Presidio Sentinel San Diego
March 2017
By Laura Walcher
Absent the 20th century world wars,
can we remember a
time since, so filled with conflict, seemingly
invading every aspect of our society, seemingly propelled by
American’s thin-skinned, rash president? Tough times. All
the more reason to recognize, honor and celebrate the National Conflict
Resolution Center (NCRC)–
resolutely deepening their programs and outreach, inspiring us to seek peaceful
resolutions to our conflicts – and showing us how.
The organization’s annual Peacemaker Awards are
coming up
In April – and not a moment too soon.
We asked Steve Dinkin, NCRC’s CEO, how he sees
the world today, and how the organization addresses our challenges. Why,
indeed, can’t we just get along?
LW: In writer Tyler Cowen’s new book, “The
Complacent Class,” he says that Americans have “lost their mojo” – that is,
unable to work up the interest or energy to solve our country’s problems.
Heaven knows, that includes economic, racist, political and personal
conflict! Yet these days, NCRC is all over the map, advocating for and
teaching conflict resolution. Not exactly ‘complacent?’ Do you
still think that “conflict is
inevitable, but manageable?”
SD:
Yes. Yet, I think that one
of the biggest problems we face today is that society has become increasingly
conflict avoidant. And that may very well be why we are in the state we are in
now. People are hiding behind computer screens and smart phones to push back
against one another, instead of having meaningful face-to-face conversations
that help move issues forward. No matter how far technology takes us, nothing
will ever replace the importance of a conversation between two people with
differing ideas. We have to teach
people how to respectfully disagree again.
LW. Somewhere in my “stacks,” I have a
four-page brochure for a seminar called, “Dealing with Difficult People,” but
NCRC goes ‘way beyond those challenging folk. Is conflict, mediation
always about “difficult” people?
SD: On the contrary. Most people are reasonable and other-wise
level-headed, but we all get pulled into conflict and tend to lose our cool
when emotions take over. It’s important to acknowledge that. It’s important to
know that conflict will happen - and
it’s okay. Just make sure you have the tools needed to deal with it properly
when the time comes.
LW: Resolving conflict: isn’t it
enough to say you’re ‘sorry!’ ?
SD: The idea behind successful conflict
resolution is not that you have to constantly apologize or end up agreeing with
the person with whom you are in conflict. In fact, if you offer a false apology, you are more likely to
continue to have issues with that person, because, for you, the conflict is not
fully resolved. But if you can agree to hear the other person, acknowledge that
they have been impacted by the situation and work with them to move forward,
that is often enough to get the situation resolved.
LW. Too much conflict today, we recognize,
is between citizens and police. Is NCRC specifically addressing that now?
SD:
We work with citizens and law enforcement in many ways. Through
the County of San Diego Live Well Initiative, we facilitate discussions between
residents of communities like Southeast San Diego or City Heights and local law
enforcement, plus provide
communication training to both citizens and police so that the two groups
have an opportunity to interact in positive ways. We also train youth – from
middle school to university students – in conflict resolution techniques, which
touch on how to work collaboratively with those in authority.
LW. You’ve expanded NCRC’s services significantly
– and importantly - to ever-younger teens, youth. What motivated you
to establish , “Avoiding the
Pipeline to Prison” – ?
SD: From 1980 to 2008 the number of people
incarcerated in America quadrupled from 500,000 to over 2.3 million, making us the
most punitive nation in the world! More and more, we have seen that youngsters
get caught in this system. For many who are arrested for crimes such as
vandalism or battery, the punishment doesn’t end when they serve their jail
time. By then, they have missed school, disconnected from many positive aspects
of society and become acquainted with other criminals. It’s easy for them to
end up back in the system over and over again. So, we clearly need a new way of
looking at how we deal with youth who have committed criminal acts.
The “Avoiding the Pipeline to Prison” initiative
focuses on Restorative Justice - an ancient practice based on a timeless truth
that restitution has greater value than
retribution. It shifts the focus from legal rules to human needs and from punishment to responsibility.
It addresses the personal impact of wrongdoing on the victim, the offender,
their families, and their community. All parties work together to repair the
harm, ensure accountability, and make a fresh start.
Restorative Justice works. It dramatically reduces
recidivism. It eases symptoms of emotional pain among victims. It builds
solidarity within communities. And, it lowers the spiraling costs of criminal
prosecution and incarceration. Remarkably, in an era of growing political
discord, restorative justice is winning support from conservatives and
progressives alike.
LW: Does NCRC have any plans to address
the current toxic Trump moves, and in his wake, increased racist, religious,
cross-border, and international hostile activity? Surely non-peaceful!
SD: Society as a whole needs to unite to fight hate-speech, racism
and violence. To this end, NCRC has joined forces with KPBS to launch a
Community Heroes Initiative whereby four times a year, San Diegans will
nominate community heroes who are making a difference in addressing some of the
most contentious problems of our time. Once the “hero” has been selected,
NCRC and KPBS will hold a town-hall meeting to hear from the hero as well as
citizens, so that we may find common ground and solutions to many of these
troubling issues. Starting in 2018, these four heroes will be recognized
at the Peacemaker Awards Dinner.
LW. Fortunately, NCRC does see ‘peace’ in this
year’s awards; possibly the world’s most urgent undertaking. Who are the
Awardees this year, and why have they earned your attention, admiration?
SD: Our three Awards this year:
The Southern Poverty Law Center, for their "Teaching Tolerance" program. This
award-winning, multi-media platform for building an inclusive society, is
empowering educators across the country to guide students away from bias and
conflict and toward empathy and unity.
Basketball legend Bill Walton and his
wife, Lori, are being honored for focusing so much of their
philanthropic service on their passionate belief in the value of civic spirit
and the power of human aspiration.
And, Rachel’s Challenge is the
organization named after Rachel Joy Scott's posthumous legacy of kindness that
emerged after her death in the Columbine High School massacre. The work of this
organization is transforming schools by disrupting patterns of bullying with a
culture of compassion and civility. ###
The 29th Annual PEACEMAKER AWARDS, will be presented
Saturday, April 8, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency, La Jolla at Aventine, 5:30 – 9
p.m. RSVP: 619-238-2400, xl222; lcolejones@ncrconline.com
