PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_Oct. 2019 | Page 5
ADR CORNER
THEODORE A. DECKERT
October is Conflict Resolution Month –
A Reminder
“It’s About the Resolution, Not the Conflict”
For over a decade, various professional
organizations and governments around
the world have chosen to recognize the
importance of peaceful conflict resolution
practices during the month of October. The
Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR)
in 2005 established the third Thursday in
October as "Conflict Resolution Day" which
this year is October 17th. Mediation Week
this year is October 13-19. For history and
context see prior October issues of The Bar
Bulletin at http://www.palmbeachbar.org/
adr. For several years I have had the honor of
writing about these events and highlighting
our bar association ADR Committee’s
activities promoting ADR in our community.
Last year the American Bar Association
declared the Mediation Week theme as
“Mediation, Civil Discourse, and ABA 2011
Resolution 108”, which reminded us that
the current toxic environment of political
and social discourse in our country existed
back in 2011. My article last year expanded
on that theme and also addressed a tool to
help de-escalate the emotions that inhibit
civil social discourse. Since the state of
“public discourse” arguably has continued
to deteriorate you may want to review
last year’s article at https://view.joomag.
com/pbcba-bar-bulletins-pbcba-bulletin-
october-2018/0953159001538414829?short
(See Page 7).
Our ADR Committee each year presents
special events and programs to celebrate
Conflict Resolution Month and Mediation
Week. We obtain government proclamations,
sponsor student competitions and provide
speakers to civic and other organizations.
This year we have chosen “Win-Win
through Mediation” as the theme for our
school competition and expanded it to
include essay and video categories. The
contest has been opened up to all high
school students and the top three winners
in each category, and their teachers, will
each receive cash prizes of $200-100-50
for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. The prizes will
be awarded at the October Palm Beach
County School Board meeting. The winning
students and teachers also will be featured
in the Bar Bulletin and on our association
website. Thank you to committee members
Jeff Marcus and Bruce Blitman for their
hard work in expanding and promoting the
contest and to Jay Hunston, Jr. and Sandy
Myers for underwriting the cash prizes.
This year the ADR Committee has again
arranged for proclamations recognizing
Mediation Week not only by the County
Commission and School Board, but also by
15 municipalities. Committee Chair Rosine
Plank-Brumback and other committee
members appear before the various
commissions to accept the proclamations
and promote ADR and our bar association.
Congratulations and thanks to committee
members Lawrence Gordon and Laura Starr
for expanding the participation of our local
governments.
This year will be the second year the
committee will present a lunch time
seminar on Conflict Resolution Day (October
17) at the bar association office. The topic
“Navigating Complex Mediations” has been
approved by the Florida Bar for 2.0 CLER
hours. The presenters will be committee
members Lawrence Gordon, Jay Hunston,
Jr. and Retired Judge Kenneth Stern.
Register at the Bar Association website
by clicking on https://apps.palmbeachbar.
org/calendar/register/?eventno=3025
.
The committee acknowledges and thanks
Banyan Treatment Centers and Phipps
Reporting for sponsoring this seminar.
Please also see the Flier in the Bulletin for
details about the 17th Annual ADR Seminar
the committee will present at the bar
association offices on February 10, 2020.
The committee continues to have speakers
available to address professional or
community organizations about mediation
and ADR in general, not only during
October, but year round.
Anyone who
knows a group that would like someone to
speak about ADR should email Jeff Marcus
at [email protected]. Please also
check out the ADR Committee webpage at
http://www.palmbeachbar.org/adr for other
resources about mediation and ADR.
I want to close my article by explaining its
title. Every person is unique and perceives
reality in their own way, based upon their
individual attributes and life experiences.
We are in a time in which many of our
“leaders” or “leader wanna bes” focus their
sound bites and tweets on our differences.
As a result, disagreements have grown
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN
5
into conflicts throughout our nation, even
among friends and families. This does not
promote meaningful dialogue directed
toward resolving disagreements in a
manner acceptable to each side. If we are
to achieve “resolution” of the issues in our
society, we need to make the effort to better
understand how the “other side” sees the
issue so that we can work toward solutions
that most effectively fulfill the wants and
needs of “both sides.”
“Seek first to understand and then to be
understood” is one of the “7 Habits of
Highly Effective People” developed by
the renowned author and lecturer Steven
Covey. We can all help reduce conflict
and improve the prospect for resolution if
we practice this habit whenever we have
the opportunity. Before trying to convince
another they are wrong, give them the
opportunity to explain their viewpoint.
You will not only show them you care
about them and value their viewpoint, you
also will learn how to better express your
viewpoint in a way that focuses on the
interests and concerns you both share. It is
through this shared focus that meaningful
and effective “resolution” of conflict is
achieved.
Theodore A. Deckert, Esq. is a Past Chair
of the Palm Beach County Bar Association
ADR Committee and a Past President
of The Florida Academy of Professional
Mediators. He has been a Florida Supreme
Court Certified Circuit Civil & Family
Mediator since 2000 and he has been a
full time Mediator and Third Party Neutral
affiliated with Matrix Mediation LLC
since 2008. Prior to becoming a full time
mediator, he was a civil trial attorney since
1976 and a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil
Trial Lawyer for 25 years. He has helped
thousands of people resolve virtually every
type of civil dispute. For more information
email him at [email protected] or
go to www.matrixmediation.com