Professor Stephanie Blondell Speaks at Utah Council on Conflict Resolution

Professor Stephanie Blondell presented both the keynote address and plenary session at the Utah Council on Conflict Resolution (UCCR) 24th Annual Symposium. The symposium, titled "Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, ADR," was held on May 26 at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney School of Law.

From the UCCR Symposium program:

Stephanie Blondell
Keynote Address

Interest Identification: The Secret Key to Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in ADR

Conflict resolution competencies rely on the building block of interest identification. Diversity and equity inclusion competencies similarly stem from deep listening and interest identification. Most conflict resolution interventions, tricks, and techniques lead back to this fundamental concept. Interest Identification is often taught in a cursory fashion without a roadmap for how to practice or implement the skill. This plenary session is a deep dive into interest identification in the context of diversity, equity and inclusion. Participants will leave with a paradigm for identifying interests, and an understanding of the top ten interests in the DEI context.

Stephanie Blondell
Plenary Session

He said. She Said.: A Mediator’s Approach to Memory Errors in Mediation

Einstein said, “Memory is deceptive because it is colored by today’s events.” Recent memory research has proven this wise adage to be true. Mediators don't need scientists to report that memory errors play into the calcification of conflict narratives and influence negotiation themes and rhetoric. This interactive workshop is a brief overview of the emerging science on memory (misattribution, transience, and suggestibility) and its applicability to our lives as mediators. This interactive session explores new mediation interventions to defuse conflict that emerges from discrepant recollections. Understanding how we remember is arguably a tool for mediator neutrality, but also a relevant tool for each of us as busy and aging human beings.