Conflict as a catalyst for change: an invitation to explore how we can navigate it with grace

Themes: Democratising the practice | Designing democracy | Governance and decision-making | Co-design and participation | Participation in policy-making

So much of our work is about mediation. Working with complex social issues requires us to be comfortable with both ambiguity and difference: different ideologies, perspectives on the problem, possible solutions. Different versions of the future. 

And yet, the world of mediation is still separate from design.

In this session, Dominika will share ideas from mediation theory and practice to propose how they could help us deepen our commitment to democratic change, both in our practice and the wider system.

It’s now her belief that a well-handled conflict can lose its destructive potential and act as a catalyst for change. She hopes you’ll leave this session with your own reflections on how you may relate to it.

Participant takeaways:

• how we can better mediate different perspectives through our work and help them be better heard, understood and integrated
• reflection on your experience of conflict as a transformational catalyst in your life or work, if at all
• how your approach to conflict might have to change to bring more of its transformational potential to the world