Weekend skills-building

Sure, it’s already pretty busy inside the classroom, but during the next two weekends a group of students will participate in the Fletcher Mediation Practicum, four days that will equip them with conflict resolution skills.  Once the skills have been acquired, the practicum “graduates” will apply them by mediating actual cases in court.  Though many Fletcher students have a law background, mediation is a related skill that doesn’t require prior experience in a law field.  The practicum is offered by the International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program and MWI, and organizers say it will include, “demonstrations, coaching through simulations, and interactive lectures to impart step-by-step knowledge of the mediation process.  Participants also learn how to handle difficult personalities, ethical dilemmas, and mediator biases, all while improving their personal communication skills.”  Those are skills well worth developing for professionals in or out of international affairs!