MBBI Remembers Christine Harwell

It is with deep sadness that we share with you the passing of Christine Harwell, a longtime MBBLA Chapter member. Christine was a champion of mediation practices and worked determinedly for their expansion through ADR and community outreach. Her spirit of generosity looked out for others in many ways. As a recipient of her generosity, for well over a year, the MBBLA Chapter’s monthly meetings were hosted at Harwell Institute, her mediation center. Christine served on the Chapter Leadership Committee during 2012-15 to support the growth of Chapter cohesion and programming, including mentorship of new MBBLA leaders in 2015.

Christine’s drive as a steering committee member for the Institute for Non Violence LA on their program Days of Dialogue: The Future Of Policing — a yearlong series of facilitated dialogues between police and communities across LA City and County — paved the way for our members to volunteer as dialogue facilitators and established trainings for MBBLA members. Her initiative helped to fulfill Dialogue Facilitation as a core mandate of the Chapter. She also led advocacy efforts to establish a mediation-licensing program at the state level, and saw MBBLA’s involvement in Days of Dialogue as one of many opportunities to earn credits towards a license.

Member Memorial Donations in Christine’s name can be sent here: USC Norris Cancer Fund Memorial & Honor Fund – Gifts by Check payable to “USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center” USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1441 Eastlake Avenue, Suite 8302 Los Angeles, CA 90089 SCMA – Education Foundation.

We are thankful to Christine for her extensive leadership and deeply cherish her not only as a Chapter member but also as a mentor and friend. Christine enriched us all with her efforts and presence. Our hearts are with her and her family.

MBBI Member Memories

Badri Bhandari

I met Christine as a classmate at Pepperdine University in 2009, and she remained my best friend throughout her life. I studied ADR classes together with Christine at Pepperdine, lived at her house sometimes, and worked with her in the process of establishing her new career path as ADR professional after her retirement from her State job. She was not only my friend, but an aunt for two of my kids and the best friend of my wife too. We are deeply saddened by her untimely demise. 

I have been a member of MBBI since 2010, and leader for its Nepal project since 2011. I was so happy to introduce her to MBBI. She was more interested in working locally, and she was very much happy working with MBB LA chapter in different capacities. 

She was an advocate of mediation certification issues, and heavily desired to work on this. Her office at 6010 Wilshire Blvd was designed to conduct mediator certification training, and was offered for free to MBB LA chapter as a meeting venue for more than a year with all aspects of logistics included.

Chantelle Doerksen

Christine was the first person I met when I attended an MBBLA meeting at her office in 2014. She went out of her way to make visitors and new members feel welcomed, pouring her heart and soul into everything she did. She was an example of what a leader should be, was an encouragement to many other aspiring mediators within our chapter, and was always willing to offer guidance. 

When I became Chair in 2015, she took time to talk in the evenings via Skype to coordinate MBBLA’s monthly meetings and set the agenda. She invited me, and our Communications Officer, to attend INVLA steering meetings and led organizational efforts for MBBLA to host a refresher mediation course with Ken Cloke. My talks with Christine not only helped me gain my bearings within MBBLA, but I learned a lot from Christine as a professional and peacemaker. 

The world is a much better place because of people like Christine, and I am incredibly grateful to have had the chance to meet her through MBBI. 

Steve Goldsmith

Yesterday my family and I were at LACMA and we parked next to a construction site. I realized that it was where the building stood when Christine had her office and MBB-LA had so many meetings there. I thought of how she worked so hard to set up her center and then got there early for our meetings and made sure there were refreshments and signs so people would know where to go and then greeted people as they came. She would sit just outside the meeting so she could make sure to enable people to find the door to get in. 

In my memory this was symbolic of Christine – always working to help people find a way in….

And now her building is gone, soon to be replaced by a metro stop (so people can enter the world of art at LACMA – I think she would like that) and now she is gone with nothing left to replace her but our determination to carry on in her name. 

Life is sweet and Death so unfair….

Dorit Cypis

When I think back on the time I shared with Christine, I immediately feel and see her purposeful determination, her open smile, and the beauty she surrounded herself with, bowls, platters, handiwork and ritual objects from indigenous global cultures – I’m speaking just of her offices.

Christine worked tirelessly to promote mediation and dialogue across class and culture for people to have opportunities to meet across their differences. I could always feel that Christine adored life and loved people.

Ron Supancic

Judge Harwell was a giant among Peacemakers. She epitomized the best in conflict management, dispute resolution, & reconciliation. She was more than lawyer, arbitrator, mediator, judge, & Master Peacemaker. She was a dedicated, determined, persistent, positive, appreciative, & inspiring colleague. Those of us who had the privilege of working beside her saw her willingness to roll up her sleeves & take on the impossible with enthusiasm & positive energy. She was an important part of the work of MBBLA & will be greatly missed. Let us take comfort in the belief that by her example we shall honor her contribution by our continued effort in her name. I would like to propose that an Annual Award be initiated in her name, to recognize outstanding contributions of the level of work she modeled by a person in our midst.

Victoria Gray

Christine and I met at the Straus Institute for Conflict Resolution in 2009 felt an immediate affinity with one and other. We were similar in age. She was just leaving a government job, while I just starting in a government job. We both were starting our new mediation careers following the retirement from a past career. We volunteered at SCMA, I as a Board member, and she on the Mediation Certification Committee. She was considering a request that she join the Board for that organization at the time she learned that she was ill. At MBB-LA we served on the Chapter leadership team together, where she was creative, reliable, supportive, and energetic. We enjoyed each other’s company. I was impressed with her courage and vision when she opened the Harwell Institute with the goal of serving an underserved community, providing paid work for mediators and bringing peace to the community and know that while she is not with us to see that effort succeed, the fact that her concept is being considered by by others at this point would make her smile. She leaves us much too soon and will be dearly missed.

 

If you would like to submit a memory of Christine, please write to Dorit Cypis at dorit@doritcypis.com