Mediation & Applied Conflict Studies core faculty member David Specht was quoted recently in an InterPress Service story about Soliya, for whom David serves as a volunteer facilitator.
The Soliya Connect Program uses web-based videoconferencing technology to create weekly meetings between small groups of university students from the US and predominantly Muslim Countries in the Middle East. With the help of facilitators like David, the students engage in dialogue about the relationship between the US and the Arab & Muslim World, explore and research issues of interest, and work on joint projects to express their understanding of relevant political and sociocultural issues.
The InterPress story shared this story from David:
According to Specht, the two students in his discussion group became troubled by their inability to arrive at a shared conclusion on the issue. Eventually, they laid out two different perspectives of the situation based on their own backgrounds and beliefs.
“We had a piece at the end that presented both issues and that didn’t diminish one from the other by coming to an agreement that wasn’t real,” Specht said.
What an important reminder for mediators that our job isn’t to forge a shared conclusion or a less-than-genuine agreement in the quest for “settlement.”
You can find the full story at It All Begins with a Webcam and a Smile. If you have a question or comment for David, feel free to use this blog’s Contact Form.
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