Hosts:  Colin Craig & Mary Alice Arthur

About:  Northern Ireland has had its share of "troubles" and they are still bubbling away under the surface.  The Corrymeela Peace Centre has been at the heart of exploring how conflict unfolds and also how to de-escalate it.  In this track we will study what they've learned and experience how to put it into practice.  ​We gather together as people from many different backgrounds and experiences.  We gather because we wish to be part of the change we need to see in our world  Colin says: " It is my experience that we too often ignore the gulf between understanding the need for change and making that change apparent in the world.  In committing to change we are also committing to an uncertain future, even if the current one is broken and fractured.  Such fractures are often driven by fear:  fear of the 'other'; fear of political and religious difference; fear of the loss of power and control, and the fear of having no power and control, or simply a fear of change itself.  Our learning strand is designed to help us explore the challenge of change through a Conflict Management lens.  Together we will explore a deeper understanding of these root causes and some models that may help generate a more realistic framework for moving forward towards the possibility of transformative change and for a sustainable future to emerge."

Iceberg Model
DOCUMENT: Iceberg model

FEARS Model & More

DOCUMENT: FEARS model
Mapping & Pillars
  • A way to break down conflict into the elements and work with them

Gallery

Collective Harvest by Participants

What happened?

Getting tools and models helping us to analyse, map, navigate in and with conflicts:
And learning ways to apply them in our own contexts and conflicts where we have mandate
  • How we act out of many levels: unconscious, sub-conscious, conscious
  • Mechanisms such as scapegoating etc - how our brains and biology are playing out in conflicts
  • The story below the surface & it’s impact on reconstruction and reconciliation

What does this mean for my Practice?
  • Discovery of the need and possibility in the relationship between AoH and DPC (Dialogue for Peaceful Change) - a new tent pole?
  • AoH as a vehicle for moving forward in conflict resolution
  • Understanding of when to use what model
  • The power of narrative - story and experience
  • Stories can and will perpetuate conflict and also the place where shifts can come - know the old and do and tell the new story
  • Host / mediator as non-aligned. More true / relevant than neutral
  • Conscious of your impact - including risk of creating icebergs
​Now what? 
  • Create more accurate conditions for transformation and change

Invitations
  • 5 day training at Corrymeela, Northern Ireland
  • Sweden
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Slovenia

How do we use the simplicity of a framework in our work?
How can you teach it lightly to invite people into deeper learning and work?
Let’s do it!

Practice. Practice. Practice. 
Share & learn
And clean up our own mess ​

Invitation to Join Track 1