Conflict is an inevitable part of any meaningful relationship. Connection is a choice.
The question isn't whether you/we will face tension and disagreement—it is whether you/we have the tools to navigate that disagreement with integrity, equity, and hope.
We can help you meet this moment using our 40 years of experience in:
- Holding conflict without dehumanization
- Naming harm without erasing relationships and
- Honoring our shared humanity
Principles of Our Cooperative Process Approach
- Blame-Free, Shame-Free Content
- Experiential Learning
- A framework for understanding power differentials in relationships
- Supporting personal agency
- Embracing Growth in 3 dimensions - thoughts, actions, and feelings
We invite you to learn to stay engaged and choose connection instead of replicating hurtful patterns.
MUST INCLUDE:
DATES - TIMES
# OF CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
Conflict Transformation
The Cooperative Process - Tools for staying connected in difficult times
This is a consequential moment—a turning point;, within the U.S., especially, we are living through overlapping crises that are no longer abstract or contained. Big shifts are underway, and at the same time many people feel stuck, exhausted, and anxious. There’s fatigue in the body politic and the pressure is rising—not because something suddenly broke, but because something unsustainable is finally being felt by more people.
At moments like this, it’s easy to feel powerless. We are not falling apart—we are witnessing an opening.
The question isn't whether we'll face tension and disagreement—it's whether we have the tools to navigate it with integrity, equity, and hope.
We can meet this moment by holding conflict without dehumanization, naming harm without erasing relationships and fighting fiercely without losing our shared humanity.
Conflict is an inevitable part of any meaningful relationship.
Connection is a choice. Instead of replicating hurtful patterns, we invite you to learn to stay engaged and choose connection—even in moments of tension, disagreement, and difference.
About the Cooperative Process
Created over decades of experience embracing complex cross-cultural conversations, nationally and internationally, with marked success. Our Cooperative Process skills teaches you to navigate conflict with tools grounded in cooperation, power analysis, and authentic relationship-building. We believe people can meet their basic human needs far more efficiently, effectively, and sustainably when they work together—and we'll show you how.
How You'll Benefit
Long-Lasting, Authentic, Positive Change
Our work changes lives and relationships—for the better and for the long term. The Cooperative Process has strengthened teams, and transformed how people engage across differences.
Skills to Foster Equity
Participants learn why equity is critical in relationships and systems, and how to uphold it—at work and at home—through cooperative rather than competitive engagement.
Improved Productivity, Innovation, and Teamwork
Stronger communication skills improve relationships and help create a positive and motivating environment where conflict strengthens rather than weakens collaboration.
Individual and Organizational Healing
Unaddressed feelings hold both people and organizations back. The Cooperative Process frees both to acknowledge and manage feelings constructively.
Principles of Our Approach
Blame-Free, Shame-Free Content
We create open space for participants to acknowledge and reflect on their patterns in conflict without judgment. This allows for authentic exploration and growth.
Experiential Learning
Our immersive methodology encourages participants to explore and engage deeply with conflict resolution practices, with the freedom to shape their own journey.
Power-Conscious Framework
Unlike traditional mediation that assumes neutrality, we acknowledge power dynamics and address all four levels of oppression to create sustainable change.
3D Growth
We address participants' thoughts, actions, and feelings—all of which are crucial to lasting change, though feelings are often overlooked in conflict resolution
Facilitators
Jabari Carmichael Brown
Jabari is an explorer, storyteller and creator. Not much of an inside kid, he found solace in the great Mississippi outdoors. Exploring was an opportunity for Jabari to dream of the possibilities of life and to learn about how to grow food, read the sun and understand what time of day it was.
In 2011 Jabari joined Jeanne, Johanna and Leo in founding Grow Dat Youth Farm. Grow Dat is an urban farm in New Orleans that nurtures young leaders through the meaningful work of growing food. While at Grow Dat he wore many hats but finished his tenure with the organization as the Program Manager and Site Manager. As the Program Manager he was responsible for supervising 45 teenagers and 8 young adults, curriculum development, logistics, parent contact liaison and fundraising just to name a few. As the Site Manager he was responsible for maintaining an eco-campus, and 4 acres of lawns, bio swells, swamps, old growth hardwoods and understory, riparian areas and his engagement was crucial in designing the early phases of the birding corridor in City Park.
Jabari is a dynamite speaker and has even stronger listening skills. He often teaches from his personal experiences, which builds connections with participants. He is fulfilling the dreams of his ancestors by fighting to preserve humanity for each person. He is enthusiastic, humble, brave and leads by example.
