Conflict Practitioner Archives - Conflict Management Academy

Aspirational Ethics: The Character Required for Conflict Work Today

Leave a Comment / Articles / Samantha Hardy

We are living in a moment where the centre of society feels like it’s cracking. Polarisation is no longer abstract, it’s showing up at dinner tables, in workplaces, and in parliament. Social media rewards outrage, making disputes louder and harder to de-escalate. People feel the legal system is inaccessible: too expensive, too slow, too confusing. […]

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CRITICAL REFLECTION: Does a Mediation Process Have Integrity?

Leave a Comment / Critical Reflection / Samantha Hardy

I was chatting recently with a mediator about a mediation that was mid-way through. A first joint session had taken place, with another scheduled in the near future. However, in the meantime one of the parties had potentially breached confidentiality of the first session. It was unclear whether there was a technical breach or not,

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REAL WORLD INSIGHTS: Why We All Say “Self-Determination” But Practice It Differently

Leave a Comment / REAL World Insights: Bridging Theory and Practice / Samantha Hardy

Robert Baruch Bush’s recent article in the Harvard Negotiation Law Review tackles something most mediators have noticed: we all agree that party self-determination is fundamental to mediation, yet we practice it very differently. The Gap Between Theory and Practice Bush identifies two distinct approaches: In facilitative mediation, self-determination matters, but it can be set aside

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Can a Mediator Balance Power and Remain Impartial?

Leave a Comment / Articles / Samantha Hardy

Many mediators have been taught, explicitly or implicitly, that part of our ethical role is to “balance power”. At the same time, we are told that we must remain impartial. Both are framed as professional virtues. Rarely do we pause to ask whether they can comfortably coexist. What do we actually mean by “power”?

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Mediator and Broader Consulting

Leave a Comment / Articles / Samantha Hardy

A reflective look at impartiality, consultancy, and the blurry edges between them Many mediators encounter this tension. You are invited into a workplace to support the resolution of a particular conflict between two individuals, and along the way you notice broader structural or cultural problems. You may be qualified and well positioned to help. The

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Tending the Fire: A Conflict Makeover

Leave a Comment / Articles / Samantha Hardy

Conflict really does have a bad reputation. We tend to treat it as something to prevent, contain, clear up, or make disappear. But what if we are wrong about conflict? Civil rights, women’s suffrage, and workplace safety laws did not come from people politely agreeing not to rock the boat. Progress came from people who

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How Do We Get Party B to Agree to Mediate?

Leave a Comment / Articles / Samantha Hardy

It’s a deceptively simple question. After all, mediation is voluntary. If one person says no, that should be the end of it. Yet, in practice, mediators are regularly drawn into the space between willingness and refusal. How far should they go in encouraging participation? When does providing information turn into persuasion? This blog post unpacks

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Dr Judith Rafferty Presents on Trauma, Justice, and Healing at the International Association of Genocide Studies Conference

Leave a Comment / Articles / Samantha Hardy

Adjunct Senior Research Fellow Dr Judith Rafferty represented The Cairns Institute at the 2025 Conference of the International Association of Genocide Studies (IAGS) in Johannesburg, South Africa (20–24 October 2025). The event, themed The Challenge of ‘Never Again’: Engaging with Protection and Prevention of Genocide, brought together global experts to explore how research, justice systems,

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Conflict Management Academy at the National Mediation Conference

Leave a Comment / Articles / Samantha Hardy

In September, the Conflict Management Academy (CMA) hosted a vibrant stall at the National Mediation Conference. CMA Director Dr Samantha Hardy and Trainer & Coach Mentor Dr Judith Rafferty had a fantastic time connecting with friends, colleagues, and conference participants — and, of course, sharing our super-cool CMA merchandise! It was a wonderful opportunity to

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Are Conflicts Really Getting Harder, or Are Mediators Just Getting Nostalgic?

Leave a Comment / Articles / Samantha Hardy

Samantha Hardy and Peter Hanson Every mediator, at some point, has sighed over coffee or in supervision and said: “The cases are getting harder these days.” But is that true? Are disputes genuinely more complex and intractable, or are we simply remembering the past through rose-tinted glasses? This question keeps coming up in training rooms,

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