrate disputes.
  5. Initiate a program and a fund to support conflict resolution professionals in serving in trouble spots around the world and help people prevent, resolve and recover from conflict.

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Posted in Conflict Resolution, Global and Cultural Awareness

Master the geography of collaboration with the latest edition of The Complete Lawyer

Posted on November 20, 2008 | Leave a comment

the geography of collaboration

The latest edition of The Complete Lawyer is now available, putting the focus on “Doing Business Internationally.” The Complete Lawyer is a web-based magazine focusing on quality of life and career satisfaction for attorneys but with relevance for dispute resolution professionals as well.  It features a regular ADR column, “The Human Factor“, which explores ADR from the perspective of four attorneys who mediate – me and three colleagues, Stephanie West Allen of Idealawg and Brains on Purpose, Gini Nelson of Engaging Conflicts, and Victoria Pynchon of Settle It Now Negotiation Blog .  The four of us alternate as writers.

It’s my turn this month with this particular installment of “The Human Factor”, where I invite readers to “Master the Geography of Collaboration.

The Complete Lawyer is published by Don Hutcheson, a good friend to the four of us and an enthusiastic supporter of “The Human Factor”. Thanks, Don, as always for your encouragement — we are all deeply grateful.

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Posted in Attorneys and Mediators, Global and Cultural Awareness, Online Publications and Articles on ADR

Conflict style inventory gets upgrade, free review copy available

Posted on November 11, 2008 | 1 Comment

Kraybill releases 2008 upgrade for Style MattersConflict resolution expert, mediator, and peacebuilder Dr. Ron Kraybill has asked me to let readers know that he has released a 2008 upgrade for Style Matters: The Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory through the company he founded, Riverhouse ePress.

With over 120,000 users, Style Matters has helped business managers, organizational consultants, and conflict resolution trainers worldwide teach personal conflict management skills. What distinguishes Style Matters from other conflict mode instruments is its commitment to cultural sensitivity, providing different instructions for collectivist and individualistic cultures.

As he has done in the past with previous releases of Style Matters, Dr. Kraybill generously offers a free review copy for downloading, along with a trainers’ guide (PDF).

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Posted in Cool Stuff on the Web, Global and Cultural Awareness, Mediation Training, Online Games, Tools & Tests, Online Publications and Articles on ADR

Animated short celebrates 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Posted on October 15, 2008 | 1 Comment

We dispute resolution professionals sometimes characterize the difference between mediation and litigation as one of focus: mediation is interest-based, focusing on the underlying needs and aspirations of the individuals involved in the dispute, while litigation is rights-based, concerning itself with the entitlements, claims, and remedies created by and available at law. But the problem is that this distinction does not adequately acknowledge the sometimes blurry line between rights and interests, or fully capture the spirit of either law or mediation.  Principles like fair play, justice, procedural integrity, equality, human dignity, and peace are in fact alive in both.

Reflecting on rights and interests, I note that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  In celebration of a document that recognizes and honors the basic dignity and worth of human beings everywhere, filmmaker Seth Pau has created an animated short. With a haunting soundtrack and stark graphics, Pau’s moving interpretation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights invites new and deeper reflection on a 60-year-old text.  Watch it here:

Via Boing Boing.

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Posted in Global and Cultural Awareness

International Mediation Institute honors mediation blogs from across the globe

Posted on September 3, 2008 | 5 Comments

Mediation blogsThe International Mediation Institute (IMI), a public policy initiative creating international competency standards for certifying mediators, has conferred a great honor upon a select group of bloggers.

IMI has created a special section on its web site to recognize the work of mediation bloggers from countries around the world. IMI’s list of bloggers, with links and brief descriptions, is prefaced by these words from Herman Melville that capture beautifully the spirit of both mediation and blogging:

We cannot live only for ourselves.
A thousand fibres connect us with our fellow men;
and among those fibres, as sympathetic threads,
our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.

I feel privileged that Mediation Channel was among those included. I’m in the company of the likes of Geoff Sharp (New Zealand), Tammy Lenski (U.S.), Marcus Brinkmann (Germany), Sanjana Hattotuwa (Sri Lanka), and others who have contributed in significant ways to the quality of the conversation about ADR on the web. You can explore the complete list of mediation blogs at the IMI web site.

Thank you, IMI, for your generous support of our community of bloggers.

(Hat tip to Samil Demir who publishes the Turkish language Arabulucu Blog.)

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Posted in Blogs and Bloggers, Global and Cultural Awareness, Mediation, Networking and Social Media for Mediators

New episodes in International Dispute Negotiation podcast series cover hard bargaining, emotions across cultures

Posted on August 18, 2008 | Leave a comment

International Dispute NegotiationOne of the very best of the ADR blogs is International Dispute Negotiation, a high-quality podcast series hosted by Michael McIlwrath, Senior Counsel, Litigation for GE Infrastructure – Oil & Gas, whose home base is Florence, Italy.

