sperez

Written by: Soleida Perez, Program Director, ADR Learning Institute One of the interesting things about mediation practice is that the questions do not disappear with experience. In many ways, they become more nuanced. How much structure is enough? When should we challenge and when should we simply hold space? How do we work with escalation without becoming reactive ourselves? What do we do when someone shuts down, circles around, or cannot yet hear the other person? These are not always questions with fixed answers. They are questions practitioners continue to carry, revisit, and refine through experience, reflection, and conversation [...]

Written by: Soleida Perez, Program Director, ADR Learning Institute Something I’ve been thinking about lately is how easily we step into conflict that isn’t ours. As conflict practitioners, we’re trained to notice, respond, and support. It becomes second nature. But we’re also living in a moment where there is so much happening—globally and locally—that we can’t influence. Wars, violence, and ongoing suffering that we witness from a distance, but still feel deeply. It can leave us with a sense of helplessness, or a need to respond in some way. For many, these conflicts are not distant. Those connected through [...]