Sioux Lookout REsolve Project

CICR is partnering with the Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee (SLARC) under a project called REsolve.

Mission

The mission of REsolve is to make Sioux Lookout a conflict resolving community where ultimately hurtful conflict does not exist - a community that welcomes all people regardless of race, faith tradition, colour, disability, sex, age, language, political or other opinion, social origin or sexual orientation, provides a safe and secure space where all peoples can live, converse, work and travel without fear of discrimination, racism, bigotry, or prejudice, and embraces diversity by celebrating our differences, respecting our traditions and nurturing our commitment to each other.

Approach

One of the main strategies to meet the mission has been to offer conflict resolution training to help citizens better understand and appreciate their differences and to increase their skills and capacity to help resolve community conflicts.

Based on its extensive experience with Third-Party Neutral (TPN) training, CICR has designed and delivered three experiential and skills-based training modules.

The first five-day module (REsolve I) is patterned after TPN 1 and offers an introduction to conflict resolution including the roles of mediator, conciliator and facilitator. It is also the core experience that helps people with diverse interests and views to identify common ground and to better value and appreciate their differences.

The second five-day module (REsolve II: Human Identity Needs and Advanced Mediation Skills) focuses on the TPN role of mediation in the context of deep-rooted, identity-based conflict.

Community Dialogue, a third module of 2.5 days provides another tool to help participants learn the skills and processes to conduct community dialogues. Community dialogues provide a safe and welcoming opportunity for people with diverse values and interests to come together and generate ideas and commitment for building and sustaining a conflict resolving community.

The participants who have taken all three modules are establishing, under the direction of SLARC, a roster of people who can assist with community conflicts as they are identified.