“I have been privileged to witness the light of awareness in people’s eyes when, through learning mediation, they realize their own empowerment to solve the issues at hand.”

In a career that spans more than 30 years, Lynn Cole has learned to recognize this awareness as an essential tipping point in the process of fostering community-driven peacebuilding. Among many pivotal roles, Lynn has served as an AV-rated trial attorney, an assistant United States attorney, a founding member of the Florida Dispute Resolution Center, a USAID mediation specialist, and the second MBBI President and Board of Directors Chair. Today, she is a full-time mediator, mediator trainer, and the CEO/President of BRDGES Academy, which is the first e-learning platform for building mediation discourse and cross-cultural competency for conflict resolution professionals.

Litigation and Mediation

Lynn recalls that her foray into the “legal world” came when her ninth-grade teacher initiated a classroom mock trial. With a smile, she described, “I was tasked to perform a cross-examination of one of my peers, and I remember loving it.”Lynn went on to complete a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland followed by a Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. In her first professional roles as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and, later, with the U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida, Lynn supported the government and private clients while developing a practical understanding of the importance of procedure, evidence, and lines of questioning. However, she noted, “It was clear that litigation did not solve everything.” 

When she became Chair of the Civil Justice Reform Act Commission, Lynn explored various applications of alternative dispute resolution. This led her to recommend that the federal judges in Florida begin using mediation in their civil case management. Although no other federal district at this time had done so, Lynn’s idea prompted the founding of the Dispute Resolution Center for the Florida Supreme Court where she earned a leading role. “I became one of twelve people in the state of Florida to help start the center, and it was a reward to see other districts and states around the country follow suit.” Eventually, Lynn wanted to become a mediator herself. She sought out advanced certification programs through the Florida Supreme Court, Harvard University, and the International Mediation Institute in The Hague, garnering a perspective and skillset that would ultimately define her career.

Working with USAID

Lynn then launched into a thirteen-year span of assignments with USAID in Bulgaria, Jordan, Kosovo, and Sri Lanka where she facilitated trainings and partnerships to design and maintain court-related systems of mediation. She served alongside local judges, attorneys, mediators, and community representatives, which solidified her passion for this work. “At its heart, mediation is a peacebuilding tool carried from the community-up,” she said. 

In moments of great challenges, such as when she was serving in post-war Kosovo, Lynn was able to reflect on the core of this process. Specifically, she noted, “If you can get both sides in a disagreement to hear, just a little, there comes an understanding that it took two to buld the conflict, and only a deep awareness of each other’s perspective will fix it.”

In this Globalized World

Among her recent accomplishments, Lynn has represented MBBI as President in a formal address the United Nations and she continues to advocate for and perform extensive global trainings on three main practice areas: commercial and court mediation, transformational mediation, and community mediation. She launched BRDGES Academy as a virtual education platform to help boost the accessibility of mediation training and to meet the needs of this globalized world. “Learning how to navigate cultural differences and sensitivities is important for all practi0ners in dispute and conflict resolution today,” she explained. BRDGES Academy is constantly expanding to adapt to present dynamics.

Lynn spoke with conviction about the role of MBBI as well — “MBBI is a leader. It does not compare to any other organization in terms of having people on the ground, and it is the basis of my philosophy on how to build and grow mediations throughout the world.”

Article by Juliana Heffern, MBBI Writer

Not only is Rudy Westervelt a certified mediator, humanitarian and business owner, but also he is the Convener and Chair of the Rotary World Peace Conference 2020 in Ontario, California, January 17-18, 2020. For the last two years, Rudy has been working tirelessly to make this conference an unforgettable reality for the expected 2,000 attendees. This conference is a multidistrict event that includes six southern California districts and Rotary District 5050. It is based on the model of the Rotary conference held in 2016 themed “Connecting Leaders and Conflict Resolution Experts with Solutions to Create a Culture of Peace,” where breakout sessions included topics on post-traumatic stress disorder, domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, and other pertinent issues.

Looking for Answers

Rudy became involved with Rotary in peacebuilding and conflict resolution and then focused on youth engagement in Rotary districts in southern California. One of his many successes has been organizing annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camps for high school juniors and 7th-grade students. More than 600 youth attend the camp, RYLA 5330. For Rudy, the most impactful part of the camp is the Culture Walk, which helps youth foster a community of their own and provides an understanding that they are not alone. The camp also intentionally creates a supportive environment in which they make long term relationships with other youth.

