On September 12, 2013, two Organizational Ombuds with extensive international experience will present the next International Ombudsman Association webinar: "Strategies for Analyzing Cultural Components in Conflict." José Martínez-Aragón , United Nations Regional Ombudsman in Santiago, Chile, and David Talbot, Ombudsman for the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailan will review the theory of conflict and conflict resolution from the perspective of culture, outlining through practical examples how the lenses of culture may help to disentangle intractable situations.

The program description states:

Our values and identity are shaped by the culture/s in which we grow up. Culture defines the environment in which we were brought up, and encompasses aspects such as race, ethnicity, gender, nationality as well as religion, socioeconomic class and sexual orientation, just to name a few. All those elements which define culture are also essential components of conflict and will therefore determine the way we come to address it. As conflicts result generally from perceptions which appear incompatible with our basic needs, the shaping of those perceptions and the determination of our needs are by and large affected by our own culture. In addressing conflict in a multicultural context, it is therefore crucial to be mindful of the cultural components which may have impacted how the parties affected captured the surrounding reality and how they defined and prioritized their interests, values and needs. Thus, to help those parties dissect and manage those difficulties; cultural fluency is an essential tool.

In addition to the live session, a recording will be available for download. (IOA Webinar Series.)

Related Ombuds Blog posts: World Bank Appoints a Third Ombuds; IOA Representative Keynotes Conference of Brazilian Ombuds; IOA Announces 2013-14 Conflict Management Webinar Series.