CONFLICT — Blog — Peace Catalyst International

Posts tagged CONFLICT

Our Emotions in Conflict: Dignity, Identity, and Humiliation

In conflict, being intentional about making the other person feel that they are being treated with dignity is a way to positively transform the situation. In other words, avoid making someone feel humiliated. French author Antoine Sant-Exupéry wrote, “I have no right to say or do anything that diminishes a man in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him, but what he thinks of himself. Hurting a man in his dignity is a crime.” So how do we avoid making someone feel humiliated? Read on!

HOW TO, CONFLICT TRANSFORMATIONNicole GibsonApril 15, 2024CONFLICT

Tackling Conflict: A 6-Session Conflict Transformation Workshop Series

Together with our good friend and colleague Orhan Hadžagić, we’re hosting our first 6-week workshop series in September and October on conflict transformation. Learn more about it, and contact us to bring the workshops to your community.

BOSNIA, HOW TO, TRAININGSNicole GibsonSeptember 18, 2023TRAINING, CONFLICT

Exploring Sarajevo, the City of Trauma

There is a constant battle between the individual longing for freedom and civilisation demanding conformity and repression of instincts. And so, individuals are constantly sending subtle and not-so-subtle messages about their feelings and this restricted freedom. I had this on my mind recently as I took the trolley bus through Sarajevo.

BOSNIANicole GibsonJuly 26, 2023BOSNIA, CONFLICT, WORLD EVENTS, WAR

Where Do Peace and Justice Meet? Reflections on Peacemaking in Israel-Palestine

How can peacemaking be the thing that leads to justice, and vice versa? From a Jesus-following perspective, we can see how the methods of creativity and nonviolence that Jesus used not only disarmed the oppressors of His time and perhaps convicted them of their wrongdoing, but also gave a sense of freedom and dignity to the person being mistreated. There's something different about creative nonviolence in the ways of Jesus - it's not just about freeing the oppressed; it's also about freeing the oppressor.

Nicole GibsonJune 16, 2022ISRAEL, PALESTINE, CONFLICT, WORLD EVENTS

We Don't Always Know What We Think We Know

Sometimes we think we know what’s going on, but in reality we don’t. We assume the situation could only be as it appears on the surface, but if we look into it further, we may find we don’t know what we think we know.

HOW TONicole GibsonFebruary 17, 2021DIALOGUE, CONFLICT, RECONCILIATION

Transforming Conflict: How to Make Peace that Lasts

Conflict happens. Like it or not, it exists as a regular part of life, but we often struggle to handle it well. At Peace Catalyst, we want people and groups to dive into their conflict, working together to discover what new, life-giving relationships might be possible. Here’s a guide to help you do just that.

HOW TONicole GibsonAugust 20, 2020CONFLICT

Crucial Conversations: How To Talk About Tough Issues

In peacemaking, we often talk about this kind of thing on a large scale, but it actually applies to everyday relationships and conversations, and that’s what makes this book such a gem. The principles in Crucial Conversations empower us to both talk about the hard things AND maintain relationship. They give us the tools to “talk openly about high-stakes, emotional, and controversial topics.”

HOW TONicole GibsonJuly 29, 2015BOOKS, RESOURCES, CONFLICT, DIALOGUE

Perfect Fear Casts Out Love... Wait, That's Wrong

Social distancing is a major problem these days. We seem more polarized, more ready to place the "other" in the dark camp on the opposite side of an issue, political viewpoint AND religious belief. Just last week I saw a simple encounter in the grocery store parking lot escalate to an altercation where strangers were yelling at each other and demonstrating with hand gestures. While not all people resort to this level of immaturity in our interactions with others, it seems to be happening more. And I think it has infected our inter-religious engagement as well.

Nicole GibsonOctober 9, 2013CONFLICT, PEACEMAKING, FEAR

Peacebuilding Communication Leads to Healthy Organizations

I had the privilege of doing mediation, peacemaking, and organizational consulting for a Christian organization recently. We faced a seemingly intractable conflict and dysfunctional organizational practices. As was expected, this led to tense moments and periods of confusion. However, there was success on all three fronts: mediation was accomplished, peace was experienced, and the organizational realignment was implemented.Why were we successful? Two reasons.

Nicole GibsonJuly 24, 2013CONFLICT, PEACEMAKING

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