There’s no absolutely no doubt that the right to a fair trial is an essential foundation of a just society. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that innocent people are being arrested without prior notice and convicted on trumped-up charges all over the world. Illegal arrest and arbitrary pre-trial detention are essentially human rights abuses in the context…

I think most of us live two personas: The person and the professional. And, although both sides are often intertwined, I’m starting to find that, when it comes to conflict resolution, the two sides have an almost magnetic repulsion.

I have several clients who are in professions that require they be conflict resolution experts (social workers, HR managers, etc.), and, by all accounts, they’re doing an excellent job. However, when it comes to putting those…

When it comes to some interpersonal conflicts the expression let sleeping dogs lie may be used to mean “to leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past”. Certainly a sleeping dog is a lovely sight. But to me so are most dogs who are awake. Presumably the image of this metaphor is meant to conjure up excessive yapping and…

The  South African Employment Equity Amendment Act, Act No 47 of 2013 (the EEAA) came into operation by means of promulgation with effect from 01 August 2014.

The EEAA as well as other amendments to SA Labor Legislation, to wit the Labor Relations Act, 66 of 1995 (the LRA) and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 75 of 1997 (the BCEA) formed the subject matter of extensive consultations held over a period of almost four years at NEDLAC whereupon 'consensus' was…

With the start of a new academic year, college athletes and coaches prepare for another season and often a whole new environment. They encounter new team members, the pressures of performance and a longing for home. During this program, Joshua Gordon, of the Sports Conflict…

"What's Happening in Conflict Resolution" is a weekly round up of the all the ADR news, jobs, events and more. Check it out each week and view past versions [HERE].…

Every good conversation starts with good listening.

My colleague Jill, who is an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada Reno in Communication Studies, gave me a wonderful “pearl” after coffee one day. She forwarded a copy of the HURIER Listening Profile to me so I could do a self-assessment of my listening skills.

Jill said it might be fun if I guessed how I will do before completing the form … which I did.

So, I thought that HURIER was…

I’d like to share a simulation I’ve  recently written with co-authors Yael Efron and Nellie Munin: FlashPoint: Syria, 2014.

FlashPoint is a simulation-game constructed as a teaching-tool for the topics of conflict analysis and resolution, collaboration, negotiation, mediation and public international law – or any…

If we REALLY want to talk about conflict resolution, then, I need to share with you my experience last week on my trip to Atlanta from Chicago.  O.K.–settle in.

It all started very benign. My family and I boarded our 1 1/2 hour flight to Atlanta with joy–vacation time! And, by all accounts, everything was going smoothly. Until…

During our descent into Atlanta, the pilot informed us we needed to go around some storms to avoid hitting them. No problem.…

When we accuse someone of upsetting the applecart we generally think that person is causing trouble and creating difficulties by doing or saying something that challenges the status quo. Of the four variations of the source of the expression that I read about, the most basic and generic derivation refers to farmers in the 1800s who would bring applecarts loaded with neatly piled,…

Listen Here: ACR Conference 2014 Preview: Darrell Puls and Stephanie Hixon…

A child sits alone at the lunch table while peers snicker around him. Perhaps he understands that he is being excluded and feels sad. What about the child with a disability who may or may not understand what is happening around him? Join us to learn how we can “Dis-able Bullying” and protect our vulnerable population of children with special needs.

Tara…

I was reading a book the other day that I’ll tell you more about when I finish it, but in the meantime, I thought I would share some research it contained.

It had to do with the therapeutic action of writing. In the 1980s, a social psychologist named James Pennebaker, developed this form of writing therapy which posited that “writing one’s feelings gradually eases feelings of emotional trauma.”(1) …

Business Schools Teach Negotiating Tactics That Don't Work…

Listen Here: ACR Conference 2014 Preview: Patricia Porter, Melissa Marosy and Debra Healy…

Listen Here: ACR Conference 2014 Preview: Ryan O'Connell…

Listen Here: ACR Conference 2014 Preview: Bryan Hanson…

Listen Here: ACR Conference 2014 Preview: Cheryl Jamison

Join Cheryl Jamison, President of ACR, as she speaks about ACR's Conference 2014 from October 8-11, 2014 in Cininnati,…

Listen Here: ACR Conference 2014 Preview: Daniel Rainey…