Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution

About this event

Cliff Jones, Senior Consultant
Nonprofit Association of Oregon
Teri Pierson, Facilitator, Trainer & Mediator

Continental Breakfast & Networking at 8:00
Presentation at 8:30

Many of us struggle with cross-cultural conflict in our interpersonal relationships and our organizations. Our usual “common-sense” approaches fail because the other person does not share the same beliefs and expectations about conflict. Despite our best intentions, we may find ourselves stuck and confused and inadvertently making the conflict worse. Each attempt to fix the problem “digs the hole deeper.” People walk away with impaired capacity to communicate and work together.

This session of the Diversity Leaders Network provides an opportunity to move beyond well meaning but often ineffective approaches to conflict, toward more flexible, thoughtful, and productive responses. We will utilize an exciting framework and curriculum in sharing concrete tools for increasing our ability to manage and resolve conflict based in cultural differences. Together, we will:

• Learn five strategies for working effectively across cultural differences.
• Delve into a case example using gender: a familiar, yet complex, aspect of culture.
• Practice applying the five tips to your own real-life examples of intercultural conflict.

Please take a moment to think ahead of time about one or two examples of conflicts related to cultural differences that you have struggled with. Cultural differences could include—race, class, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age as well as differences in politics, profession, generation, region, urban-rural, and similar areas of difference.

About the Presenters

Cliff Jones is a human rights activist with over 30 years’ experience in social services, community education, and human rights advocacy. He has experience as a frontline staff, supervisor, project manager, and executive director. He is co-founder of Tools for Diversity, a comprehensive curriculum led by a multi-cultural team that addresses problems caused by discrimination and prejudice and supports building culturally competent organizations.

Cliff has served on the boards of McKenzie River Gathering Foundation, Funding Exchange Foundation, Oregon Minority AIDS Coalition, Multnomah Legal Service Workers Union, and Peer Counseling Community. He has been a trainer for the Black Leadership and Community Development Institute and is a recipient of Nordstrom’s Cultural Diversity Community Service Award.

Teri Pierson is a facilitator, mediator, and trainer in private practice and the Facilitation Program Coordinator at Resolutions Northwest. She also volunteers as a facilitator for inter-group dialogues on race with Portland’s Office of Human Relations. Teri has trained on topics including mindful facilitation of intercultural conflict, race and mediation, and interrupting oppression. Her graduate studies focused on intercultural conflict resolution and included an internship with NAO to develop training materials for this topic.

About the Network

Diversity Leaders Network is a proactive, comprehensive approach to institutionalizing cultural competence at your organization. This Network is designed to help leaders better understand the cause and effect of varying viewpoints and to inspire open-mindedness and a willingness to learn from those with diverse backgrounds.