Mediators Beyond Borders International

Webinar: Can Multi-Narrative Tourism Make a Difference?

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Every region has multiple narratives. There is the dominant narrative that is often told on tours, and there are the subaltern narratives. Aziz Abu Sarah and his company, MEJDI Tours, seeks to find the subaltern or marginalized narratives in every destination, get access to people and sites and identify authentic experiences for their travelers. Aziz argues that tourism is the most sustainable way to break down barriers. Join us in our conversation on Can Multi-Narrative Tourism Make a Difference? by Aziz Abu Sarah on Friday, November 29, 2019, at 10:30 AM ET. In this webinar, Aziz will talk about the role multi-narrative tourism can play in building bridges between cultures, and how tourism can help people move past tolerance toward reconciliation. 

Register here

Storytelling and narrative change is an important part of reconciliation work, requiring an understanding of when to use individual storytelling to inspire others and when to incorporate a broader story to build understanding of the broader systemic change that is needed. The narrative power of tourism can help shift the conversations and perceptions surrounding conflict. In the case of tourism, contact between foreign visitors and hosts of diverse and even conflicting groups may provide opportunities in which perceived notions and stereotypes are broken down and ultimately replaced with mutually positive perceptions and understandings of one another. Aziz’s style of tourism seeks to move beyond one-dimensional narratives to shape a more complex picture, using different frames and new metaphors.

Now is the time more than ever for peacebuilders to question our own thinking, language and assumptions in order to break down our own bubbles of meaning to co-construct new narratives for peace with others.  Aziz will explain how we are all connected by shared values that cross cultures, languages, religions, nationalities, and ethnicities, and that there is far more that unites us than separates us.

 

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Aziz Abu Sarah is a National Geographic Explorer and Cultural Educator, as well as a TED Fellow. He is the co-founder of MEJDI Tours, a social enterprise focused on introducing multi-narrative cultural education and responsible business practices to the travel industry. In the past, Aziz also served as the Executive Director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University (2009-2015).

In the field, Aziz has pioneered and managed projects in conflict resolution and community relations in Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Washington D.C, and other sites. He is the co-director of the “I Am Your Protector” interfaith campaign. He also is a cofounder of Project Amal ou Salam, a grassroots relief organization for Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

In the media, Aziz has co-produced and hosted the National Geographic web series Conflict Zone, a series that explores the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the perspective of Palestinian refugees, the Israeli Defense Forces, Jewish settlers, and more. Aziz has also published articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Jerusalem Post, Alarabiya, and others. He frequently provides expert analysis for television news programs such as Al Jazeera, CNN and Fox.

Aziz has been honored to receive numerous awards, including the Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East from the Institute of International Education, the Silver Rose Award from the European Parliament, the Eisenhower Medallion from People to People International, and the Eliav-Sartawi Award for Middle Eastern Journalism from Search for Common Ground. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recognized Aziz Abu Sarah’s work during his speech at the 5th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in February 2013, and the UNAOC and BMW Group awarded him the intercultural innovation award in 2011. and Aziz has been named one of the “500 Most Influential Muslims” by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre for nine years running.

Please note that the deadline to register for this webinar is one day before the event. We will send the Zoom access link to registrants after the registration closing time and again on the day of the event. For further information about this our other webinars, contact us at webinars@mediatorsbeyondborders.org. 

Join us and stay updated on MBBI’s news and events. 

 

Webinar: Managing Climate Crisis Conflicts

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Join us in our next conversation on Managing Climate Crisis Conflicts: A Decade of MBBI Work in the UN Climate Change Negotiations by Dr. Thomas Fiutak and Dr. Gregg Walker, Co-Leaders of MBBI’s Climate Change Policy Project on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, at 12:00 PM ET. In this webinar, Tom and Gregg will review the CCPP and highlight CCPP member activities throughout the decade.

Register here

Prior to the two weeks of United Nations climate change negotiation meetings (COP 15 or Conference of the Parties) in Copenhagen in December 2009, expectations were high among many of the parties, the media, and non-government organizations (NGOs) that an international climate change agreement could be achieved. Although an agreement would not emerge until six years later in Paris, the conflicts among parties and the negotiation failures in Copenhagen provided a foundation for success in Paris.

