Gini Nelson’s Engaging Conflicts

Some of you have asked, and I thank you for that. You may have noticed that I haven’t posted for a while. I’m okay — I’ve had to prioritize getting my law practice back up and running. I had let it drop to almost nothing for several years while I prioritized Engaging Conflicts. I’ve had a real learning curve as I changed my market niche from family law (which I still do it by referral), to bankruptcy and bankruptcy avoidance. It’s been challenging and rewarding — there’s a lot to learn, and a great need for good attorneys here, and I am enjoying it. (Although it’s not always fun being on steep learning curves! It’s been quite a ride!)

Also, I was doing articles for both the ABA Law Trends online newsletter (here’s my recent article) and the online magazine The Complete Lawyer, where I coauthor the The Human Factor column with Vickie Pynchon, Diane Levin and Stephanie West Allen (see the post tomorrow about the newest column). I also now write an occasional column on use of online, social media over at TCL, starting with the Sept./Oct. issue. Overall, I am writing more for attorneys, and not only for mediators.

Wheh!

I am happy that I have gotten the law practice up and running, and I am enjoying more interaction with lawyers again. I am also very happy I am going to be able to add Engaging Conflicts back into my regular life!

Here are my notes for the presentation I made last Thursday at the ACR conference — just notes; you’ll have to go to the links for more information. (Oh, and I must confess that I may not recall all that we talked about, because we had a very lively, interactive discussion!)
October 2007 ACR/Phoenix Wikis and Podcasts and Blogs, Oh My! HIGHLIGHTS
Gini Nelson, MA, JD

This isn’t a “how to”, so much as an overview of some of what I have tried in the past 1 and 1/2 years (and I have tried alot!) and what I’m working on now.

What a blog is, what a blog’s component parts are, how to search within it, how easy it is to write a post:

• Gini Nelson’s Engaging Conflicts blog

Engaging Conflicts Today (emailed newsletter associated with the blog, as vehicle for professional and business development):

• http://engagingconflicts.com/index.php/archives/115 (Ken Feinberg interview announced)
• http://engagingconflicts.com/index.php/archives/317 (U.S. Magistrate Judge Wayne Brazil interview announced)

What’s right for you (really important question)? Static, brochure-like website? Blog (and note how many different templates there are for blogs)? Something with elements of both (and/or more)? Examples: Read more »

Here are my notes for the presentation I made Saturday in the ACR neurobiology series — it’s just notes; you’ll have to go to the links for more information.
October 2007 ACR/Phoenix
Science, Ethics, and Spirit In a High Conflict Practice HIGHLIGHTS
Gini Nelson, MA, JD
www.EngagingConflicts.com

Workshop emphasizes importance of responsible self-education, of gaining literacy in the areas of science, ethics, and spirit. What follows generally are some ideas, examples, and resources to assist.

Science matters, as does psychology:

• http://www.engagingconflicts.com/ (Gini Nelson’s Engaging Conflicts blog)

• http://engagingconflicts.com/index.php/archives/183 (science literacy and science writing)
• http://engagingconflicts.com/index.php/archives/137 (the difference between psychology and neuroscience and why we need psychology)
• http://engagingconflicts.com/index.php/archives/128 (example: “bad” popular science that perpetuates gender stereotypes)

Developments in science, ethics, and spirit can’t easily be presented as black and white, 1s, 2s, and 3s, especially in the context of a quick workshop. These areas are so complex that we should expect a multidisciplinary approach that is “blurry, interesting, useful, and always in beta”: Read more »

Cyberweek 2007 was lots of fun, well-attended, stimulating,supportive — well, as tech-ADR shaker and mover John DeBruyn said, Cyberweek is itself one way of making and celebrating community among conflict specialists.

Among all its activities, Cyberweek hosted four online programs in its Mediation Excellence series put on by John DeBruyn. Tuesday’s Online Mediation Role Play Workshop featured a live role play demonstration utilizing audio conferencing, desktop sharing, and a collaborative web platform to deliver an interactive presentation to demonstrate online mediation and mediator training. Parties to the mediation viewed the mediator’s “flipchart” on their own Read more »

Here’s what’s posted for tomorrow’s Cyberweek panel– call in to the phone bridge for the call. Phone 1-605-475-8590 and when prompted, enter the conference room ID number 5650382, with a pound sign added to the end. If you are calling using Skype, the number is +990008275650382.

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Here’s the [UPDATED] final schedule for the panels that Denver attorney John DeBruyn is shepherding — remember, all programs are online, and free!:

TUESDAY, October 16, 2 PM Pacific – Online Mediation Role Play Workshop: Live role play demonstration utilizing audio conferencing, desktop sharing, and a collaborative web platform to deliver an interactive presentation to demonstrate online mediation and mediator training.

WEDNESDAY, October 17, noon Pacific – 40 ADR web sites in 60 minutes: Panel presentation with Geoff Sharp, Diane Levin, Robert Ambrogi, Colm Brannigan, Gini Nelson and John DeBruyn utilizing audio conferencing, desktop sharing, and a browser tour of the 40 sites.

THURSDAY, October 18, 1 PM Pacific – Mediation Excellence in Cyberspace HighSpeed audio conference/web visual interaction with Colin Rule, Ethan Katsh, Graham Ross, Colm Brannigan, Diane Levin, Gini Nelson and John DeBruyn. Objectives: (1) supporting Mediation Excellence in online dispute resolution; and (2) using the internet for education, mentoring, networking and cooperation between mediators and mediation organizations in the quest for Mediation Excellence generally. This program will also celebrate International Conflict Resolution Day which is October 18.

FRIDAY, October 19, 1 PM Pacific – Taking Peacemaking Public: All negotiation is built on trust. Trust is built on expecting and concluding that you are being listened to. We know that—-the public doesn’t. Why aren’t people beating down the doors of peacemakers, whether mediators, facilitators or negotiators? Does how we speak help lead them to conclude that they are not being listened to? How should we speak to them? How can the internet engage people online in ways that facilitate and promote peacemaking? Panel conflict specialists Gini Nelson, Vickie Pynchon, Colm Brannigan and Diane Levin will interact with the following guest panelists who regularly reach the public directly and effectively:

Michael Skoler, Executive Director, Center for Innovation in Journalism, Minnesota Public Radio at American Public Media. MPR’s Public Insight Journalism (PIJ) model features online simulations and collaborative tools, a public source network of over 30,000 people, a contact database that tracks expertise and interactions, and knowledge management software.

Sandra Blakeslee, a regular contributor to The New York Times who specializes in the brain sciences. Sandra will talk particularly about the need to tell stories to reach people, especially when explaining complex and subtle subject matter in science. Her newest book (cowritten with her son, also a science writer), just released within the past few weeks, is The Body Has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better.

Ben Stokes, Program Officer in the Digital Learning and Media area at The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, previously a co-founder of Games For Change, a spin-off from the Serious Games Initiative that concentrates on advancing the use of digital games for positive societal change. Prior to this, he was the e-learning architect for Student Activist Community and a program manager overseeing digital learning projects at NetAid under the umbrella of Education for Global Citizenship.

Here’s an earlier post with registration information.