Blogs
You will find useful articles on conflict-related topics.
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman
This book was originally published in 1992, but was republished in 2022. It’s essential reading for anyone who works with people who have experienced trauma. The book is in two parts: the first part explores the experience of trauma, and the second the stages of recovery. The book provides an overview of the history of
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Mind in Motion by Barbara Tversky
In this book Tversky argues that movement and actions are the foundation of thought, rather than language. The first part of the book explores how we represent the world in the mind, and the second part how we represent our mind in the world (e.g. by actions, maps, drawing, and art). The book shows how
Challenges in our practice – hearing from the practitioners
In our Conflict Leadership Program last month, we discussed various challenges in our practice as mediators, conflict management coaches, and conflict management consultants. While there were a number of themes (including working with clients exhibiting challenging behaviours and managing strong emotions), surprisingly, the most commonly mentioned challenges were the limitations that are imposed by the systems
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: The Human Network by Matthew O. Jackson
This book is a fascinating account of how networks work. It explores how who we are connected to, directly and indirectly, can make a significant difference to things like power, opportunities, spread of infections, and dissemination of information. It also demonstrates how different kinds of connections (e.g. whether you are the hub of various connections,
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING: Power by Steven Lukes
As one of the reviewers said, this book will, in thirty year’s time remain a – possibly the – classic treatment of power in the English language. I revisited this book when preparing some advanced training about power in conflict. It’s one of the best overviews of power that I have come across – it’s
CRITICAL REFLECTION: Power balancing
The Australian National Mediation Accreditation System Practice Standards refer to power in a number of parts: “A mediator must have knowledge [about] the dynamics of power and violence.” (Clause 10.1(a)(i)) “A mediator must be alert to changing balances of power in mediation and manage the mediation accordingly”. (Clause 6.1) “A mediator must have the ability
