I've been hurt by racism, too. My experiences might have been different from yours. But they are valid, too. I didn't understand why people made me feel bad about my new friend. I almost …
implicit bias
Can I Choose a Mediator with Industry Experience?
Of Course! Mediation is all about the parties having a choice and the power they need to create their own resolutions. There are some disputes that involve complex issues, such as patents or …
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Why Does Mediation Work?
There are, of course, many theories on why mediation works. I mention one of them in my book, DIY Conflict Resolution: Seven Choices and Five Actions of a Master. It could be that mediation aligns …
Even Peacemakers Sometimes Cause Division
As I have increased my peacemaking work, I have had extraordinary opportunities to participate in meetings with people I admire and organizations I respect. These are people with greater experience …
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Nance L. Schick Introduces An Integrative Lawyer’s Creed to Help Us Maintain Focus
It's always challenging to start a movement that transforms centuries-old systems. We see a lot of attempts in the United States today. There was #occupywallstreet. Whatever happened to that? …
Types of People Who Might Prefer Mediation to Litigation
One website reports that the average number of federal tort, or injury, lawsuits filed each year in the United States is 512,000. From there, you can probably estimate that a large number of tort …
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It Begins with the Listening
Listen for the hurt, the broken dreams, and the opportunities to heal them. Listen for the fears, the shame, and the cue to hug them. Listen not for the hate that developed in a …
Blaming “Them” is a Convenient Way of Avoiding Responsibility for Your Life
A loved one picked me up from the airport one December. As we drove through the neighborhood, we enjoyed the colorful lights and decorations in various yards. Snowmen, Santa Claus, reindeer, menorahs, …
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The Best Way to Change a System You Don’t Like is to Work Within It
The internet has been abuzz with comments--some of them quite hateful--since the grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed …
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How Do We Understand “The Most Intractable Conflict”?
Last night, I walked out of a discussion of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Many times during the first two hours, I was teary-eyed and overwhelmed by the lack of compassionate listening--the third ear …
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