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Dear friends,
There's a lot of news these days about the backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Many organizational leaders are fearful of being publicly criticized, or even sued, because of their attention to these efforts. Unfortunately, this has led many organizations to roll back, hide, or minimize this important work, solely out of a fear of backlash.
But as we know in our work as peacemakers, backing away and avoiding the issue is not a healthy way to approach conflict. Although many of us may have conflict-averse tendencies, we know that a healthier approach is to draw on the fundamental principles that we use in Transformative Mediation: empowerment (saying what we need to say), and recognition (understanding the other person's perspective).
By incorporating empowerment and recognition in our DEI efforts, we can draw on our values to articulate why this work is important, and at the same time, we can meet our critics with dignity, humanity, and empathy. In this way, we can maintain our integrity and sustain our commitment to this critical work.
As organizational leaders, we may find empowerment in a variety of places. We may feel empowered to engage in DEI work because it is personally meaningful and relevant to our own identities or to those of our loved ones. Or we may feel empowered because we recognize that DEI is good for our employees. A recent article by Mita Mallick, the head of DEI at Carta, summarizes why DEI efforts are not only the right thing to do, but are also good for the bottom line, namely: inclusion drives productivity, attracts new talent, uncovers business opportunities, and increases staff retention.
No matter what motivates you on the DEI journey, the key to staying committed is to be clear about the values that keep you engaged in this work. When we are grounded in our most cherished values, it helps us stay resilient and centered during tough times, including withstanding any backlash or criticism that may come our way.
I think of my own DEI journey a little bit like how I think about facing our Western New York winters. It's hard work - there's no getting around it. Sometimes it feels endless, exhausting, and depressing. Sometimes you just feel like throwing in the towel and staying home. But hang in there. Because DEI work is cyclical, just like the seasons. If you stay in the work long enough, you'll be there to see the good times, when the impact of our work is visible, and we can celebrate our wins that we achieve: our diversity, our shared sense of purpose, and our strong sense of community. And even though we know there will always be more hard times ahead, we need to stick it out, because we need all of us in this work. We are stronger together.
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Anti-Bias Training for ADR Professionals
The Center for Dispute Settlement is once again offering Anti-Bias Training to meet the guidelines established by Administrative Order 124/22 for training that alternative dispute resolution (ADR) professionals are required to complete every two years.
The 3-hour training will be offered at two different times on Zoom:
Monday, March 18, 2024, 9:00am-12:00pm
Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 1:00pm-4:00pm
Cost
- FREE for court employed mediators and arbitrators, Part 28 arbitrators, court roster mediators, and CDRC staff and volunteers.
- $65 for private mediators/ADR professionals and community members
Training Description
This training is designed to promote greater awareness of implicit bias with respect to race, culture, gender and gender identity, age, cognitive/physical ability, religious affinity and other identities. The primary goal of this training is to empower participants to recognize their own biases, become aware of the impact of these biases in their work environment, and take steps to reduce the harmful impact of biases. The training curriculum reflects current innovative and evidence-based research and will include interactive and experiential learning opportunities.
Registration
Groups are limited to 10 participants, so please register early. To register, send your name, preferred training date, and mediator category (indicate whether you are a court employed mediator, court roster mediator, CDRC staff or volunteer, private mediator/ADR professional, or other community member) to Ronalyn Pollack at rpollack@cdsadr.org by March 4, 2024. Payment can be made online at: https://www.cdsadr.org/?q=pay-my-bill
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Meet Elizabeth Nadjadi,
Youth Program Coordinator, Steuben County
Tell us about the work that you’re doing.
After a 10-year hiatus, I returned to the Center for Dispute Settlement as the Youth Program Coordinator for Steuben County. I feel honored to have returned in the Juvenile PINS Diversion Program’s 20th Anniversary. Ten years ago, I held this same position and role at CDS but left to be with my family and gain life experience.
What initially started out as possible interest in recertifying as a mediator, a convenient training opportunity in Bath turned out to be one of my favorite leaps of faith. With the help of Alise Mahr, the Custody and Visitation Program Manager of Steuben County, I am now recertified in both Community and Custody and Visitation mediation within six months of being retrained.
My journey with the Center for Dispute Settlement truly began 20 years ago, at the age of 15, as a Peer Mediator at Avoca Central School. I loved it so much. Jim Waight, Director of Steuben County, offered me an internship opportunity with the Center for Dispute Settlement as a senior in high school. Half of my school days were spent in the Hornell and Corning offices learning about mediation and becoming a mediator.
