listening skills

How Utilizing Theater Practices Can Cultivate Conflict Management Skills

How Utilizing Theater Practices Can Cultivate Conflict Management Skills

You may wonder how theater could possibly teach anything about conflict management. After all, theater is just actors playing pretend on stage. Mediators and peacebuilders deal with serious real-world conflicts. As someone who studied, both fields, I was surprised to discover they have surprisingly much in common. I have also learned that utilizing theater practices in conflict management can positively shape how we practice conflict management. In this article, we are going to explore how drama on-stage can help solve drama off-stage. Along the way, I will share some personal anecdotes, as someone who recently earned a double major in theater directing and peace and justice studies (a path my parents were not expecting). By the end of this article, you should gain a new perspective on analyzing and managing conflicts, and maybe you might even want to take an acting class! 

How Mediators Can Recognize the Effects of Climate Change on Conflict

How Mediators Can Recognize the Effects of Climate Change on Conflict

Climate change is one of the most prominent and pressing issues of our time. It’s our duty as mediators to understand climate change’s effects on our work. Climate change has had a unique impact on conflicts of all scales– from simple arguments between family members over the temperature of the thermostat to fueling armed conflicts in regions where there is resource scarcity. The increase in temperature in our climate is hitting new records. This increase in temperature is heating up conflicts across the globe. So what can we do as mediators to help keep the cool? This article seeks to understand the unique impact climate change has on conflict and how mediators can recognize the climate’s specific role in conflict.

Assumptions: The Silent Killers of Effective Listening and Conflict Resolution

Assumptions: The Silent Killers of Effective Listening and Conflict Resolution

In our daily interactions, we often find ourselves making assumptions about what others think, feel, or mean. While this may be natural, assumptions can hinder our ability to actively listen and truly understand others. Active listening is a crucial skill in effective communication, enabling us to build stronger personal and professional relationships. However, when we start making assumptions about the speaker's statements, tone of voice, or body language, we veer away from active listening and compromise effective communication. Poor listening combined with ineffective communication inevitably leads to misunderstandings and conflicts. Assumptions become the silent killers of effective listening and conflict resolution. In this article, we will explore the impact of assumptions on active listening and conflict resolution, as well as strategies to overcome the barriers to they create.