Author: Owen Tamamoto

Saturday, June 25, 2016 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Free (pre-registration required) Kea’au High School This unique event allows interested Puna Homeowners Associations (HOA) to exchange ideas and gain knowledge in three concurrent sessions on Board Success and Meeting Success. Puna HOA board officers, directors, staff, and community members will gain tools for success in the areas of member relations, association leadership, and meeting management. Board Success sessions are: “By-Laws” with Vaughn Cook, “Best Board Practices” with Julie Hugo, and “Transparency” with a panel moderated by Jon Henricks. Meeting Success sessions are: “Ground Rules” with Lorraine Mendoza, Lucille Chung & Kimberly Dark, “Parliamentary Procedures” with Jon Henricks, and “Meeting Facilitation” with Kimberly Dark. Pre-registration is required for the free conference, which includes lunch.  Contact Jenifer at 935-7844 x 1 or jenifer@hawaiimediation.org for registration assistance.

The non-profit Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center hosts a free talk on June 16 as part of their “Finding Solutions, Growing Peace” Brown Bag Lunch Series.  Talks are Third Thursdays from 12 noon to 1 pm in the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney at 655 Kilauea Avenue in Hilo. This month’s speaker is Dr. Gregory Chun on the topic “T-Shirts, Banners, and Badges: Reflections on Community Advocacy and Intractability in Hawai‘i.” “Why do we get stuck in so many of our community conversations?” asks Dr. Chun.  “Why is there a growing trend towards people taking nonnegotiable positions in sometimes controversial issues?” He says, “I want to help those working in advocacy, development, conflict resolution, and community, and government with historical, cultural, and social factors that I feel contribute to this intractability and introduce strategies for them to consider.” Gregory Chun, Ph.D. has lived and worked on Hawai‘i Island since 1999, serving in positions with Parker Ranch, Kamehameha Investment Corporation, and Kamehameha Schools. Currently with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, he is developing a program of interdisciplinary studies that includes resource management, community development, and well-being, with a particular focus on serving Native Hawaiians and underserved communities. Ku‘ikahi’s Brown Bag Lunch Series is free and open to the public.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch, enjoy an informal and educational talk-story session, and meet others interested in “Finding Solutions, Growing Peace.” This lunch-and-learn series is made possible thanks in part to funding from the Atherton Family Foundation.  For more information, contact Ku‘ikahi Program Coordinator Gail Takaki at 935-7844 x 9 or gail@hawaiimediation.org.  Or visit Ku‘ikahi’s website.

This Virtual Mediation Lab FREE webinar “Introduction to Online Mediation” is an excellent opportunity for family, workplace and commercial mediators to learn in 30 minutes: What Online Mediation Means How It Works How to Blend Online and Face-to-Face Mediation Which Cases Are Suitable for Online Mediation Online Mediation Benefits Which Collaboration Software Works Best for Online Mediation How to Try Online Mediation for Free How to Get Hands-on Training in Online Mediation This webinar and demo are based on the experience of Giuseppe Leone, founder of Virtual Mediation Lab, an online mediation project sponsored by the Association for Conflict Resolution Hawai‘i Chapter: Running hundreds of online mediation simulations with mediators from 30 countries Mediating online workplace cases for the United States Postal Service Teaching online mediation to individual mediators and mediation centers around the world When Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 6:00 am Hawai‘i time (so you can watch it and still get to work on time!) Any Questions? Send an email to Giuseppe Leone or call him at (808) 383-4117 in the USA. SIGN UP – Fill out this Online Registration Form

May 24, 2016, 8:00 am Hawai‘i time Presented by D.G. Mawn In collaboration with the International Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), The Community Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), and The National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM) Session Description: “Our own culture is like the air we breathe, while another culture is like water — and it takes special skills to be able to survive in both elements.” Hofstede (2010). As seasoned professionals, we are aware of the complexity that culture brings to the table, and of the need to listen and learn as we facilitate the mediation process. To balance the need to be impartial and yet create a safe environment, to be neutral and yet trustworthy we need to appreciate how our experiences, attitudes and behaviors can impact our ability to be received in a manner that invites trust, allowing others to hear us and for us to accept what we hear from others. This presentation will blend the basic tenants of Cultural Intuitiveness™ into the webinar focusing on the need to recognize that culture, if not the heart of the conflict, is a major driver in exasperating the conflict. Our culture anchors for each of us what we see and then how we experience and react to the world around us. The key is to work to minimize the impact of our individual culture while allowing ourselves to appreciate and accept—while not requiring that we understand or agree with–what we hear from others.  The participants will dialogue about: what is culture; Why should mediators care about culture; How cultural values are expressed through symbols, heroes and rituals.; and How culture impacts on your worldview and perceptions. Presenter Bio: G. Mawn holds an M.A. in religious studies with a concentration in counseling and a J.D….

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This exciting training opportunity is brought to you through a collaboration between the Werner Institute at Creighton University and the Association for Conflcit Resolution (ACR). The Child-Centered Continuum Model (CCCM) is a four-level skills-based approach that ensures children’s concerns will be included in mediation/ADR processes. Learn when and how to safely include children. This training is for: Lawyers, Parenting coordinators, Mediators, Mental Health Practitioners, Judges, Legislators, Policy Makers, Educators. When and Where:  June 6 & 7 from 9am – 5pm on the Creighton Campus in Omaha, NE. Registration Information: Early registration:  ACR Members: $450; Non-Members: $550. Early registration ends May 8. Regular registration:  ACR Members: $550; Non-Members: $650 For Registration and Further Information: Instructors: Lorri Yasenik Ph.D., RSW, CPT-S, RPT-S (Canada) Lorri Yasenik is a Registered Family Mediator, Registered Parenting Coordinator-Arbitrator, Registered Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist and Child Specialist based in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Lorri provides child psychotherapy and play therapy and is the Co- Director of Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute. She delivers national and international training related to children’s issues and specialized child and play therapies. Her doctorate dissertation focused on “Including the Voices of Children of Separation and Divorce in the Legal System”. Jon Graham B.A (Psych), B.Com, LLB, Grad Dip Family Dispute Res (Australia) Jon Graham is a Registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (Family Mediator) based in Sydney Australia. Jon has qualifications in law, psychology and commerce as well as post- graduate qualifications in Family Mediation. Jon combines over 20 years of clinical experience with families affected by separation and divorce with a substantial training calendar across Australia. Jon is the Clinical Director of the Institute of Specialist Dispute Resolution, a provider of tailored family dispute resolution processes for families presenting with complex issues.  The Institute also provides training and clinical supervision for mediators in Australia.