Conflict resolution

​Services to ​organisations with international staff working in Denmark

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We provide training and mediation for organisations with international staff working in Denmark, as well as conflict resolution coach and sparring for managers and staff. The following is an example of a four days training programme. Both shorter and longer trainings are also provided (not less than one day):

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A. Training

Day one:

1. Setting the framework for the training: self-introductions, objective, programme, ground rules, the participants’ own conflict resolution experiences (building a joint tool box).
   
2. Understanding conflicts and yourself in conflict: definition of conflict and conflict resolution; analysing a conflict and identifying resolution tools using the “Nested Paradigm”; understanding human reactions in conflicts, a self-test on personal reactions, and identifying how to expand one's personal pallet of reactions.
   

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Day two:

Communication to prevent and resolve conflict including introduction to Nonviolent Communication and other communication tools. They are used both when in conflict one selves as in the role of a helper (the conflict coach role). The day includes lots of exercises including role-play.

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Day three:

1. Improving feedback skills first focusing on using appreciative feedback to enhance trust and learning in a group and thus preventing conflict or reducing their negative impact.
   
2. Secondly, practicing dialogical feedback when one wants to avoid keeping quiet about difficult issues or escalating the situation when one chooses to talk about them.
   

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Day four:

Developing a draft conflict resolution codex for the participants' unit(s). The codex will help prevent conflicts and make it easier to resolve them sustainably. It contains very concrete and practical descriptions of what to do as parties in a conflict and as colleagues to the parties in conflict. The codex and the process by which it is created can be used by the unit when preparing future cooperation with key partners. 

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B. Conflict resolution coaching and sparring​

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Conflict coaching is a set of skills and principles used to support conflicting parties’ ability to resolve conflict. The conflict coach works one-on-one with a coachee offering the coachee help to talk about the conflict with a neutral (or rather non-partial) third party, in order to better understand the dynamics of the conflict, consider options for resolving it, and design an approach to discuss the conflict with the other party or parties.

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The role of the third-party neutral is, unlike many conversations between a person in conflict and a third party non-neutral colleague or friend, not a matter of agreeing and showing that “you are friends” but a matter of helping one or both parties deescalating the conflict by asking questions and at times challenging the conflict story told by the coachee.

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Conflict coaching can be used as a stand-alone process in cases where the parties based on the coaching together manages to build contact and understanding and find useful solutions. If they do not succeed, mediation is often the natural next step. Conflict coaching elements can also be practiced with each of the parties in separate meetings leading up to or during mediation.

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Conflict coaching is generally used after one or both of the parties have tried all options, they can think of in order to resolve the conflict but have failed. The conflict prevails. It is also used in situations where one of the parties feel emotionally unable to initiate a fruitful conflict resolution conversation with the other party or simply feels he or she lacks the necessary skills.

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In such circumstances, the conflict coach will be the confidential listener, facilitating the coachee to see the conflict from other perspectives, identifying new options, and come up with a plan of action to resolve the conflict. At times, the coachee is also helped to understand her own reactions, feelings and needs better. Finally, the coach can assist the coachee rehearse a conflict resolution conversation with the other party.

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Conflict coaching can take place face-to-face as well as online via MS Teams, Zoom etc.

C. Mediation​

Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution methodology that unlike a more traditional juridical approach to conflict resolution seeks to help both or all parties obtain their goals. Thus, not creating a winner and a looser. It is not trying to identify who is right and who is wrong, and guilt, shame and punishment are not key concepts in mediation.

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Mediation is a voluntary and confidential conflict resolution methodology where an impartial third party assist the conflict parties identifying and negotiating their own solutions through a structured process. It generally aims at the parties both finding concrete and practical solutions to disagreements and challenges as well as repairing damaged emotional relations between them. Building bridges over divides.

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Bjørn Nygaard has undertaken more than 100 mediationbetween individuals and groups, in workplaces, housing areas, in families and in relation to restorative justice. Methodologically we generally take a facilitative approach to mediation but are also inspired by narrative mediation and Johan Galtung's transcendens. When relevant we combine mediation with other conflict resolutions activities like individual conflict coaching, developing a workplace’s code of conduct regarding conflict resolution and more.

​Overseas Development Assistance - some examples

​Centre for Multiparty Democracy Kenya - training of politicians

In conjunction with Centre for Multiparty Democracy Kenya a thorough training of politicians and organisations supporting the political process in Kenya in conflict resolution and dialogue facilitation was carried out in Nairobi. The objective was to contribute to a peaceful election campaign 2022.

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The course content was among other things focusing og inclusive decision making processes, dialogue-processes and how to create a healthy culture of conflict resolution. It was hoped that the participants would work as ambassadors for nonviolent conflict resolution in their own parties, and that this might rob off on the competition between parties and groups.

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Training of Ministry og Foreign Affairs staff

Training of MfA staff from JPOs to HR and ambassadors over approximately a ten year period in conflict resolution, difficult conversations and intercultural competence based on Bjørn's own work experiences from three continents and research based conflict resolutions theory and methodologies. The training has been either face to face or online. 

Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy​ - training of partners

​Online training of opposition parties and organisations in a South East Asian country in conflict resolution and consensus building followed by facilitation of workshops to promote future National Dialogue processes - together with local facilitators.

Our Clients

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• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark
• Danida Fellowship Centre
• Private Danish and international organisations
• Danish ministries, universities, municipalities

• Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy

• Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute
• Centre for Multiparty Democracy Kenya​