Today@Sam Article

Activities To Focus On ‘Inspiring World, One Peace At A Time’

Sept. 21, 2016
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt

Story by Gene Roberts

The Sam Houston State University Student Legal and Mediation Services will work to “Inspire the World: One Peace at a Time” through a series of interactive activities designed to equip Bearkats with useful insights and tools to effectively resolve disputes during its fourth annual Conflict Resolution Month events.

“Conflict is inevitable within any relationship or community–friends, roommates, coworkers, and even between governments,” said Gene Roberts, director of Student Legal and Mediation Services. “The key is having the knowledge and tools to address conflict in a healthy and productive way, and that is what our office hopes to provide with this lineup of events.”

To kick off the month on Oct. 5, from noon to 3 p.m., and on Oct. 6, from 12:30-3 p.m., students will be able to create a spontaneous mural demonstrating their stories and the intensity of conflict and resolution in the Lowman Student Center Mall Area.

On Oct. 11, Brad Heckman, the executive director of the New York Peace Institute, will provide the month’s keynote on “Inspiring the World: One Peace at a Time” at 6 p.m. in College of Humanities and Social Sciences Building Room 110.

brad_heckman
Brad Heckman, SHSU's Conflict Resolution Month keynote speaker, has trained mediators around the world. 

Heckman has trained mediators and peacemakers throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the New York University Center for Global Affairs and trains the New York City Police Department in mediation techniques. He also has presented at TEDx.

Earlier that day, Heckman also will speak to the Division of Student Services on “Resolving Conflict in Education.”

On Oct. 28, Roberts and Drew Miller, assistant vice president for Student Services and executive director for Counseling and Health Services, will present on “The Angry Employee,” during which SHSU managers can learn techniques to diffuse and manage anger in the workplace. The training will take place in Lowman Student Center Room 320 from 1:30–3:30 p.m. and is available for Talent Management credit.

“This month helps us to focus on responsible ways to resolve conflicts. We will learn that effective conflict resolution techniques are vital in every environment where we find ourselves working, living, and getting along with other human beings,” said Roberts, who currently serves on the Council of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section for the State Bar of Texas and is also a past-president of the Texas Association of Mediators.

“Our expectation is that our attendees will encounter new ideas and tools that they can take with them and use to create better, stronger relationships with their coworkers, classmates, roommates, family members, and friends,” he said.

The Office of Student Legal and Mediation Services is committed to serving SHSU students by providing them with high-quality legal advice and equipping them with techniques to resolve disputes so they can focus on their educational goals.

For more information on Conflict Resolution Month, visit bearkatlaw.com or shsu.edu/slms; follow the Office of Student Legal and Mediation Services at facebook.com/bearkatlaw and on Twitter @Bearkatlaw; or contact SLMS at 936.294.1717 or slms@shsu.edu.

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