Conflict

Book Review, Causes of Conflict, Civil rights, Conflict, Conventional wisdom, Cross-cultural, Dispute Resolution, Governments/Public Sector, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), International Law, International Mediation, peace negotiations, Practical Challenges for Mediators, UN and International Organizations

(Brick Court Chambers / Clifton Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

Prior to Christmas I found myself in Jerusalem, Israel – the heart of the heart of the conflict of our time. Here, no one agrees on anything – even the monks from various Christian denominations (Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Catholics and others) responsible for The Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Christ was crucified, argue amongst…

Causes of Conflict, Communication, Conflict, General, Language, Mediation Practice, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Skills

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /1 Comment

I read a long time ago that lessons for life can be found everywhere as long as we look for them. As with many of these quotes that we read, my response was to nod sagaciously, file it away for future reference and then forget all about it. I was driving the other day, about…

ADR, Below the line, Clients, Commercial Mediation, Conflict, Corporate Counsel's View, Creativity, Decision making, Dispute Resolution, Due Process, Efficiency, Ethics, insider and outsider mediators, Instinct, Lawyers, Mediation Practice, mediation traditions, Mediation Users/Clients, Mentoring, Mistakes, Neuroscience, Planning, Skills, Standards, Stories, Success in mediation, Survivor

(Brick Court Chambers / Clifton Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

Down here in New Zealand it’s high summer and most of the country will spend until the end of January at the beach. I remember, when I was still at my law firm 10 years ago, the feeling of brief respite at this time of year before having to put on my boots again and trudge…

Apologies, Apology, Clients, Conflict, Improvisation, Instinct, Intuition, mediation models, Mediation Practice, Scotland, Skills, Stories, Uncategorized

(University of Strathclyde)/ /Leave a comment

In the last year I have had the privilege of joining a group of mediators for their monthly CPD (continuing professional development). We are all loosely in the commercial sector, which can include workplace, family business and public sector disputes. This being Scotland (see previous posts on judicial resistance to mediation) no-one is making their…

Clients, Communication, Conflict, conlfict coaching, Developing the Field, Dispute Resolution, Intuition, Mediation Practice, Negotiation, Planning, Skills

(Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy)/ /1 Comment

In this posting I want to reflect on how, as a mediator, I’ve learnt much from the related but independent conflict management process, called conflict coaching. Before I get ahead of myself, however, let me start by offering an explanation of conflict coaching. Conflict coaching is a service provided by a conflict specialist to a…

Conflict, Cross-cultural, Developing the Field, Europe, Family Mediation, Future of mediation, General, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), International Mediation, Mediation Reforms (Legislation, etc.), Mentoring, Transformation

(Sabine Walsh Mediation)/ /Leave a comment

The location was the Old Post House in Stafford, a traditional English, allegedly haunted, building with excellent conference facilities, good food and awful coffee. The occasion was World Conflict Resolution Day, this year on 18th October. About 45 mediators from around the world had gathered for a day of lectures on workshops on mediation. The…

Conflict, Court Procedure and Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Mediation Reforms (Legislation, etc.), Practical Challenges for Mediators, Scotland

(University of Strathclyde)/ /3 Comments

This week in Glasgow, Strathclyde University hosted the first seminar in a series entitled ‘Reframing Resolution – Managing Individual Workplace Conflict’. The six seminars will take place across the UK over the next 12 months and the opener was ambitiously called ‘Understanding Individual Employment Disputes.’ The day contained elements that were encouraging and others that…

ADR, Appointment of Mediators, Availability of Mediators, Bias, Clients, Commercial Mediation, Conflict, Developing the Field, Due Process, Ethics, Future of mediation, Hong Kong, International Law, International Mediation, mediation as a career, Mediation Practice, Skills, Standards

(Brick Court Chambers / Clifton Chambers)/ /Leave a comment

I come from a Western mediation tradition that argues strenuously for neutrality and impartiality in a mediator. Indeed, one of the first questions lawyers will ask when hiring me is whether or not I have any conflict of interest – in other words, do I know those involved in the dispute, have I worked with…

Commercial Mediation, Conflict, Impasse, Mediation Outcomes, Playbook, Skills, Success in mediation

(Weiler ADR Inc.)/ /3 Comments

Often when I’m mediating a difficult case; the parties, running hot, miles apart and showing no sign of movement, an inner voice whispers softly to me, “it’s just not ripe for settlement.” It’s an attractive concept because it lets me off the hook. Nothing to be done here until the case ripens. I might as…

Apologies, Causes of Conflict, Clients, Conflict, Cross-cultural, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Mediation Practice, Memory and Illusions, peace negotiations, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Survivor, Transformation, Uncategorized, War Stories

(University of Strathclyde)/ /1 Comment

I find myself writing this blog from South Africa, at the annual conference of the International Association of Conflict Management – http://www.iacm-conflict.org/. It is a fantastic melting pot of ideas, bringing together a range of cultures and identities. Cultures, at first sight, seem to describe national and group identities: South African, American, French, Dutch, Tanzanian,…