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If our current legal system was effectively delivering justice, why is crime and violence continuing to spiral out of control all around the Globe? What are the demands of justice? What does justice feel like? When is justice satisfied? In order to find answers to these questions we need to reframe the debate about what…

Even when an interpersonal dispute appears to be resolved, there are times that some of us continue to feel unresolved in our hearts and mind. Why is that? There are lots of reasons this phenomenon occurs. These include lingering feelings of hurt, anger and other remaining negative emotions. Or, it could be the realization that we regret our unspoken words and sentiments. Or, we regret saying things we know we cannot take back now. A tendency to accommodate the other person’s needs more than…

In its latest issue, the peer-reviewed journal of the International Ombudsman Association takes up one of the central ethical standards for Organizational Ombuds: Informality.  Journal Editor David Miller explains,

In my experience as an Organizational Ombudsman, Informality is the hardest [Standard of Practice] to grasp operationally, unless it is explicated as a contrast with related professions, or in terms of our non-engagement with formal processes. But, of course,…

If you are looking for an opportunity for “experiential” learning, may I boldly suggest you participate in a Twitter chat. 

Last week, I participated in the monthly ADRHub.com Twitter chat, along with a dozen other mediators and professionals (plus a few lurkers?) who practice non-adversarial approaches to conflict resolution. 

Here’s what I…

Conflict can hurt in a way that is often indescribable. Have you ever tried to describe it? It is pain that we seem to feel throughout our being – in our hearts and bones and skin. Emotional pain can cause us to feel physically sick. This type of pain sometimes feels so deep – as though it will never go away. It hurts through and through.

Since hurts from conflicts often reflect how deeply we care about certain issues, it is usual that we stay in that deep place until we get…

Why Should Conflict Specialists Treat Public Networks More Seriously? Anat Cabili…

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Is it possible to turn murderers into peacemakers? Is it possible to find world peace? Is peacemaking just a happy thought or a hard-nosed, pragmatic approach to intractable conflicts?

In our Restorative Justice series, I will be speaking with Doug Noll, internationally renowned…

(First published on dialogicmediation.com)

One of the strong arguments that advocate the use of mediation is tied to the public policy issue of access to justice.  Simply stated, many cases on the court docket can be dealt with more efficiently in mediation, thereby freeing up the justice system to deal with other cases, and easing bottle-necks and backlogs in the administration of justice.  This has led many…

New article on environmental benefits of online dispute resolution – just published in Conflict Resolution Quarterly at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/crq.21039/abstract.

Full text can be downloaded here: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1993192.  

Big thank you to co-author Coleen Getz!

It's no wonder we get so many questions from mediators about what we looked for when picking a videoconferencing platform to use for our distance mediation service. The panoply of platforms that is available these days is positively dizzying. Add to that the highly sensitive and confidential sessions that are intrinsic to…

The railway switchman and the mediator. So different, yet so much alike. Both focus on relationships.

The switchman:

1. Knows where the trains are coming from…
   
   

When we are in conflict with another person we often lose our internal balance. This may occur whether or not we externalize our feelings and thoughts. Internal impact may be apparent when self-limiting beliefs kick in, or we worry and agonize at great length about what is happening. Negative emotions may take over – about the other person and ourselves. We may tend to blow things out of proportion. Tears may come easily or sit on the edge of our eyes. We may lose sleep, feel tense,…

I just came on board with The Center for Cultural Exchange (http://www.cci-exchange.org)

This is a sponsor organization that places International Exchange students with host families here in the  United States. I will be their Local Coordinator, matching host families with students within a 120 mile radius of Omaha. They have an awesome database, and a well organized system in place. I am impressed.

I am less than half way through my…

Cinnie Noble- We…

We are not typically aware of our body language when we are in conflict. It is especially likely at these times in fact, that we lose touch with how we come across. We are generally not conscious of what we are doing, how our faces appear, or how our bodies are otherwise ‘talking’. We tend to lose perspective on the situation and how we may even be adversely contributing to the dissension. The only mirror in front of us is the other person, who often reflects and reacts to our language and…

♬  And you just gotta move on, Because it’s all, Lessons learned...♬

Music and lyrics by Wendell Mobley, recorded by Carrie Underwood.

Most lawyers are as yet unaware of the growing discipline known as Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). ODR taps into technology…

We often talk about the relationship breaking down when we are in a dispute and in fact, we do disconnect in many ways from the other person. We often lose connection with our own feelings and thoughts, too. It’s difficult to imagine that things can be mended when this happens and some of us experience mournful feelings – grieving that the relationship may be irreparable. It’s an uncomfortable and stressful place to be and we generally feel off balance and out of choice. These sorts of…