Observing the Copenhagen experience were members of an NGO participating in the UN meetings for the first time – Mediators Beyond Borders International. Having received NGO accreditation from the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Secretariat, a large contingent of MBBI members traveled to Copenhagen to participate in COP 15. MBBI members hoped to share their knowledge of conflict management processes such as mediation and lobby for specific language about mediation and conflict management to be included in a UN climate change agreement.

The MBBI climate change initiative – the Climate Change Policy Project (CCPP) – is now a decade old.


This webinar will:

  • Include a history of the UN climate change negotiations
  • Examine why these negotiations have taken so long
  • Highlight the nature of the Climate Change Policy Project and how it has evolved

This webinar will provide significant time for participant contributions – questions, answers, discussion, and knowledge sharing.

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Thomas Fiutak is currently a Senior Fellow in the Technological Leadership Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities as well as Lecturer in the faculty of the Conservation Biology department. He has taught Conflict Management, and Mediation Systems in the Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and initiated and directed the Conflict and Change Center, which coordinated research in the areas of negotiation, mediation models, and conflict management systems.

His specific focus has been on organizational and conflict cultures and their effect on the negotiation arenas they create. Since 1985 as Fellow at the Salzburg Seminar (Austria) on Dispute Resolution, he has provided negotiation training for policymakers, government officials, educators, judges, private sector negotiators, leaders of non-government organizations, and financial officers in North America, as well as 15 other countries in Asian, Europe, and Africa.  Tom is one of three Co-Founders of the Climate Change Project at Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI).

 

Gregg B. Walker is a professor of Communication and an adjunct professor in the College of Science (Environmental Sciences), the College of Forestry (Forest Ecosystems and Society), and the College of Earth, Oceanic, and Atmospheric Sciences (Marine Resource Management, Water Resources Policy and Management) at Oregon StateUniversity.  On campus Gregg teaches courses in conflict management, bargaining and negotiation, mediation, international negotiation, natural resources decision making, environmental conflict resolution, science communication, and argumentation.  Off campus, Gregg conducts training programs on collaborative conflict management, designs collaborative public participation processes, facilitates collaborative learning community workshops about natural resource and environmental policy issues, and researches community-level collaboration efforts.  He has authored a numerous articles and papers on environmental communication and conflict resolution, is co-author (with Steve Daniels) of Working Through Environmental Conflict: The Collaborative Learning Approach (2001, Praeger), and co-editor of the forthcoming book, Breaking Boundaries: Innovative Practices in Environmental Communication and Public Participation (2019, SUNY Press). He has served as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in the fields of Peace and Conflict Resolution.  Gregg is an advisor to the National Collaboration Cadre of the USDA-Forest Service and on the roster of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution.  Gregg is co-director of the Climate Change Project for Mediators Beyond Borders International, Chair of the Climate Change Negotiations Working Group for the International Environmental Communication Association, and a member of the Steering Committee of the Research and Independent Non-Government Organizations (RINGO) Constituency of the UN Climate Change negotiations process (UNFCCC).   In these roles he attends most of the United Nations climate change negotiation meetings and conducts related research on those negotiations.  Gregg holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas and B.A. and B.S. degrees in Speech Communication, Sociology, and History from the University of Minnesota.

Please note that the deadline to register for this webinar is one day before the event. We will send the Zoom access link to registrants after the registration closing time and again on the day of the event. For further information about this our other webinars, contact us at webinars@mediatorsbeyondborders.org. 

Join us and stay updated on MBBI’s news and events. 

 

Welcome to the MBBI 2019 Congress in Bali: Member Spotlight: Dennis Phua

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Peacebuilders are skilled communicators and mediators; negotiators and facilitators; trailblazers and change-makers. Peacebuilders are disruptors. 

“Disruptors: Leading Change in a World of Conflict” is the title and theme for the highly anticipated Mediators Beyond Borders 2019 Congress, which, in partnership with Rotary Districts 3410 and 3420 will take place from November 6 – 8 at the Bali Intercontinental Hotel & Resort in Indonesia. Organization leaders, academics, mediators, government diplomats, and conflict-transformation practitioners in all fields are invited to engage in this groundbreaking exchange of ideas as an international community. In a recent interview, Dennis Phua, Co-Chair of the Congress Planning Committee and member of MBBI, shared exciting details about how the Congress will set a global precedence for the next decade of peacebuilding. 

Enabling a Multilateral World Order

Working in tandem with Congress Co-Chair Veronica Jacob and Project Manager Bennett Seibert, Dennis represents a cohort of more than twenty dedicated MBBI volunteers from several continents. As a business entrepreneur and accredited mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre and the Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI), Dennis brings an important perspective to his role.

