Testimonials

Listed below are excerpts from the testimonials of a number of CICR graduates.  Click on the link under each quote to see the full testimonial and/or story. 

“The training I received at CICR was the beginning of a wonderful future.  Their staff was not only professional, but also friendly and approachable.  It was a learning experience, which has been beneficial to both my professional and personal life.”  Moe Royer, Consultant, Ottawa (Full story)  

“I have been attracted by the style, participatory approaches and experiential learning  of TPN training, the energy and enthusiastic attitude of the trainers, and the knowledge and skills of the special lectures.  The biggest impact that the training has had on me personally is my changes from an antagonistic personality into a pacifist attitude.”  Dr. Steve Chen, Director, C onflict Study & Research Center, Taiwan (Full Story)  

“Since taking the TPN courses at CICR I have participated in hundreds of different trainings and from my point of view, the conflict resolution training program developed through CICR remains far and above the best and most memorable and the one on which I have based the development of my own trainings and work.”  Joyce Abardanel, Conflict Resolution Practitioner (Full Story)  

“Rarely do you find a course that will impact 360o of your life.  I immediately realized how this training was going to affect my relationships with my parents, partner, colleagues, staff, supervisor, neighbours, community…the list was endless.” “I think what moves me the most is how we begin to look at the world, and our own communities, through different sets of eyes, and in essence, embark on journeys that have us searching for common ground.”  Don DeGenova, Resolve Project Manager & Consultant (Full Story)  

“From one of these (TPN) workshops, at a community-facilitated session (brainstorming session) during the last day, a youth said “wouldn’t it be great to train police and kids together” thus sprung the “Cops & Kids Training””… “In total, during the next few years, approximately 400 police recruits and community youth were trained together in this workshop.”  Gary Nelson, formerly with the Ottawa Police Force (Full Story)  

“My overall reflections were: for the most part really great people and really beneficial learning. The peace oriented approach is very kindhearted and a kin to my worldview and desire to help others help themselves.”  Cindy Vanderheyden, Ottawa (Full Story)

“While working in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the last twelve years, I have met a large number of people that have taken similar training with other organizations but their experience in developing a positive attitude were not even close to mine.”   Meri Katunaric, President, Organization for Integrity and Prosperity, Croatia (Full Story)  

"I can still clearly remember taking the TPN1 training of CICR in Banja Luka in 1998.  Nowadays, as a member of the Board of Association of Mediators in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a mediation and conflict resolution trainer, having worked with about 2000 people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia I can say the CICR training and experiences that followed shaped my professional but also private life the best possible way."  Aleksandar Zivanovic, Journalist, Bosnia & Herzegovina (Full Story)

Third Party Neutral Testimonials

Sample testimonials collected at the end of individual 5-day training sessions are set out below:  

TPN 1
 

“The role playing exercises used in TPN1 were particularly useful.  They allowed the TPN to experience the role and practice techniques in a safe, learning environment.” Manon.  

“TPN 1 provides practical, down-to-earth tools and methods for understanding and helping to manage conflict between humans collectively and individually.”

“I would highly encourage those students in the conflict studies program to take TPN training.”  Caigh

“Some people think the teacher makes the course, some think the content makes the course.  This was one of those exceptional experiences where both were truly amazing.  Thank you so much.”  L Blain

“Very empowering week of self-growth.”  N Rein.

“This course resonated with me as an emotional and intellectual level.  Although each day left me exhausted the training and knowledge I’ll take forward with me will benefit me and hopefully others.”  K.

“TPN1 gave me a new perspective on addressing conflict and facilitating others in resolving dispute very effective” Pat Moore.

“Brilliant course, I have never in my student career encountered such an interactive course.  I experienced great personal growth and broke through a lot of barriers I had created for myself.”  Daisy Amaya.    

TPN 3

"TPN 3 has been the most valuable week to date for me.  Completely relevant to hold my spiritual life & work!”  Heather Hay.

“The TPN program provides participants with the opportunity to delve into my read aspects of conflict – from various perspectives.  This program is an asset to anyone willing to make a career in conflict resolution.”  Guy Lauzé.

“TPN 3 exceeded my expectations and has taught me the basics of effect in mediation.” Morgan Duchesney.  

TPN 4

“Very informative and relevant to the field of conflict.”  Garry Gifford.

“I am now able, after completing TPN 1, 2, 3, 4 to begin the process of gaining practical experience in the ADR field.  I am very satisfied.”  Morgan Duchesney.

GIG Intervening in Group Conflict Testimonials

Testimonials collected after the GIG pilots.

Here is my story that I would like to share with our community. The GIG workshop has heightened my awareness (x 10) on the existence of conflict in my personal life, on the street, on television. It's as if I now have a close-up of myself, of my behaviors and reactions when in conflict, past and present, what I have transformed and what remains to be transformed. During the past couple of months I noticed I was feeling sad because of past behaviors and I am now in the process of forgiving myself - we can only act on what we know. This awareness of myself has heightened my active listening skills when I am doing coaching or mediation or group intervention. I have done a group intervention last April and I believe it was too soon after GIG for me to make links. Also I was co-facilitating with someone who has not taken GIG. When I think back on that intervention I can identify some things that I would do differently now. I am looking forward to a couple of group interventions in the next 3/4 months and I am curious- and a bit scared - to experience them in this new light.

I think my bottom-line message is that GIG had and is still having a huge impact on me as an individual and as an instrument in interventions. If I am not prepared to work on my own behaviors, if I am not opened to learning more about myself how can I be of help in a construtive, healty manner to others? It has also helped me become more empathic towards myself, therefore toward others. This is a life-long process.

The most significant impact of the GIG has been on me personally and how I view myself in this world. Because of this training, I am much more accepting of myself as well as others. My relationships are much more harmonious and I am much more of an asset as a practitioner.

I have applied this at work and at home, with clients and also with friends facing major crisis. Biggest challenge was to let go of the outcome and guide with gentle questions. The biggest success has been the way I communicate with my partner and our kids. I have so much more inner peace. In order to apply this process, I need to be rested and in the NOW, be present and model non-violent communication and help guide others in how to communicate in that manner also. I realize the key to understanding and integrating the learnings of the GIG is be present and authentic.

To answer you, let’s start with the impacts. I naively thought that I was doing an excellent job in conducting group processes and meeting all the needs of the participants. After attending the GIG training, not only did I not meet the basic emotional needs of the participants I was forgetting the needs of a crucial element of the group, myself. I now understand that there are impacts on me which in turn influences the group.

I also realized that there is a need to fully explore what participants are disclosing or stating, there are reasons for this revelation and previously I was only looking at it at face value without examining further, thus leaving a void for this person I am sure and also allowing the need for the receiver to defend themselves against this revelation.

Furthermore, I was very uncomfortable if such disclosures were very personal and now I embrace it. It is as if I now have a very powerful tool that I can use rather than trying to avoid such discussions to transpire.

I have indeed utilized the GIG techniques in group processes and am now able to consciously and with confidence, explore deeper. The strange thing is that these techniques have now found their way into other services I provide such in coaching sessions, facilitated discussions, mediations, etc. You cannot learn what we learned in GIG and not expect it to have an influence on everything we do as mediators. I only wish is that all mediators have the opportunity to experience this training.