Hello Friends and Supporters,

November is a busy and exciting time at the Center. We are gearing up for the start of SCPI and the Teacher Training Program in 2024, have just announced two programs designed to meet the needs of practitioners working on the East Coast, and have expanded video library resources to CUC Connect members and teachers in training. 

In addition, we are preparing for an internal development process that begins in December and runs through much of next year. This partnership with an outside organization will help us take a critical look at how our training and development programs are structured and designed to meet the diverse needs of attendees and the demands of communities working to address conflict wherever it is. More information about this process will be coming soon, and we encourage the support of our members as we work to deploy these changes in celebration of 40 years of nonprofit conflict resolution education.

As we begin to enter the holiday season and look to planning and goal-setting for the coming year, we appreciate the opportunity to partner with you on your conflict resolution journey and welcome you to reach out if there is anything we can do to support you.

Best,

James Dykeman

Executive Director

The Teacher Training program will prepare participants to offer trainings wherever they are drawn.

Please join us November 01, 2023 at 9AM PST for a Q&A with Catherine Conner to learn about this comprehensive, year-long training program.

CUC invites you to consider joining the next introductory cohort of SCPI, a six-month, online program, beginning in January 2024, where conflict resolution professionals commit to exploring together practices of self-reflection that are constructive for ourselves and productive for our clients.

As we look to the future, our priority in the coming year is to expand accessibility, evaluate and adapt programming to meet the needs of diverse audiences and voices while working to ensure that we equip those who participate in our teaching and training programs to meet the complex demands of bringing together those in conflict across all sectors of our society, at home and abroad.

Navigating Divorce with Grace: The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Eisold Miller

In an era where divorce often conjures images of courtroom battles and bitter disputes, Katherine Eisold Miller’s The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce emerges as a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of dignified conflict resolution. Miller’s comprehensive guide offers a fresh perspective on divorce, emphasizing dignity, respect, and compassion as the cornerstones of the collaborative approach. 



At its core, The Guide seeks to revolutionize how we perceive and navigate the dissolution of marriages. Drawing on her extensive experience as a family lawyer and mediator, Miller deftly guides readers through the intricacies of collaborative divorce. This process prioritizes open communication and mutual understanding over adversarial tactics, and Miller’s unwavering commitment to humanizing the divorce experience is one of the book’s most compelling aspects. She skillfully dismantles the misconception that divorce must inevitably culminate in acrimony and division. Instead, she presents a nuanced roadmap for couples to dismantle their union while preserving their dignity and emotional well-being. Through poignant case studies and empathetic anecdotes, Miller showcases the transformative potential of collaboration, illustrating that divorce need not be synonymous with hostility.

Beginning this month, CUC Connect members now receive all all previously recorded live programs covering topics including looping, contracting, legal considerations, personality and conflict dynamics, practice building, and more to aid in their professional development.

CUC Connect is for everyone looking for continuing support as they master the art of turning the emotions they’ve always avoided into a powerful path to professional wholeness and effectiveness, ultimately leading to better outcomes and a human-centered approach to finding resolution between those in conflict.

Co-Creating the Future of Mediation with Guest Susanne Fest

Suzanne Fest, attorney, mediator, and trainer at Mediation Fest, a conflict resolution educational institute in Cologne, Germany, has nearly 30 years of experience mediating business and personal conflict. She joins The Other Chair to talk about her experience and plans for a future aimed at bringing conflict resolution tools and education to individuals in communities across the world.

Our flagship experiential certificate training program centered around the Understanding-Based Model. 

Realistic simulations, in which participants work through mediations from beginning to end, with coaching from our teachers, offer participants the chance to hone their skills and experience the emotional challenges faced by parties in dispute. Participants describe these different learning modes and their interplay as enjoyable, engaging, and rewarding.

2023-24 Training Dates

West Coast - Green Gulch, CA

November 15 - 19,  2023

March 13 - 17, 2024

Online

Jan. 26 & 27 and Feb. 1 - 3, 2024

Join the Center for Understanding in Conflict for a comprehensive 24-hour Basic Mediation Training covering basic theory and skills of understanding-based mediation in a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

This certificate program teaches individuals the basic theories and practical skills needed to help people in conflict. Participants will learn to deescalate unproductive arguments and conflict dynamics and guide parties and lawyers involved toward positive discussions and effective decision-making. The training also covers how law and lawyers play a part in mediation, preparing participants to mediate conflicts in various settings including private contexts, court-referred cases, and community disputes.

In this 24-hour program, adapted from our gold standard mediation training, you will learn how to support parties working through conflict or engaging in other important conversations in a different way. 

Join the Center for Understanding in Conflict for a comprehensive 16-hour Advanced Matrimonial Mediation Training which will:

• Teach participants relevant New York State matrimonial and family law.
• Teach advanced skills helpful to mediate divorces and family cases effectively rooted in the understanding-based model.
• Qualify as an advanced mediation course approved under Part 146.4(b)(2) of the Rules of the Chief Administrative Judge of New York State.
• Provide 16 hours of NYS CLE credits.
• Be combined with the 24-hour Basic Mediation Training Course to receive a 40-hour completion certificate.

Help people to move beyond their fixed positions by coaching them to explore and describe what really matters — their underlying interests — in order to unlock creative and mutually beneficial solutions.

Join Katherine Miller and Melanie Rowen to gain practical insights into working with interests effectively, both to uncover and then to hold on to them through the negotiation, helping the parties to broaden and deepen their perspective on what they really need and want.

CLE ELIGIBLE IN CALIFORNIA

As we approach the end of the year, we invite you to a town hall webinar experience to collectively explore personal and professional interests, address common concerns, and ignite a passion for applying understanding-based practices.

Join Catherine Conner and Gary Friedman and be part of an interactive discussion designed to help people find possibilities for themselves and others in the face of impossibility and gain invaluable insights to embark on a journey of successful conflict resolution and mediation with a renewed commitment to fostering harmonious relationships and creating positive change.

There is no cost to attend this event, although we do ask that you register. (Note that CUC Connect Members are automatically registered.)

The Center for Understanding in Conflict, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Learn how to support our efforts to bring together parties in conflict.