“I come from Singapore, one of the smaller countries in the world, and we do not take our peace for granted,” he said. After watching the 9/11 attacks unfold on TV, Dennis remembers wanting to better understand the sociopolitical state of the world and “… to engage in community-building and social change activities.” Over the last ten years, he has dedicated his time to helping facilitate interfaith dialogues and other conflict resolution initiatives. From his perspective, mediation helps improve cross-border relationships and the health of societies, big and small, such that, “… it enables a multilateral world order where the concept of ‘might is right’ may be deferred.”

Dennis was drawn to the MBBI community because of its ability to promote authentic conversations. Hearing people’s stories helps to “… challenge my assumptions and shape both myself and my craft,” he described.

The 2019 Congress: A Focus on Capacity-Building and Impact

Dennis’s leadership in planning the 2019 Congress was a natural extension of his motivation to help conflict-transformation professionals connect, share, exchange, and, ultimately, collaborate on actionable solutions to present dynamics.

“As MBBI increases its engagements in Asia, we invite our valued friends from around the world to this Congress, which is being held for the first time in this region!” Following a pre-Congress specialized mediation training, MBBI will host world-class presenters and panelists throughout the weekend to discuss timely applications of collaborative peace-processes and what it means to be a disrupter, innovator, and leader in this realm. Nobel Laureate and Former President of East Timor José Ramos-Horta, award-winning author, and educator Dr. Nadja Alexander, and Kosovo independence leader Edita Tahiri are among the many distinguished speakers who will be sharing their perspectives and inviting participation from attendees. 

With its focus on capacity-building and community impact, Dennis made note, “I am particularly excited about the opportunity for the Congress to foster constructive dialogue on peacebuilding in Asia.” To this end, all attendees, sponsors, and partners will be recognized as a Founding Member of the 2020 Decade of Peace Initiative and as part of the global movement to advance UN Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Inclusive Societies.

Register Today

MBBI would like to thank Turkish Airlines, InterContinental Bali Resort, and KCBJ Tours and Travel for their exemplary services as well as its global partner, Rotary International, and regional collaboratives, SIMI and Bali International Arbitration & Mediation Center, for their support. 

For more information and to register for the MBBI 2019 Congress today, please visit http://www.internationalpeacecongress.com

Article by Juliana Heffern, MBBI Writer

Project Highlight: MBB Canada Regional Group

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Combining awareness-raising with skill-building to reduce conflict and stereotypes in Canada 

By having a conversation with MBB Canada leading members, the Chair of the Group Suzanne Sherkin and the co-Chair Kelly Rico, it stands out immediately that the Group relies on an effervescent and dynamic community of bright minds, eager to commit energies and skills to advance MBBI mission and vision in Canada. 

MBB Canada champions the building of a more peace “able” world, and does so through working with national and local issues. “A focus for MBB Canada is to develop projects that address Canadian-specific issues — specifically LGBTQ and Indigenous communities with communications and conflict resolution skills.” 

The Past: A Regional Group to connect like-minded individuals

The history of MBB Canada is quite recent. The Group was formed by Alicia Kuin, an ambitious, experienced conflict analyst and mediator in early 2015. The purpose was to develop a Canadian community in which topics at the heart of MBBI worldwide action could be discussed by like-minded people dedicated to peace-building from either inside or outside the mediation field. What is remarkable about MBB Canada is the nearly spontaneous way in which the Group emerged from the desire to be “impactful in the lives of others. Each and every member of our small but growing membership has a common passion: to help create a positive change in our country as well as contribute to positive change globally,” says Suzanne. 

In addition to spreading the overall values of MBBI, the Canadian group has focused its initiatives, meetings and discussions around three key areas:

  • Enhancing networking and partnerships
  • Continued learning and collaboration
  • Supporting Canadian-specific issues

The Present: A Growing Presence

In the last few years, “the Canadian group has grown a lot – not only in terms of projects and initiatives but also in terms of communication among members and interchange of information and knowledge,” says Kelly. Kelly is very satisfied with the development of the Group and particularly with its capacity to provide various platforms. She notes that a strength of the Group allows practitioners and activists from across the country to bring forward issues from their local contexts, while others provide help through expertise and resound initiatives promoted as well as resource materials. Only in its fourth year, the Group is already planning their first project — related to teaching youth in schools about mediation — and facilitating discussions on the topics of restorative justice, circle processes, environmental disputes, and immigration and newcomer support.