“Rotarians do not have all the answers, but we are connected to every sector of society”

He stated that “When we collaborate and work together with other organizations… it strengthens what we do and gives us a wider network to reach out and solve conflicts and do good work around the globe.” He identified the importance of the connection that exists between Rotary and MBBI, including in the upcoming conflict resolution trainings which will be held simultaneously as the conference in January 2020 for an expected 500 high school students. The aim of the conference and these youth trainings are to provide attendees with salient take away solutions that they can get behind and make a difference in both their community and globally.

The Rotary World Peace Conference 2020

The 2020 Conference will include a concert, a film viewing and discussion, two dinners honoring community heroes, six general sessions, thirteen themed tracks, an exhibit hall with more than ninety NGOs and a plethora of international changemakers with solutions to current, global issues. Several confirmed keynote speakers include the Rotary International president Mark Daniel Maloney, MBBI founder Kenneth Cloke, Women Cross DMZ founder and executive director Christine Ahn, Tariq Khamisa Foundation founder Azim Khamisa, and the Hilinski’s Hope Foundation founder Kym Hilinski.

 

 

 

The tracks for the upcoming conference are:

• Track A Personal Life and Home
• Track B Education and Literacy
• Track C Community
• Track D Workplace
• Track E International
• Track F Peace Fellows/Peace Graduates
• Track G Human and Civil Rights
• Track H Diplomacy/War
• Track I Religion/Spirituality
• Track J Mainstream and Social Media
• Track K Sustainability
• Track L Global Trade and Economic Development
• Track M Empowering Women

Honoring Those that Save and Change Lives

A special feature of the conference will be the Community Heroes Award Dinner. Rudy asked Rotarians across southern California to identify non-Rotarian change-makers in their communities that have gone out and saved or changed a life in their community or are continuing to do so – they can be either a child or an adult. The purpose is to honor them and acknowledge the good work that they have done. He explained that in a world that is inundated with bad news, this serves as an opportunity to focus and shine a light on the good.

Rudy was optimistic and signed off with the following “There are solutions out there, we just have to find them, report on them, and get support for them.” The Rotary World Peace Conference 2020 will be an event which will give these solutions much-needed exposure.

Article by Kylea Shropshire, MBBI Writer

“Sometimes, the enormity and complexity of the issue of climate changes feels paralyzing – however, it is useful to keep the perspective that this makes it an equally enormous opportunity for action.”

As a senior attorney, trained mediator, and private consultant, specializing in climate change and environmental conflict resolution, Joseph Siegel has no shortage of expertise. For over 30 years, he has dedicated his career towards analyzing and addressing this ever-pertinent global dilemma. He is also an Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution Specialist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Regional Counsel in New York and teaches a variety of related courses, such as Environmental Dispute Resolution and Adaptation to Climate Change, at Haub School of Law at Pace University as well as Hofstra Law School.

From the Beginning

“I have always had a love for the environment and an interest in environmental issues,” Joseph said. As an undergraduate at Wesleyan, he began transforming this interest into a career focus. “I was in one of the country’s first ‘Science, Technology, and Society’ programs,” which, he explained, addressed the complex interactions between the natural environment, technology, and the social world, and served as his initial inspiration to pursue environmental law. 

Joseph went on to attend Hofstra University Law School where he gravitated toward the one course in environmental law that was offered back in the early 1980s. Following graduation, he spent a few years developing his career in direct service of the community as a lawyer with The Legal Aid Society. It was not long, however, until he felt compelled to take a deep dive into his environmental passions. When an opportunity within the EPA came to his attention, Joseph recalled, “I made the switch and loved it. I have been there for 33 years!”

Environmental Law and Mediation

The benefits of mediation in the legal space were clear to Joseph in his first years as a lawyer. “I was drawn to mediation because I found that litigation was not always the most effective strategy for solving systemic problems.” Although outside the traditional approach at the time, Joseph became a certified mediator in order to help resolve some of the issues he observed.

“I trained, began volunteering for the Westchester Mediation Center, and worked in family mediation, small claims courts, etc.” Joseph used these opportunities to develop expertise before formally introducing this practice to his environmental legal work. Becoming a mediator taught him how to move a conversation forward in a productive manner; “… to de-escalate conflict in the moment and to bring about a common understanding among diverse parties.”

In his current practice and teaching on climate change, Joseph finds that his law students and the many stakeholders he works with, feel passionate about taking action “… which often creates potential for conflict between parties who otherwise have a common goal.” Mediation gives him the capacity to engage with these dynamics. “Working with people who want to take action in the face of the climate crisis but can’t seem to do it effectively without assitance, is motivating. Being able to harmonize interests is the best reward,” Joseph said.

