We are excited to announce a partnership between ADR Learning Institute and Native Counselling Services of Alberta for the delivery of NCSA’s Bear Paw Peacemaking Certificate Program.
History of the Bear Paw Peacemaking Certificate Program
The Bear Paw Peacemaking Certificate Program was originally created through a partnership between Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA) and York University in Ontario. NCSA wanted to create a University recognized conflict resolution certificate program for Indigenous people. York University had a postgraduate program overseen by Dr. Desmond Ellis, and he became the main contact person to oversee the development of NCSA’s Certificate training. Paula Drouin was contracted to design curriculum and course material in consultation with NCSA staff and Elders. Students in the program were students of York University, with all training being delivered by NCSA in Alberta. The curriculum was designed to meet the needs of First Nations and Métis peoples and their communities, while also meeting curriculum requirements to receive University Senate approval.
For several years the program was called the Aboriginal Peacemaking Certificate Program, and it was offered every couple of years between 2000 and 2010. Eventually the partnership between NCSA and York University was deemed to be unnecessary and NCSA started running the program through BearPaw Training (a department of Native Counselling Services of Alberta). The certificate program became a requirement for NCSA Family and Criminal Court workers. It continued to run with the rigor of a University level Certificate Program, but registration was restricted to NCSA staff only, and it was run as in-house training. In 2010, NCSA changed the name to Bear Paw Peacemaking Certificate Program. All of the courses were delivered by Paula Drouin on her own, with a team of coaches, until 2011 when Gayle Desmeules came on board as co-instructor/coach between 2013 and 2017. In 2017, in her role with NCSA, Gayle also became a course content contributor for the Preparing for Peace course.
In 2019, twenty-one years since Paula Drouin was first contracted to begin designing the program and nineteen years since it launched, NCSA decided to partner with the ADR Learning Institute to offer Bear Paw Peacemaking Certificate Program. Registration in the program is now available to Indigenous people and employees of Indigenous organizations. The first public offering of this twenty-year-old successful certificate program happened between April and July of 2019.
In 2021 ADR Learning Institute received the Certified Mediation Training Program accreditation from the International Mediation Institute. Graduates of our program now qualify for the International Qualified Mediator designation. Students in the Bear Paw Peacemaking program can choose to complete extra assignments and plus a video taped final role play evaluation, if they would like their certificate to qualify for IMI recognition.
Program Introduction
The current BearPaw Peacemaker Training program is grounded in an interconnected worldview, where building, maintaining and strengthening good relationships is paramount. The curriculum includes a discussion of colonial laws in Canada, and the effect of these laws on family and community relationships within the Indigenous community, as well as relationships with and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. The training situates Peacemaking and mediation as a powerful tool in the journey towards healing and reconciliation. NCSA also includes Elder teachings in the training, and helps participants to understand how to include Elders in meaningful ways in the Peacemaking process.
The Certificate program was designed as sixteen-days of training, divided among three core courses and one elective course. The courses have both an academic orientation (as some content is drawn from an educational discipline and has a theoretical background) and social orientation (because much of the content will come from the participants environments, both currently and historically). The first course is “Preparing for Peace” and will be co-instructed by Senator Patti LaBoucane-Benson and Paula Drouin. Paula will be the instructional lead for the remaining three courses. The second course is “Peacemaking Dialogue”, the third course is “Being a Peacemaker”, and the elective will be “Peacemaking Circles and Restorative Justice”.
Requirements to earn Bear Paw Peacemaking recognition of attendance or the full certificate
Assignments will be given in each of the core courses, to be completed in the classroom, overnight, or between courses. A daily journal will be assigned, with instructions, to be handed in weekly for the first four weeks.
Recognition of participation in the training and all the learning achieved, will be acknowledged for those participants who attend every day of the training, complete all assigned course work, and participate in all the role play activities.
The Bear Paw Peacemaking Certificate will granted to the participants who attend all course days, complete all the written and research assignments, participate in role plays and complete and pass two role play evaluations.
Registration Information
Participants must register for the entire program. Continuity of participants and the safety that creates allows for deeper learning, which is an important element of the Certificate Program. To apply to the program send an email to director@adrlearninginstitute.ca or click here to fill out our online application.
The per person cost for the entire Certificate Program is $3800.00 plus GST, unless your employer is paying and is GST exempt. If your employer is paying for the training they may qualify for a grant to help offset the cost of the program. To access the information they need to determine if they qualify, click here. Approval must be received prior to the commencement of the program, so apply early.
The payment schedule is as follows:
- 1st payment of 1200.00
- 2nd payment of 1200.00
- 3rd payment of 1400.00
If you are an employer wanting 10 or more employees trained please contact us for a discounted rate on the entire certificate program delivery. Also call if you would like just one course delivered to your staff, or if you would like some customized training designed and delivered.
This training will be delivered face-to-face – location to be determined. All courses will run from 8:30 to 4:00 MST.
