Dear conference participants. We are now opening the registration for the workshop sections.

Mediation Section

Two separate workshops will be held in this section.

Workshop 1: 

Transformative Mediation in Criminal Cases

Duration: One hour (14:00 – 15:00)

Facilitator/Lecturer: Kees van Eijk 🇳🇱

Annotation:

In the Netherlands, mediation in criminal cases is a relatively young application of restorative justice within the criminal process. In criminal cases, there has been a social call for more attention for the declarant (the victim). Mediation meets this social demand and offers the declarant and the defendant the opportunity to meet and talk with each in order to discuss how they have been affected by the injustice and to decide what should be done to repair the harm. In the Netherlands, these mediations can occur before a final verdict. Mediations in criminal cases are always handled by a team of two specialized and authorized mediators.

Kees van Eijk is a certified transformative mediator and has been mediating criminal cases for the past nine years. In this short lecture, Kees will share his insights into the benefits and challenges of a transformative approach in a criminal justice environment.

Some of the themes that will be discussed:

1. Does the formalized legal environment of mediation in criminal cases restrict the transformative approach in any way?

2. What influence has the fact that participants are identified as perpetrator and victim (or relatives of a deceased victim) on the mindset of a (transformative) mediator?

3. Does mediation in criminal cases ask for different premises (and thereby different purposes and practices)?

4. How does one cooperate with a co-mediator with different premises on mediation?

Workshop 2: 

ADVANCED REFLECTION - CAPTURING BEHAVIOR IN REFLECTIONS

Duration: Two hours (15:20 – 17:20)

Facilitator/Lecturer: Peter Miller 🇺🇸

Annotation:

Reflection is a powerful means of supporting parties as they attempt to gain clarity and balance, even as they struggle with one another and with challenging circumstances. In reflecting parties, we accompany them as they encounter one another and with themselves. Expanding the scope of what we reflect permits us to extend that support, to carry it into moments where parties' words mask rather than reveal what they are expressing and the experience driving that expression. Such moments often come about because something of vital importance is at stake. By enhancing our reflections by naming parties' expressions and experiences, we can better stay with clients and offer support in those crucial moments.

Many of you probably already incorporate parties' behaviors into your reflections, sometimes almost unconsciously.

This workshop examines the practice of going beyond a speaker's words when reflecting systematically so those of you who choose to capture party behaviors in their reflection can be more consciously purposeful. And it will give you opportunities to practice doing that. It will also offer some principles that guide the business of taking reflection beyond spoken language. And it will allow you to practice incorporating behaviors in your reflections. There is a quality of advocacy to this workshop. It claims that incorporating parties' behavior into one's reflections enriches their potential benefits to parties. Beyond that, it maintains that there are moments in parties' discourse, such as a party employing sarcasm to make a strong point, when one must discard their words in reflecting because what they are expressing and the words they are using are at odds.  

Coaching Section

There is just one 3-hour-long workshop in this section.

Workshop 3:

TCC LAB – TRANSFORMATIVE CONFLICT COACHING

Duration: Three hours + coffeebreak (14:00 - 17:20)

Facilitator/Lecturer: Basia Solarz 🇨🇦, Christian Hartwig 🇩🇪, Jakub Rubeš 🇨🇿, Lukasz Kwiatkowski 🇵🇱, Kristine Paranica 🇺🇸, Cherise D. Hairston 🇺🇸, Hélène Rouleau 🇨🇦, Alžběta Kubišová 🇨🇿

Annotation:

We cordially invite you to join us on a humble yet captivating journey guided by conflict resolution practitioners from Canada, the Czech Republic, the USA, Poland, and Germany. Together, we have established a pioneering laboratory within the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation (ISCT) to explore the profound concept of Transformative Conflict Coaching (TCC) rooted in the transformative conflict theory.

In this workshop, we offer you a valuable opportunity to gain insights and develop practical skills in navigating and transcending conflict situations, particularly in a one-on-one setting. Our earnest belief in the transformative power of conflict fuels our mission to inspire fellow practitioners and individuals who are genuinely curious about the subject. We aspire to equip you with the necessary tools to engage in conflict coaching, aiding others in making better decisions even when direct dialogue with the opposing party appears unattainable.

Through engaging and interactive exercises, you will have the chance to personally apply the principles of transformative conflict coaching and contribute your invaluable feedback to the ongoing refinement of our methods.

Our international team brings together diverse perspectives and expertise, creating an inclusive and supportive environment for shared learning. Together, we will delve into the intricate complexities of conflict, navigating the challenges of balancing self-concern with concern for others—a fundamental aspect of moral development. This workshop presents a unique opportunity for profound self-reflection, where we humbly recognize our limitations, such as moments of weakness or self-absorption, that can confine us to narrow ways of thinking and understanding.

Uncover a new path toward personal growth, understanding, and moral grounding as you connect with like-minded participants who share your unwavering dedication to transforming conflict and promoting positive change.

Dialogue Section

In this section, there will be two interconnected workshops.

Workshop 4: 

TRANSFORMATIVE DIALOGUE – AN INTRODUCTION TO CO-CREATED CONVERSATIONS

Duration: One hour (14:00 - 15:00)

Facilitators: Cherise Hairston 🇺🇸

Annotation:

In the workshop, participants will delve into transformative dialogue's unique characteristics and significance, emphasizing its role in fostering deeper understanding and collaborative co-creation. The session will further unpack the concept of "co-creation" in the context of dialogues, highlighting how empowerment and recognition amplify the effectiveness of conversations. Attendees will be introduced to various methods designed to facilitate co-created dialogues, address potential barriers, and learn strategies to navigate these challenges. An interactive Q&A segment will allow clarification and deeper exploration of the topics discussed.

Workshop 5: 

GETTING A DIALOGUE STARTED: TIPS FOR WORKING IN COMMUNITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND WITH INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT

Duration: Two hours (15:20 - 17:20)

Facilitators: Mia Bowers 🇺🇸, Olivier Chambert-Loir 🇫🇷, Vesna Matovič 🇷🇸, Lukasz Kwiatkowski 🇵🇱.

Annotation:

During the two-hour workshop, attendees will be briefed on the significance of initiating dialogues across varied contexts. All three facilitators leading the session bring a wealth of experience, having worked extensively with community, organizational, and international conflicts. Their combined expertise ensures a deep and practical understanding of community dynamics and strategies for engaging diverse stakeholders. The workshop will address challenges in organizational dialogues, including power dynamics and varied agendas, and delve into the intricacies of dialogues within the context of international conflicts. As the workshop progresses, there will be a segment for participants to share their insights and experiences, followed by a Q&A session where further resources will be offered. This holistic approach, enriched by the facilitators' extensive experience, aims to equip attendees with both theoretical insights and hands-on tools for fostering transformative dialogues across diverse scenarios.

Registration limitations

Registering for one session only is possible, so please consider and decide carefully when registering. Once a session reaches its capacity, registering for that session will no longer be possible.

Many of you may find such a rule restrictive, as there is something in each section that would interest you. We get it - we feel the same way.

However, for organizational reasons, we can't do otherwise. Two considerations primarily drive us.

The program of some sessions is scheduled differently from the program of other sessions, so they won't have a break at the same time, which would create chaos and discomfort (noise, disruption of concentration) for participants of other sessions.

Furthermore, the capacity of the workshop rooms has clear limitations on the number of people they can accommodate. We cannot inflate them, and an overflow of participants in one session would again be detrimental to everyone's comfort.

All sessions will be wonderful and rewarding!

We hope this fact helps you understand and accept our decision.