Mediators Beyond Borders
Ken Cloke examined the challenge of exponential change and some of
the sources of chronic global conflict in a world of interdependency. He
pointed out that conflict is nearly always experienced interpersonally (all
disputes take place between people) and yet we need to address the systemic
nature of much conflict and the underlying social, organisational, economic and
political causes, not just the symptoms. All conflicts possess characteristics
that are similar, regardless of scale, and therefore we can adapt the
techniques that work at one level to disputes at entirely different levels. Cloke referred to communication, negotiation, mediation,
early intervention, community building, emotional and conflict resolution
systems design skills to help to address conflict. He spoke of how to deal with
resistance to change and of moving from argument to dialogue, agreeing ground
rules, identifying commonalities, asking questions to elicit interests (with
some brilliant examples!) and jointly defining and analysing differences in
order to find collaborative solutions. As Margaret Mead said
“We are continually faced with great opportunities which are
brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems”.
Ken Cloke
also ran an illuminating special session on victim offender mediation
programmes, truth and reconciliation projects and restorative justice.
Daniel Bowling spoke
eloquently about Bringing Peace into the Room (his book published in 2003) and
the importance of reflective practice. He contrasted the exoteric (outward
looking) with the esoteric (inward reflection). In striving for mastery of
one’s art, he cited Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan to illustrate the importance
of mastering our inner world in order to achieve external mastery. He
emphasised the need to give up our reliance on certainty. Indeed the reality of
duality or ambiguity was a theme in the congress:
·
the value of being able
to hold two apparently mutually exclusive ideas in mind at the same time
·
recognition that two
people with opposing views can both be right
·
understanding that
fairness and wanting one’s share can co-exist
·
and that trust and
mistrust, rationality and irrationality may be present simultaneously
Jean Paul Lederach (a speaker at the forthcoming European Mediation Conference
in