As a seasoned conflict resolution specialist with the EPA, Joseph focuses on climate change and air pollution law and policy as well as the mediation of large environmental disputes. While litigation was a significant part of his job earlier in his career, he now frequently acts as a neutral facilitator to help stakeholders arrive at sustainable solutions. Among many accomplishments, Joseph has served as a mediator and facilitator, both within the Agency and as a consultant outside the Agency, on matters including green building codes, renewable energy, resilient communities, post-disaster sustainable development, and climate science, among others.

Addressing Climate Change with MBBI

As a member and representative of MBBI’s Climate Change Policy Project, Joseph recently attended one of the United Nations annual climate summits. He described the experience as “… a big opportunity for MBBI to demonstrate how mediation can address this global problem in a cohesive and productive manner.” In the years ahead, Joseph hopes that mediation will continue to be used more readily as a tool for state and local governments as well as NGOs and businesses around the world to refine their goals and improve their climate action agendas. “MBBI raises awareness for this.”

Article by Juliana Heffern, MBBI Writer

“Conflicts are usually resolved in one of three ways: through power and strong-arming, through legality, or through approached that are interest-based. The last is my focus because that is where deep conversations occur and everyone can leave satisfied.”

This contention is one of Luis Ore’s who is a negotiation and consensus-building practitioner and mediator based in Lima, Peru. He holds a Juris Doctorate and two masters degrees in organizational communications and conflict management. As director of ORASI Consulting Group, Luis specializes in facilitating cross-cultural understanding, collaboration, conflict prevention, and dispute resolution between stakeholders in the United States and throughout Latin-America.

Early Inspirations and Impactful Training

Luis discovered his interest in this field when he was in his final year of high school. He remembers, “My father always read a lot and, one day, I came across a book of his entitled, ‘Getting to Yes’ and it changed my life.” Authored by American negotiation experts, William Ury and Roger Fisher, “Getting to Yes” discusses the psychology of negotiation and the processes by which a consensus can be forged among diverse people and organizations. “That book was the foundation for the Harvard Negotiation Project, which inspired me to pursue this line of work,” Luis said.

In subsequent years, Luis studied law at the Universidad de Lima where he gravitated to the courses that dealt with alternative dispute resolution. After graduation and serving a brief stint as a lawyer within the Peruvian government, he took an advanced training course on the Harvard negotiation model. Luis recalled, “I fell in love with the model and knew I wanted to tailor my work to helping people negotiate.” Luis soon moved to United States to further his education at Western Kentucky University and then Lipscomb University. He reveled in the opportunity to study conflict management in depth while also becoming fluent in English. Luis felt that the experiences and connections he gained during that time have defined his career. “I think I considered myself an ‘attorney in recovery’ since law school had taught me to fight and, now, I was learning to help people talk,” he said. 

In addition to his core studies, Luis learned from working with refugee communities and large U.S. companies, serving as a volunteer with the Association for Conflict Resolution, and completing a negotiation program at the place that inspired it all; Harvard University. “I met all my role models there,” he noted. 

The Work: Challenges and Rewards

Luis spoke about his field experiences over the years with tremendous fervency. He has engaged with diverse parties, including indigenous communities in the Peruvian jungle, leaders of international corporations, and top government representatives. The process of identifying sustainable solutions to the issues at hand has always been a unique challenge, but the use of mediation in these contexts has been crucial. Luis stated, “Everyone wants access to resources which are limited, and we all have more needs and more interests at the table which cannot be satisfied with law or power exclusively.” Further, Luis noted, “It is when we stop talking that the problems really start.” Mediation is an effective remedy because “It allows the fight to continue but at the table.” 

For Luis, the act of presenting tools that bring about peaceful outcomes and satisfied parties has been the most rewarding aspect of his career. He specifically referenced that the “aha moment” is his favorite. “It is the moment when a group of people recognizes that a joint dialogue is actually leading to their interests being fulfilled.” 

MBBI and the Future

“MBBI is a support and resource to anyone in this field,” Luis said. He hopes to become more involved in the months and years to come by creating a Lima-based working group and collaborating on new initiatives. He sees an opportunity for MBBI to demonstrate how mediation may be implemented more readily during the designing stage of company projects in order to increase the likelihood of successful implementation and sustainability. “I would love to see this happen on a wider scale.”

In closing, he remarked, “MBBI is a community for listening to and sharing experiences and challenges, which builds a paradigm of mutual gain.”

