Managing Intergroup Conflict through Facilitation

How do you get parties to a conflict to listen to one another? How do you build trust and consensus in a group setting? Managing conflicts often relies on having solid facilitation skills—skills that help parties to a conflict resolve their dispute. This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to effectively deal with conflicts and build sustainable relationships.

Photo Credit: USIP/Britt Manzo

Instructor:

Alison Milofsky

Conflict management practitioners working in conflict zones often engage with groups who are at odds with one another. Many of the strategies these practitioners employ depend heavily on having solid facilitation skills. Conflict management skills training, problem-solving workshops, mediation, intergroup dialogue, and other processes all center around an effective facilitator who is able to guide a group in transforming conflict.

"One of the best trainings I have ever attended. It has left me with a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses and has helped me gain further insight into my professional choices, present and future."—Anna Zongollowicz, Geneva

In this course, participants will develop key facilitation skills that can be applied in a range of conflict management processes. The course is intended to be very practical—students will learn by doing. Areas emphasized include planning and designing a facilitation, setting the stage for a successful process, communicating effectively, using exercises to prompt discussion, and managing group dynamics. The course is designed as an introduction to facilitation, intended for those who are new to facilitation or have limited experience. Participants are expected to attend the full five days of the program and should be prepared to engage in exercises and practice facilitation.