Dialogue for Peaceful Change (DPC) is an international program that has brought together the best methodologies from around the world in community-based conflict mediation, providing effective tools and strategies for analyzing and addressing conflicts. This is a program applicable to conflicts and disputes in communities, families and organizations moving beyond traditional mediative methods, focusing on conflict content, culture, and spirituality.
The experiential processes allow practice of the stages of conflict mediation and to apply the tools of “mediative behavior” in a realistic context. Participants receive international accreditation as DPC Facilitators upon completion.
What we do:
In DPC we look at practical ways to manage all aspects of conflict before they intensify. We work worldwide in the field of conflict management and change. We offer concrete tools, developed by practitioners working in national and international conflict settings. We train and coach people who wish to apply DPC in their own lives.
Methodology:
The Nature of Conflict: The participants experience a variety of activities, reflections and lectures which enable them to consider their own understanding of their experience of conflict.
The Conceptual Framework and Models
The participants learn the key conceptual framework of DPC which includes models which locate and explore the drivers of conflict, peacebuilding and mediative behaviour.
The Tool Kit:
The participants then learn a variety of tools which will add to their previous knowledge and skill sets in order to enhance their work in conflict situations within the community, the work place and within their own social networks. The tool kit includes; conflict mapping, pillars work on framing issues and dynamics, mediative communication and processes, conflict phasing and strategy planning re preventative, intervention and harm reduction, formal mediation and informal meditative and conflict transformation strategies.
The Practice and Application: The participants then have the opportunity to apply these new skills through: Intensive coached role play on mediation scenarios that are based on realistic local conflicts. Learn how conflict can be an opportunity for transformation on a personal and community level.
Identifying and recognizing the need to build and strengthen existing or new patterns of intra and interagency cooperation and collaboration to impact synergy, problem solving and enhanced learning to generate a wider added value of the social and economic investment of the program.
Leadership
Stephen Law is an internationally certified mediation coach in Dialogue for Peaceful Change. Stephen has offered trainings in Northern Ireland, India and North America. Stephen was the past chair of Peace Brigades International and has trained international accompaniers in conflict areas around the world. Stephen has mediated conflicts in community-based organizations, family structures and cooperative social enterprises and offered programming which builds bridges between groups, communities and organizations.
Stephen was the Social Transformation Program Coordinator with the Tatamagouche Centre and is an Associate of the Coady International Institute where he has taught the Community-Based Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding course at St. Francis Xavier University. He designed and delivered the Welcoming Ambassador Program to support the integration and inclusion of Syrian newcomers to Nova Scotia. He is also the author of the novel Tailings of Warren Peace which was shortlisted for in the 2013 Atlantic Book Awards. His latest novel is, Under Her Skin (Roseway, 2017).
Ishbel Munro has been a social justice activist and community builder for over 50 years. She is an internationally certified mediation coach in Dialogue for Peaceful Change. She has been offering training since 2010. She was also trained in mediation at Henson College, Dalhousie University. Ishbel has mediated conflicts within non-profits, in Indigenous communities, with families and co-operatives. She has also mentored new mediators for many years. Ishbel likes the opportunity that mediation provides for personal reflection and transformation. She is currently Coordinator of Apaji-wla’matulinej and Women of First Light, which are Indigenous women lead organization from Wabanaki homelands. They work to heal Indigenous communities through bringing back traditional ways of being including Clan Mothers, the relationship to the land and Creator, the languages and providing support and mentoring. Much of her work prior to this has been building bridges between peoples. Through Coastal Communities Network she developed projects like On Common Ground which brought together the African Nova Scotian, Mi’Kmaq, Acadian and fishing communities to learn about each other’s culture, heritage, and histories. This process avoided violence that we saw between First Nations and non-native fishermen in New Brunswick.