Article by Juliana Heffern, MBBI Writer

With over twenty years of experience in social impact, Ei Ei Samai brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique world perspective to her clients, community, and fellow peacebuilders at MBBI. She holds a Master of Science in Organization Management and Transformative Leadership and is certified in advanced facilitation, community mediation, conflict transformation, restorative justice, and more. Most recently, Ei Ei earned the distinction of “Courage Catalyst” as part of the first cohort of facilitator trainings led by the renowned researcher and author, Brené Brown. “Committed to growing agility, resilience, and belonging in social impact groups through science-based culture design” — This is the powerful mission behind Ei Ei’s work as Principal Designer of Samai Group; a mindful facilitation consultancy based in San Francisco, CA.

Early Inspirations from Burmese Culture and Beyond

At the spirited age of four, Ei Ei started her journey toward becoming a leader in mediation and peacebuilding. “I grew up in Burma, and the way that I saw the grownups around me handle conflict was unique and served as my first inspirations,” Ei Ei explained. She remembers that whenever a significant matter arose within her family, the adults would gather and engage in a focused exchange of ideas. There were unofficial power-holders in these conversations; voices of wisdom and calm— and the wordage was always suggestive, rather than blunt or demanding.

After immigrating to the United States with her family at eleven years old, Ei Ei was exposed to a vastly different cultural landscape where she developed an interest in social justice. Her multidisciplinary undergraduate studies, involvement in women of color organizations, and experience observing other traditional methods of conflict management led by elders in New Zealand strongly influenced Ei Ei’s professional aspirations. She knew that she wanted to learn as much as possible about how to approach world conflicts with a systems lens and restorative focus.

Completing the School for International Training’s graduate program in peacebuilding and conflict transformation, was a game changer for Ei Ei. Through this opportunity, she spent time in Rwanda doing post-conflict field studies and building a comprehensive skills-based understanding of how the peacebuilding process operates; how diverse elements, such as forgiveness, the arts, and civil society, may be organized and interwoven to allow for widespread communal healing. “Until then, it did not occur to me that this could be my career.”

Launchng Samai Group and Understanding its Impact

Fast forward to today— Ei Ei is the distinguished proprietor of Samai Group, which, at its core, was founded upon her life-long regard for gender equality, global citizenship, honoring the planet, and living a purpose-driven existence. Ei Ei also expressed exceptional gratitude to the people along the way who opened her eyes, filled her heart, skilled her hands, and helped her pave a career path.

Samai Group represents Ei Ei’s professional prowess and brings together the tools and trainings she has identified to help shape conversations and improve outcomes for a diversity of social impact organizations. Most notably, Ei Ei consults with local governments, social enterprises, public schools, and non-profits in the realms of educational equity, diversity and inclusion, family and community engagement, environmental justice, and collaborative partnerships.

When asked why she believes mediation and other informed strategies for conflict management are important today, she said “Displays of anger and dysfunction are happening every day in our workplaces and throughout society, because people simply do not have the tools to deal with the issues they face.” In other words, peacebuilding, from Ei Ei’s perspective, should not only be practiced post-conflict, but also as a habitual preventative. “We want to avoid people becoming volcanoes.”

The Light in a Community of Practice

“What I enjoy most about this work are the people!!!” When coaching a client or facilitating a group training, “I love the moments when I can see that a person no longer feels alone in their struggle, or that they are feeling more capable to try on new language and engage in productive conversations with colleagues, or that they now have the tools to transform a given conflict into something positive!”

Additionally, Ei Ei considers MBBI to be an essential community of practice. She enjoys learning about the context of others’ mediation work; their challenges and how they apply their skills. She said, “As a process person, there is always something to learn,” and it is good for the sustainability, success, and global interconnectedness of everyone in this field.

Ei Ei participates in several projects with MBBI, but the Democracy, Politics, and Conflict Engagement Initiative (DPACE) is a special interest. Its ultimate mission to foster a more just society through creative and constructive conflict management is very much in line with the goal of her own consultancy. Now, more than ever, “We do not have time for infighting. We need to figure out how to be a collective.” MBBI has the unique ability to contribute to this effort.

Lastly, Ei Ei shared a piece of advice from a former professor related to the importance of the MBBI network. In this line of work, where practitioners are constantly exposed to the dark injustices of the world and the ways in which people are hurting, every peace-builder needs to stay aware of their light and learn how to resource it through a shared community whenever it gets dim. “To shine again and to bring light into this work every day” is the essence of what MBBI makes possible.

Ei Ei will be hosting two webinars on MBBI’s platform this summer entitled, “The Implications of Equity in Conflict Work,” on Monday, July 22, and “Rumble and Rise Skills for Authoring New Social Contracts” on Wednesday, August 14. For more information and to register, please email webinars@mediatorsbeyondborders.org.

Article by Juliana Heffern, MBBI Writer