Gillian Lindquist: Community Connector

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; […]

10 Dispute Resolution Questions asked by a Rainbow Mediator

There are many ways to resolve disputes.  Do a quick global tour of the dispute resolution landscape, and you’ll see just how many.  It’s as if there is a rainbow of options.  The rainbow mediator acknowledges the diverse approaches to resolution, and incorporates key elements into her/his practice.  Kind of a think global, act local. […]

11 Reasons why Grandmothers are good Mediators

Let’s leave our dispute resolution expertise aside for a moment.  If I had to package up the skills that a mediator, or anyone tasked with facilitating negotiations, would do well to have, that package might surely remind you of a grandmother you know, or knew.  Here’s why: Grandmothers are good at seeing the positive core […]

How to build dispute resolution capacity in public jurisdictions and systems

Conflict is part of our lives, from Day 1.  Disputes happen; all kinds of disputes.  Public jurisdictions, and systems, should ensure that there are sufficient resources available for people and organizations to resolve disputes.  They should.  Few do. How to build local capacity Larry Susskind is a leading figure in the field of public dispute […]

At the CORE: How social media is re-shaping the business of conflict resolution

As part of the CORE Conflict Resolution Clinic speaker series, I gave a presentation last week on the topic of how social media is re-shaping the business of conflict resolution. The audience was 18 arbitrators, mediators, lawyers, tribunal officers, and other conflict resolution professionals.  The talk was held in the office of KPMG, in downtown […]