Ellen Morrison
Ellen is recognized for her anti-racism and racial healing work as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and mediator specializing in collaborating with individuals and groups in catalyzing their efforts toward equity, bringing attention to the analysis of power as a core element of interpersonal and organizational change. Her consultancy is informed by a thirty year career in community mental health centering systems change, inspired by a lineage of movement work and impacted by an intentional personal journey in understanding her relationship to power and privilege. Believing wholeheartedly that the wisdom of our emotional life has a transformative place in DEIB and justice work alongside what we do and how we think, she leads change processes that uplifts our multiple intelligences. Ellen is known for her skillful and creative facilitation. Her trauma informed and relational approach contributes to prioritizing the integration of restorative practices including popular education pedagogy to develop curriculum and facilitate experiential learning. She is also known for her artivist leadership painting murals and teaching political poster making. Her community artist spirit lives on in facilitating creative-based practices. Ellen is also a dedicated martial artist and self-defense instructor, finds joy in painting, is an organizer with SURJ Bay Area, regenerates at the ocean’s edge and deeply values her time with chosen and given family.
Jeyanthy Siva
Jeyanthy is a facilitator, trainer, mediator, and coach who works with people dedicated to change to do so in effective ways that recognize power and human nature. With a background in Nonviolent Communication and Transformative Justice, Jeyanthy brings the technique of anti-oppression power analysis, the style of empathetic facilitation, and the unique experience of being grounded in three different worlds (war-torn Sri Lanka, academia in the US and now based in the Netherlands) to all of her work as a tool for allowing everyone to feel heard and seen in the midst of conflict or any challenging conversation. Her work is rooted and deepened through a decolonial lens and an understanding of domination systems and how they facilitate systemic oppression (i.e. white supremacy, ableism, transphobia, etc). Her skills are in areas of anti-racism training/facilitation, conflict transformation and dialogue, restorative and transformative justice, facilitation (team retreats, project planning, caucus’), gender and social inclusion & community engagement. She is a researcher on decolonizing minds and methodologies as well as healing internalized Oppression. https://communication-matters.net
John Maudlin
John lives in Boston, MA, where he co-founded the Fields Corner Business Lab, Dorchester’s first coworking space, and launched SCALE consulting in 2014. SCALE consulting provides strategic planning, marketing direction, and business development services for small businesses. John is also honored to be a board member, advisor and consultant for a handful of companies in the US and around the world.
Learning Objectives
SAMPLE, PLACEHOLDER LANGUAGE FROM PACE
VISIONS PACE I Learning Objectives
As a result of attending PACE I workshop, participants will:
1. Learn VISIONS' Three Dimensions of Change model.
2. Identify their historically included and historically excluded group memberships.
3. Summarize and explain the Multicultural Process of Change model.
4. Demonstrate awareness of how social and hierarchical power dynamics can operate in personal and group interactions.
5. Apply VISIONS' Feelings as Messengers emotional literacy model.
6. Utilize VISIONS’ Feedback as an Antidote to Oppression framework to analyze and mitigate the impacts of negative conditional and unconditional feedback in interpersonal and group settings.
7. Practice VISIONS' Skills for Effective Communication Across Difference.8. Describe and apply VISIONS' Modern Oppression and Survival Behavior/Internalized Oppression framework to an analysis of dysfunctional interpersonal encounters
Vigorous Interventions in Ongoing Natural Settings, Inc. (VISIONS, Inc.) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7400. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Vigorous Interventions in Ongoing Natural Settings, Inc. (VISIONS, Inc.) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
ONCE APPROVAL IS OBTAINED FROM NASW WE CAN INCLUDE THE LANGUAGE, LOGO AND APPROVAL NUMBER HERE
This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # XXXXXXXXX-XXXX) for X continuing education contact hours.
Refund and Cancellation Policy
If a workshop is canceled by VISIONS, participants will receive a full refund. If a participant cancels more than 30 days in advance of the training start date, they can receive a full refund or transfer to another session.
If a participant cancels 15-30 days in advance, they can receive up to a 50% refund or have a 50% discount applied to a future training.
Cancellations made 14 or fewer days in advance of the training are not eligible for a refund or transfer to another training.
* Please note that ALL registration fees paid via credit card will incur a processing fee.
** If you would like to send a check or money order, please mail to our secured lock box at VISIONS, Inc. Workshops, PO Box 65234, Baltimore, MD 21209-0234 and indicate the workshop you are signing up for.