Im reading The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film by Michael Ondaatje. I got introduced to this book by local filmmaker Mandy Leith, one of the presenters at the recent Wired Words symposium I attended, in Victoria. Murch is one of the 20th centurys great film editors, having worked on many classics; […]
On being unconditionally constructive
October 4, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
The bible of interest-based conflict resolution may be well be Fisher, Ury & Patton’s book, Getting to Yes. I’d be surprised if there is a mediator (Western world, anyways) who is not familiar with it. At the heart of Getting to Yes is the message: be unconditionally constructive when it comes to negotiating resolution to […]
Diversity: A pathway to connection, common ground and innovation
October 1, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Diversity is a hallmark of innovative teams. One of the best ways to expand your own problem-solving capabilities is to diversify; apply a different lens, different perspective, to the problem. Traditional pathways If you’re a facilitator, you know how to build bridges between people’s differences, find common ground, as a stepping stone to joint solutions […]
Neighbourhood Gifts
September 24, 2011 by · 4 Comments
It was my neighbourhood association‘s annual Streetfest last weekend. Excellent turnout. People connecting. Conversation. Having fun. No rain! And, gifts galore… locals sharing their time, talents, and community spirit. Many of those things that make for a healthy neighbourhood were there, all orchestrated by neighbours, volunteering, including: Food; donated, baked, cornucopia Music; DJ, musicians, musical […]
Janis La Couvee: Community Connector
September 21, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
I always enjoy a conversation with Janis La Couv’e. She is involved in many diverse communities, online and offline, here in Victoria. And, I get the feeling she brings all of her communities, all of her connections, to each conversation, a good thing. Making connections is what Janis does. Although, I’ve only known her for […]
Face To Face: New movie tackles workplace bullying with community conferencing
September 15, 2011 by · 2 Comments
It’ s always nice when others take hold of concepts that one holds dear. Following on the restorative justice theme over the last week on this blog (and its not even restorative justice week yet!), a new movie was released in Australia last week, “Face To Face“. It is framed around a centerpiece of restorative […]
The Good News: Restorative Justice
September 13, 2011 by · 2 Comments
Two recent news items about restorative justice caught my intention. Which one should I let “take the day”? The first was what I consider a bad news story. Alberta pulls restorative justice funding, read the CBC news article headline. The Province of Alberta will stop funding restorative justice programs. This is hard one for me […]
Gillian Lindquist: Community Connector
September 10, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Gillian Lindquist knows how to bring people together, and get them talking, openly and honestly, about difficult situations. In her role as Program Coordinator, Victoria Restorative Justice Society (VRJS), I’ve observed her (I’m a VRJS member and ex-Board member) consistently reach out and connect people, and organizations, in the community. The context is always challenging; […]
