Professor Shaphan Roberts Presents "The Chemistry of Belonging" -- SELPA ADR Conference

On March 13, 2025, Dr. Shaphan Roberts captivated attendees at the 2025 California Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) ADR Conference with his keynote address titled "The Chemistry of Belonging: Why We’re Stronger Together."

In his powerful presentation, Roberts explored how true strength comes from connection — when people feel valued, supported, and included, communities thrive. He drew from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s timeless words to illustrate this point:
"Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be... This is the inter-related structure of reality."

Roberts emphasized that our individual well-being is deeply tied to the well-being of those around us—a core truth often overlooked in siloed approaches to conflict and social cohesion. He urged participants to reflect on how fostering a genuine sense of belonging in schools, workplaces, and communities strengthens not only collaboration and trust, but also our collective capacity to resolve conflict.

Drawing on Social Identity Theory, Roberts highlighted how our group affiliations—whether based on race, neighborhood, profession, or shared experiences of trauma—profoundly shape how we see ourselves and others. These identities can either polarize or unite, depending on whether they are validated or marginalized in broader societal discourse.

He further connected this to Collective Efficacy Theory, which posits that when members of a community believe in their shared power to act for the common good, they become more resilient, more hopeful, and more capable of confronting systemic challenges. Belonging, then, is not just a feeling; it is a foundation for agency, justice, and transformation.

In Roberts’ words, “A community that believes in itself begins to trust, to heal, and to hope—and that hope reverberates outward like a social echo, reshaping the very systems that once fractured it.”

Roberts' message aligned perfectly with the conference theme, "Synergy in Action: Understanding Relationships in Shared Spaces." His address underscored that successful mediation and conflict resolution go beyond finding compromises — they’re about creating environments where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered to contribute.

The SELPA ADR Conference remains a necessary space for advancing dispute resolution practices, and Roberts’ inspiring keynote was a meaningful reminder of the role connection plays in building stronger, more resilient communities.