Glencree Conflict Resolution, Mediation & Peacemaking Certificate Course

Applications are invited for this 60 hour mediation training course.

Module I (20 Hours): Conflict Resolution Skills

1. Managing And Resolving Conflict

• General introductions
• Our perceptions of "conflict": positive and negative
• Conflict management within groups and organisations.

2. Styles Of Conflict Management

• Generating experiences of conflict situations
• Finding your conflict comfort zone
• The five styles of handling conflict
• Managing your style and avoiding going into excess

3. Reflective Listening Skills

• Picking up clues from body language
• Working with and acknowledging perceived reality
• Reflective listening: the discipline of not adding anything
• Connecting with the emotional realities

4. Assertiveness Skills for Problem Solving

• Making clear statements about your own needs
• Moving from anger to constructive problem solving
• The four part assertive message

5. Getting Interpersonal Disputes Resolved

• Role play of an interpersonal conflict situation
• Learnings from and analysis of the role play

6. Predictable Dynamics of Conflict

• How unmanaged conflict escalates: the conflict spiral
• Conflict analysis, intervention and problem solving
• Dispute resolution: power balancing and anger management

7. Interest Based Negotiation

• Interest based v adversarial negotiation
• PIN model: Positions, Interests and Needs
• “Win as much as you can”
• Balancing and mixing self-interest and cooperation

Module II (20 Hours): Mediation Skills

1. Design of Dispute Resolution Systems

• Process continuum for alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
• The growth of community, family and business mediation in Ireland
• The different models of mediation for each sector: family, workplace, commercial, community, restorative justice, environmental

2. Getting Parties to the Table

• The pre-mediation phase: role and tasks of mediator
• Role play of case development for a neighbour dispute

3. The Basics of the Mediation Process

• Old and new mediation
• A generic mediation process for interpersonal disputes
• Demonstration of the stage process (neighbour dispute)

4. Mediation Process Skills I

• Rehearsing the introduction and storytelling stages
• Role play and mediation skills practice (neighbour dispute)
• Framing the issues and problem solving stages
• Role play and mediation skills practice (family dispute)
• Writing up the agreement
• Role play and mediation skills practice (workplace dispute)

5. Process Issues in Mediation

• Handling anger and emotion through storytelling
• Empowerment of the disputants
• Power balancing
• Reframing, problem solving and option generation

6. Multi-Party Facilitation Process

• Simulated experience of multi-party mediation (public policy)
• Differences in the role of facilitator and mediator

Module III (20 Hours): Peacemaking

This module will focus on peacemaking, victim and ex-combatant mediation and the Irish peace process.
1. Architecture of Peace Process

• The three phases of a peace process: conflict management, resolution and transformation
• Examination of key moments in Irish peace process
• Comparisons between Northern Ireland, South Africa and the Middle East

2. The Post-Conflict Reconciliation Phase

• Recovering stories and the healing of past hurts in Ireland
• Achievements of Truth & Reconciliation Commissions
• Towards a process model for the Irish situation

3. The Basics of Victim-Offender Mediation

• The shift from reparation to restorative justice
• Repairing the damage and managing the apology
• Demonstration of VOM process
• Differences in the role between facilitator and mediator

4. VOM Process Skills

• Role play and mediation skills practice
• Adapting the VOM model for reconciliation work
• Role play of a victim/survivor and ex-combatant/ex-security forces person
• Issues around getting closure

5. Process Issues In Victim-Offender Mediation

• Preparation of the disputants before the mediation
• Handling anger, hurt and trauma during and afterwards
• Issues in balancing asymmetrical power
• Options for repairing the damage

6. Project Presentation

• Each participation presents a small project on a conflict resolution or mediation topic of their choice from reading list
• Arrangements for further mediation training, case work and Part II

Readings related to topics belonging to each module will be recommended from various texts: Cornelius & Faire, Fisher & Ury, Pruitt & Rubin, Larry Susskind, Merry & Milner, Bill Zartman, Herb Kelman, Vamik Volkan

Interpersonal mediation manual (all 5 stages) and Handouts will be supplied on many topics:

• getting parties to table
• mediation paradigm
• consensus building
• the peace process
• victim/offender mediation