Bootcamp meets bandcamp: scenes from a mediation training

Brad Heckman- Folks, we just wrapped up a 40-hour Basic Mediation Training, putting 26 people from all walks of life on the path of joining New York City's largest civilian peacebuilding force. This was a pretty eclectic group -- including a mother & daughter, a hypnotist, a couple of triathlete trainers, and three people from Switzerland. (Yep, we were teaching the Swiss about neutrality. Oy.). Here's a little photo essay to give a sense of how we roll -- combining visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, and verbal learning styles.  We like to think of our trainings as a friendly assault on the senses.

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Tom A. Kosakowski- The Organizational Ombuds profession and individual practitioners enjoyed a good year.   The top ten stories of 2012 from the Ombuds Blog show that the profession continued to improve and expand.

[Runner Up] Among Other Things, Paula Broadwell Was an Ombuds -- Who know that one of the year's most intriguing newsmakers once worked as an Ombuds? Readers of the Ombuds Blog, that's who.

10. Offices Openings Outpace Closures

9.  Study Concludes Ombuds Aren't the Right Fit for English Universities 

8.   Ethics Resource Center Says Ombuds Have Role Under Federal Sentencing Guidelines 7.  Internal Ombuds Programs Find Favor in India 

6.  Penn State Scandal Presents Challenges and Opportunities 

5.  Regional Meetings Draw More Ombuds 

[Read More & The Entire List HERE]

Don't you wish you could click 'trust'?

Noam Ebner

Transforming Conflict Through Forgiveness

Patricia M Porter - Forgiveness is a powerful tool for clients who are up against difficult, and seemingly insurmountable, conflicts. It creates a pathway from conflict to a deeper place of understanding and compassion. Because Forgiveness integrates all levels of conflict -- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual–it uniquely enables clients to experience the opportunity for transformative healing that is latent in every challenging conflict. Learn more about how to work with Forgiveness to help clients in your practice...

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MAKING A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL

Cinnie Noble- When we begin to experience irritation about something happening with another person, our thoughts and feelings sometimes go to places that are not helpful for the situation and relationship with the other person. We may not always be aware of what is exacerbating things, but before we know it our initial responses have taken twists and turns that only serve to complicate matters. As things expand in our minds and hearts, we often find ourselves more and more conflicted, confused, and upset. As things get bigger they may not even be a reasonable facsimile of what they were in the beginning.

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