It feels like the perfect time to return to the work I love. Our Juvenile Diversion Program receives referrals from Steuben County Probation and the Department of Social Services. This program gives youth on Probation or PINS the opportunity to have conversations, gain education about not only themselves and their conflict management styles, but also about the Juvenile Justice System in comparison to the Criminal Justice System. Our risk assessment encourages open and safe conversations about potentially harmful behaviors at home and at school.
Parent/Child mediations are a rare opportunity for youth and their parent or guardian to have an uninterrupted conversation with the help of a neutral third party. The transformative model of mediation allows for both parties to be seen and heard which can cause shifts in perspective and genuine change in feelings.
After being trained by Rick McInroy, the previous Youth Program Manager of Steuben County and Anger Management class instructor, I am now able to instruct one on one Anger Management classes with our referred youth. The individualized training sessions versus the classroom setting was implemented by Rick during the COVID years and has significantly increased the quality and efficacy of our program materials.
What are you enjoying most about your job?
I enjoy the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, in some of their most challenging times. I feel honored to witness genuine emotion and vulnerability while people overcome their conflicts in their own power.
What else do you want us to know about you?
Outside of the Center for Dispute Settlement, I am also a business owner. My husband and I own a gym in Steuben County. I am a mother to 2 wonderful, busy, loving, and energetic, kids. I’m an aunt, sister, daughter, a cheer/wrestling/baseball/softball/football/volleyball-enthusiast, a baker, a food lover, crafter, as well as a creative type of person.
And a fun fact that some may not know about me, I also enjoy powerlifting and my personal bests often surprise me and others. Squat: 155lbs Bench: 95lbs and Deadlift: 235 lbs which was over 200% of my bodyweight.
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The Pagan Holiday of Imbolc
by Maia Taub, Racial Equity Leadership Committee (RELC)
Imbolc is a Neopagan holiday traditionally celebrated on February 1 and 2. One theory linguists have as to the origin of its name is that it has something to do with lambing season ("i mbolc" in Old Irish translates to "in the belly") while others link it to the Roman Lupercalia, celebrated around the same time, and still others derive it from "oí-melg", ewe's milk.
The date was subsequently dedicated to the "mother saint" of Ireland, St. Brigid, but while it was nominally a saint's day, common belief holds that St. Brigid corresponds to the goddess Brigid, and both are commonly associated with wisdom, poetry, healing, protection, blacksmithing, and domesticated animals -- such as lambs. Traditions around Imbolc, according to Kuno Meyer's 1894 translation of an Irish poem, suggest that the holiday centered around ritual cleansing: "Tasting of each food according to order, this is what is proper at Imbolc: washing the hands, the feet, the head."
You may have noticed that a certain American holiday falls at the same time of year, and indeed, Imbolc has ties to Groundhog Day. At Imbolc, people would watch to see if serpents or badgers came out of their winter dens. If the weather on Imbolc is fair, people in Gaelic parts of the British Isles expect a longer winter because it means the Cailleach, the "divine hag", has come out to gather firewood. If the weather's rough, it means the Cailleach is sleeping and won't be bothering anyone!
The Republic of Ireland has integrated its Pagan past into its calendar, and the festival is a public holiday there, both as Imbolc and as St. Brigid's Day, on February 5.
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Volunteer reunion from BMT Spring 2023
It's always a joy to get together with our volunteers out in the community!
Members of our Spring 2023 Basic Mediation Training cohort gathered at Neutral Ground in Pittsford for coffee and conversation.
Thank you to all our amazing volunteers for being part of our community of peacemakers!
Pictured: (Scott) Pinak Hubbard , Staci Evans, Abby Bennett, Ebony Burgess, and Cheryl Strong.
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Volunteer of the Month:
Ron Russ
Date certified: 2019
After Ron retired, his daughter suggested he needed to do some volunteer work, so that's how he got connected with mediation. Ron took his first Basic Mediation Training in 2015 and started volunteering for ACCORD, a sister Community Dispute Resolution Center in Binghamton. Ron subsequently moved up to Canandaigua, looked for mediation opportunities and found the Center for Dispute Settlement. He took Basic Mediation Training in the Transformative model and the C&V Training and was certified with us in 2019. It turned out to be a fine move. Ron finds the process interesting, challenging and rewarding, such a nuanced practice. He learns something new after every mediation. Ron is a certified divorce mediator as well.
Ron also volunteers as a business mentor for SCORE, helping folks start a business or assisting them with running an existing one.
Most days you'll find Ron at the Y pool doing his laps, before he heads out to serve our community.
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