If then else: The computer programmer's approach to mediating conflict

How our brain works cannot easily be mapped into a computer.  Ironically, the workings of a computer can be applied to our daily thought and practice, and lead to re-wiring of our brains. One of my earlier careers was as computer programmer, coding IBM software applications.  If there was one programming technique I used more […]

The Cloud and Mobile are the Mediator's future office

I mediated a trans-national business dispute last week.  The mediation took place over several days, and was conducted online, over the Internet.  There was zero physical paper exchanged.  I worked from my laptop, from my home office.  Essentially, all the software I used was based in the “Cloud”, and either free or low-cost.   I’m grateful. […]

CIIAN: Helping Nations build their conflict resolution capacity

I had a great long-distance conversation with Evan Hoffman this week.  Based in Ottawa, he is Executive Director of the Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation (CIIAN), a Canadian NGO, as well as being a Faculty member with the School of Peace and Conflict Management at Royal Roads University. Initially connecting with Evan through Twitter […]

Face To Face: New movie tackles workplace bullying with community conferencing

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 […]

Simplify your external world to Amplify your internal world + 5 books to help you

  Collaboration and connecting with others is a beautiful thing, but in the end, creation is done in solitude. All great art is done in isolation. All creative work must be done by shutting out the outside world, sitting down, and creating.  (Leo Babauta, Zen Habits) Nice idea.  Yet, for most of us, immersed in […]