Grenada: Sharing Conflict Management Skills for the Workplace, Home and Community

Karuna Center for Peacebuilding Yobo Member

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By Paula Green – Karuna Center for Peacebuilding Founder and Senior Fellow

Participants practice conflict management skills in pairs

A small island in the Eastern Caribbean, Grenada is home to St. George’s University, where I have been a Visiting Professor for two weeks during each of the last four years. This January, I led workshops for approximately 150 people in conflict management skills for the workplace, community, and family. Participants came from the University faculty and staff, but also from NGOs, educational and religious institutions, and government offices throughout the island. We held special workshops for the Royal Grenadian Police Force and for the St. George’s University Medical Clinic.

After three days, one police officer suggested they change their name from Police Force to Police Service, reflecting on the insight that when he reached home after work, he still behaved as a force! The police drew up a set of principles to present to their department directors, entitled “How we can develop a more collaborative working environment.” They are eager to implement their newly minted skills within their work place and in the community.

Members of the Royal Grenadian Police Force at conflict

The Medical Clinic staff explored the complexity of their working relationships as doctors, nurses and allied personnel, and probed ways they might improve their communication, conflict skills, and their capacity to offer support to patients and each other. All the groups worked on issues of prejudice and marginalization, conflict management, and healing and reconciliation. They appreciated the lack of armed conflict on their island, but know there is a great deal of harm caused by domestic violence and lack of insight into the impact of one’s own behavior on work place and society.

Next year we may establish a training program to prepare island residents working in various sectors to offer skills in conflict resolution at SGU as well as in other work environments and community organizations.

One participant wrote me to state that “if more people took these workshops, there would be fewer broken hearts in the world.”

Story originated at the Karuna Peacebuilding in Action Blog