For their first project of MBB Canada, Suzanne explains that “we’ve just started developing a program for youth. Our goal is to create a program, likely around concepts of mediation, that would help young people learn the tools to deal with daily problems such as bullying and harassment in schools. We have a long road ahead to develop this but we’re lucky to have a lot of passionate, smart people who want to dedicate time to providing this to youth around Canada. We have an amazing membership of decidated professionals. I feel lucky to be part of this work!” 

The Future: A vision for MBB Canada

There is no question that MBB Canada’s growth is a reflection of the energy and vision of its leader, Suzanne. She’s quick to point out that none of this would be happening if not for the original vision and drive of the creator of the Canadian group — Alicia Kuin. Alicia created it from ground zero and built a small but mighty group of Canadian members. When she passed the torch onto Suzanne, there was already a core of dedicated people willing to create Canadian-focused projects. Suzanne has brought her own brand of passion to the leadership role, such as introducing a more formal structure to how and when they meet.

They’re at a particularly exciting time as they move closer to becoming their own entity within MBBI. “Thanks to the dedication and time from Archana Medhekar, we’re on our way to becoming a not-for-profit group with charitable status.” Suzanne is very excited about reporting this. “These are exciting times for us,” she says. What started as an informal community of like-minded and passionate practitioners in Canada will soon become a formalized branch under the MBBI umbrella with enhanced capacities for developing and implementing projects in Canada and elsewhere.

In the vision of Suzanne, MBB Canada will undertake “a Canadian-based approach.” This means that the Group will appeal to the commitment of Canadians towards solving Canadian issues. In the near future, the Group is likely to give attention to a topic that is particularly keen to Suzanne: LGBTQ education. Speaking as a mother of a transgender son, “I want to help people better understand gender diversity so that there’s less stigma and more acceptance of this kind of diversity — in workplaces, in schools, in homes, and in communities. She notes that they have not yet formally discussed a project for the LGBTQ communities but Suzanne is hoping to put it on the agenda in the coming year. I want to help create emotionally safe spaces for Canadian people and communities.”  

When asked who should join MBB Canada, she responded that anyone interested in helping the Canadian group build communication and conflict resolution skills is completely welcome to join. The minimum requirement is a common purpose and heart to build a more peace “able” world. What you can give is far more important than what you are.

Written by Matteo Piovacari: MBBI Writer

Webinar: How to Negotiate and Lead Collaboratively

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In our personal, volunteer and work relationships, we experience increasing isolation, pressure, and judgment. Leaders in politics, community, NGOs, and business appear to be ever more aggressive today. Join us in a conversation on Nobody Gets to be Right: How to Negotiate and Lead Collaboratively by David Savage on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, at 12 PM ET. Join this MBBI webinar. Be better together.

When we insist we are right, we attempt to dominate and to overrule others interests, perspectives and insights. What are the costs? Rather than building walls, why not let go of certainty and facilitate brilliant generative dialogue? How may we be more open, collaborative and creative in these challenging times? In this session, we look at how we typically think and react to situations, and why it isn’t enough. We create an opportunity for change. With this session, you will gain greater awareness of your tendencies and gain practices that will enhance how you work together with others (especially those you are in conflict with). And, you will take away three new ideas to implement immediately.

Register here

 

David B. Savage, BA (Econ), P. Land, ACC, President of Savage Management Ltd. has published seven books on collaboration and leadership including the bestselling book Break Through To Yes: Unlocking the Possible within a Culture of Collaboration and Better by Design: Your Best Collaboration Guide. His 45 podcasts provide insights along with 75 guests from eight nations.

Savage brings over 40-years expertise, experience and leadership in oil and gas, renewable energy, health care, entrepreneurship, stakeholder engagement and conflict management. Savage is a co-founding member of Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI), Synergy Alberta, The Global Negotiation Insight Institute, and ThinkSustainAbility. He works with leaders and organizations to advance their success through collaboration, negotiation, and business development. Coaching, consulting, conflict management, training, master classes, and integrative assessments and tools are Savage’s keys to your success.

Please note that the deadline to register for this webinar is one day before the event. We will send the Zoom access link to registrants after the registration closing time and on the day of the event.

For further information about this our other webinars, contact us at webinars@mediatorsbeyondborders.org.

Join us and stay updated on MBBI’s news and events.