Bulletin

Issue: June 2006

News

Indigenous peace building workshop

The Conflict Resolution Research Centre in the School of Law recently held a four-day workshop in Mildura on 'Indigenous Peace Building and Caring for Conflict'.

Professor Sourdin, left, with workshop
participants.

Professor of Law and Dispute Resolution, Tania Sourdin, and Indigenous Mediation and Peace Practitioner, Helen Bishop, ran the workshop which was attended by Indigenous people from a variety of backgrounds.

Professor Sourdin said people without training in conflict resolution were often tentative about the mediation and negotiation process. The aim therefore was not only to enhance knowledge and skills, but to boost participants' confidence when assisting in the resolution of disputes.

The workshop outlined special characteristics of community disputes and allowed participants to better understand disputes within cultural contexts.

Professor Sourdin said students were also given practical examples of peace-making by exploring historical case studies - the inspiring stories of Ghandi, Dr Martin Luther King and Vincent Lingiari - to highlight how rewarding conflict resolution can be when 'peace is built with dignity'.

Response to the workshop was such that many participants requested further training. The concept for the Indigenous peace building workshop was instigated by former Law School Head, Dr Oliver Mendelsohn.

Two other Law School staff, Dr Tom Fisher and Ms Judy Gutman, are researching the impact that such courses have upon student perceptions of conflict. Their results should be available later this year.