Mediating the destruction of Confederacy statues in the U.S.A.

One conflict that took centre stage over the last week had to do with statues commemorating the Confederacy, and their link to racism and white supremacy. (The image above is of Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, and is in Charlottesville, Virginia; credit: Joshua Roberts/Reuters) From an early age, I was put on notice about racists and […]

10 diverse ways the smartphone can be used for learning and applying social justice

Working in Tanzania, last November, I noticed how much the local people relied on their smartphones, and not just to scroll their social media feeds. Stoked by opportunity, and constrained by infrastructure, they are finding new ways to be resourceful with what they have. In many places in Eastern Africa, including Tanzania, the smartphone becomes […]

Reflecting on my experiences in the BC Court Mediation Program

Between 2002 and 2015, I worked as a court-based mediator, usually a couple of days a month, in the BC Court Mediation Program (CMP). The program was administered by Mediate BC and funded by the province of British Columbia.  As per this recent Mediate BC tweet, the CMP is closing its’ doors. (In the picture are Lee Turnbull, […]

In Which Corner(s) is Your Conflict?

When in conflict, the source of the conflict can be confusing, never mind the way out!  Ken Wilbur’s Integral Vision is a handy, big picture, framework that can be applied to conflict management: Wilbur’s model is not dedicated to conflict. It applies to everything, literally, as I discovered in his A Theory of Everything.  Each […]

Finding the One-In-The-Many in 2015

‘Tis the season for family and friends, reflections on times past, and those still to come. New beginnings. One fond remembrance I have of Christmas past, time spent with my kids when they were small, was searching for Waldo. The Where’s Waldo? books (Where’s Wally? in the UK) placed Waldo in a very crowded scene, of Waldo look-a-likes […]