Masterfully produced, these podcasts offer conversations with leading thinkers and distinguished practitioners who bring a global perspective on mediation, arbitration, and negotiation. Although international in focus, these interviews have relevance to ADR practice or negotiation wherever in the world you may be.

The most recent podcasts are:

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Posted in Blogs and Bloggers, Cool Stuff on the Web, Global and Cultural Awareness, Mediation, Negotiation and Settlement

Facing ourselves: new tests for hidden biases at Project Implicit

Posted on July 21, 2008 | Leave a comment

Facing ourselves: testing for hidden biasesThis is by no means the first time I’ve encouraged readers to plumb the depths of their hidden biases with the help of Project Implicit and its Implicit Association Test (IAT), an instrument which “measures implicit attitudes and beliefs that people are either unwilling or unable to report.” With the recent discussion here and elsewhere of gender bias, I thought it was time to revisit the IAT.

The IAT tests for biases across a range of categories, from gender to skin tone to disability. Since I first wrote about it, Project Implicit has introduced other tests, including

  • the “Weapons – Harmless Objects” IAT, which requires the ability to recognize White and Black faces, and images of weapons or harmless objects;
  • the “Arab Muslim – Other People” IAT, which requires the ability to distinguish names that are likely to belong to Arab-Muslims versus people of other nationalities or religions; and
  • a “2008 Presidential Election” IAT, which requires the ability to recognize images of U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.

You can also take the Three Countries IAT (link good at the time of this post), which requires participants to identify words associated with China, India, and Japan.

Visit Project Implicit and get to know yourself better.

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Posted in Cool Stuff on the Web, Gender Matters, Global and Cultural Awareness, Popular Culture, Politics, Society

The art of negotiation: a video interview with international negotiator Mitchell Reiss

Posted on July 14, 2008 | Leave a comment

the art of negotiationThe College of William and Mary has posted an interview with Mitchell Reiss, Vice Provost for International Affairs, who explains the art of negotiation and describes his experience negotiating with North Korea in this short video.

One of the most important qualities a negotiator possesses is patience, according to Reiss, who observes that it “isn’t just a virtue, it becomes a tactical advantage” at the negotiation table.

If you’re interested in learning more about international negotiation or ADR in international contexts, don’t forget about International Dispute Negotiation, the excellent podcast series by Michael McIlwrath, Senior Counsel, Litigation for GE Infrastructure – Oil & Gas, based at his company’s headquarters in Florence, Italy.

Recent offerings include:

Michael plays engaging host in conversations with some of the best and the brightest from around the globe. You can view the archive of previous episodes to find more.

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Posted in ADR, Blogs and Bloggers, Global and Cultural Awareness, Negotiation and Settlement

World Directory of ADR Blogs celebrates its second anniversary

Posted on June 18, 2008 | 8 Comments

ADRblogs.com celebrates its second anniversaryWork has been so hectic lately that I almost missed an important milestone.

On June 5, the World Directory of Alternative Dispute Resolution Blogs, a site that I developed from a project I began in 2005 to track and catalogue ADR blogs world-wide, celebrated its second anniversary.

Today ADRblogs.com lists 146 blogs from 25 countries, representing conversations across the globe about mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution in languages that include English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Romanian, Danish, and Turkish.

Here is a random sampling:

To see more, and to immerse yourself in the global marketplace of ideas that is the ADR blogosphere, no passport is needed. Just go visit ADRblogs.com. To browse through the headlines of the blogs in its catalog, visit the World Directory of ADR Blogs Reading Room. Submissions, by the way, are always welcome.

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Posted in ADR, Blogs and Bloggers, Cool Stuff on the Web, Global and Cultural Awareness, World Directory of ADR Blogs

From all sides: a global perspective on ADR, thanks to International Dispute Negotiation podcast

Posted on May 23, 2008 | Leave a comment

International Dispute Negotiation podcastOne of the best aspects of the digital age is the ability to connect to ideas and news whose source lies far from our own front steps. These ideas from across the globe are not only stimulating for their novelty; they also affirm, since they highlight our commonalities, not just our differences.

Since I was introduced to it last November, one of my favorite sources for information and fresh thinking with a global perspective is the International Dispute Negotiation podcast.

International Dispute Negotiation, presented by the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR), explores ways people across a wide range of countries, backgrounds, and professions approach the resolution of disputes. International Dispute Negotiation is hosted by Michael McIlwrath, Senior Counsel, Litigation for GE Infrastructure – Oil & Gas, based at his company’s headquarters in Florence, Italy.

For each podcast Michael plays knowledgeable and affable host to influential leaders and thinkers about ADR and negotiation in international contexts. These beautifully produced podcasts offer revelations from all sides of the negotiation table, with episodes that have included:

Now available is Michael’s most recent interview: Mediating from Singapore: An Interview with Christopher Lau.

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Posted in ADR, Blogs and Bloggers, Global and Cultural Awareness