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].

How to negotiate with a liar

Steve Kelman- I suspect that most of us engaged in a negotiation assume the party we are negotiating with lies during the negotiations.  I am an unusually trusting if not outright gullible person -- a colleague once said that for me April Fool's Day was every day of the year!  But even I assume that others often lie during negotiations, at least by withholding the "whole truth," and often by actually misrepresenting their situations and how much they value certain things. 

As Leslie John, a young faculty member at Harvard Business School, writes in a recent short article, "Deception is…one of the intangibles that negotiators have to prepare for and take steps to prevent."

...Instead, John recommends focusing on efforts that reduce the tendency of negotiators to lie to those with whom they are negotiating. She presents strategies -- backed up by discussions of academic research on the topics covered -- that can help you conduct conversations in a way that makes it more difficult for your counterpart to lie.

Read more from FCW.com [HERE].

Ransomware customer service: Negotiation is always on the table

Charlie Osborne for Zero Day- Cyberattackers running ransomware campaigns are usually willing to negotiate if it means exhorting any payment at all from victims, researchers claim.

...On Monday, cybersecurity firm F-Secure released a new report, "Evaluating the Customer Journey of Crypto-Ransomware and the Paradox Behind It," which claims that three out of four ransomware criminal gangs were willing to negotiate the ransom fee.

Read more from ZDnet.com [HERE]. 

Local police veteran providing empathy training for officers

DENVER -- As tensions run high on both sides of the issue, communities across the U.S. are searching for answers on how to bridge the gap between law enforcement officers and the community.

A local police veteran said it begins with equipping them with the right tools.

Phil Saraff is a Marine veteran who spent 20 years as a police detective. He’s now a behavioral analysis expert, conducting training across the U.S.

He said officers often don’t recognize the difference between someone who’s fearful and someone who’s threatening and empathy training could be a solution to some of the situations we’ve recently seen.

Read more and watch the video from KVDR.com [HERE]. 

Q&A: THE EVOLUTION OF ADR

In an interview with Bloomberg BNA, the Honorable John K. Trotter (Ret.) weighed in on the evolution of alternative dispute resolution, from its impact on the practice of law to the future of the field and what practitioners can do to stay on the cutting edge of this ever-changing industry.

Justice Trotter joined JAMS, the world’s largest private alternative dispute resolution provider, in 1987 upon early retirement from the California Court of Appeal. 

Bloomberg BNA: As one of the first neutrals to join JAMS, in what ways have you seen alternative dispute resolution evolve over the years?

Justice Trotter: Alternative dispute resolution has grown dramatically. When I started at JAMS in 1987, we had one office with three hearing rooms. Now, nearly 30 years later, we have 25 offices throughout the United States, and hundreds of hearing rooms. JAMS had about five neutrals then—now we have more than 300 neutrals. ADR was relatively unknown, but it’s become a commonplace occurrence and it’s utilized much more than before. It’s part of every lawyer’s vocabulary and toolbox of talent.

Read more from BNA.com [HERE]. 

Project to get Peer Mediation in every school launched

Peace Foundation launches project to get Peer Mediation in every school in New Zealand to tackle horrific violence and aggression. 

New Zealand Peace Foundation- At midday on 7 July at www.givealittle.co.nz/project/peacefoundation, the Peace Foundation launches its most important project in 41 years with the goal to fund the expansion of its flagship Peer Mediation Programmes for primary, secondary and kura kaupapa Maori schools across New Zealand. 

In the last 22 years, the Peace Foundation has given peer mediation skills training to teachers and students from a total of 2000 schools. It currently provides resources to about 450 schools, and has in the last year given dedicated trainings in 80 schools. 

“We have two goals with this Givealittle campaign: firstly to raise $300,000 to get peer mediation into 160 schools, and secondly to develop the project to ensure Peer Mediation will be established in each and every school in New Zealand,” says Christopher Le Breton, the Peace Foundation’s Co-General Manager. 
With $300,000 we will
1). recruit 2 full time teacher trainers so that we can deliver Peer Mediation to 160 schools up and down the country;
2). Improve dramatically the online resources we provide to schools, workplaces and to the public, on practical ways to reduce conflict through Peer Mediation.

More than two decades ago, the Peace Foundation launched its peer mediation training in primary schools. It now reaches into secondary schools and, to date, there are approximately 450 schools implementing the Foundation’s programmes. The Peer Mediation Programme involves a neutral person, usually a peer, who facilitates a process to help the disputants find positive, mutually acceptable solutions to solve their problem. Mediators as young as five years old can do it successfully with their peers. Research results from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education show how powerfully effective the Peer Mediation Programme is in reducing violence in school and raising pupil attainments. The programme is NZ-made and developed. It works. Kids love it (they take responsibility for their own behaviour) and teachers love it (they can refer minor conflicts to the peer mediators and enjoy hassle-free playground duty). When minor conflicts are resolved, they do not escalate into major conflicts.

New Zealand has the worst rate of family and intimate partner violence in the world. As media recently reported, a shocking 80% of incidents go unreported, so what we know of family violence in our community is barely the tip of the iceberg (The New Zealand Herald, 13 May 2016). New Zealand is at a pivotal moment in its history with its horrific family violence. The Peer Mediation Programme, proven to be effective in nurturing lifelong skills and abilities, is loved by teachers and children. 

“Already we have had interest from the UK, Ireland, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Australia and Fiji to use our methods and materials. It is time to get the skills of peer mediation into every school to prevent violence, raise standards and help make our communities safer,” says Christina Barruel, the Head of Peace Education for the Peace Foundation

“The Peace Foundation has over 20 years experience teaching skills for peaceful conflict resolution, life skills for schools and families, to help prevent violence and aggression in our communities" says Christina Barruel, the Head of Peace Education for the Peace Foundation, experienced primary school teacher and accredited adult mediator with Resolution Institute.

“We’d like people from across New Zealand to join us as members and volunteers to help us raise funds to get Peer Mediation into schools and workplaces across NZ. This will increase tolerance and respect, and reduce violence and bullying”, says Christopher Le Breton.