Navigating the Unchartered Waters of Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution Education
Serge Loode
Summary:
It is the author’s view that conflict resolution educators should in part draw from participants’ real-life experiences in order develop more culturally appropriate conflict resolution processes (an elicitive approach). Additionally, trainers should hold their knowledge lightly, and elicit conflict-resolution strategies from the group. This dialogical approach allows local and introduced knowledge of conflict resolution to permeate each other in dialogue, thus developing dynamic ways to deal with conflict. In this model, the students become the teachers and vice versa, as problems are explored and concepts are developed as a group. The author also advocates the use of local co-facilitators to establish trust in the local capacities for peace. Participants and trainers alike gain the opportunity to further develop conflict resolution practices that are rooted in their own experience but enhanced by the knowledge of others.
Loode, Serge, Mediation and Conflict Resolution Program, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, Vol 29(1), Fal, 2011. pp. 65-84. ISSN: 1536-5581
