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Free Webinar Recording: Improv for Conflict Resolution

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Intro to Improv for Mediators – Comfort in Uncertainty, Joy in Collaboration

In collaboration with the FOAJ, we presented this free Lunch and Learn webinar: Improv for Conflict Resolution on December 15, 2022 at 11:30am.

As mediators, we aim to solve problems without preconceptions of what should happen. It’s an improvised process. But improvising isn’t always easy. We can get caught up in our own thoughts, try to create solutions too quickly, or feel lost when things don’t go as expected. Improv training helps us build our comfort in uncertainty, reduce our fear around relinquishing control, and find joy and ease in collaboration.

Get a taste of improv training, learn about the fascinating overlap between the principles of improv and principles of conflict mediation, and leave with some ideas for applying improv to your own work.

Speaker: Zoë Barrett-Wood

Zoë Barrett-Wood is a mediator and facilitator with the Canadian Collaborative for Engagement and Conflict Management. She has a background in the sciences and the performing arts, and believes in the power of bringing the two together. Zoë worked for a decade as an environmental consultant on complex projects related to land protection, resource development, and community health. She’s also worked as an actor, improviser, and comedian for film, theatre, and audio projects. She has been teaching improv for workplaces in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors for the past 7 years.

This recording is from Dec 15, 2022

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Webinar Recording: Secondary Trauma – Building resilience through informed care

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Secondary stress is emotional duress that can result from exposure to another person’s first hand traumatic experience. With trauma-informed tools we can build resilience for our service providers so they can best support the people they serve.

Speaker:  Dr. Suzette Brémault-Phillips

Dr. Suzette Brémault–Phillips is an Occupational Therapist and Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, who holds a PhD in spirituality. She is also the Director of the Heroes in Mind Advocacy and Research Consortium (HiMARC), a provincial hub for research, teaching and service in support of military members, Veterans, public safety personnel and their families. An experienced clinician, educator, researcher, and consultant, she has worked in a variety of settings across provinces, health care systems and the lifespan. Her expertise is in the area of rehabilitation, complex needs, mental and spiritual health, trauma-informed care, and older adults. Suzette’s research interests include resilience, well-being, moral injury, novel trauma-focused.

This webinar recording is from December 1, 2022.

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Celebrate Conflict Resolution Day 2022

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The Conflict Resolution Day Alberta Committee is a collaboration between the Alberta Government’s Dispute Resolution Network and ADR (Appropriate Dispute Resolution) organizations from all over the province, including ADRIA. 

The Committee’s goal is to get Albertans talking about their options to work through conflict in a positive and productive way. 

You can find out more about the committee and Conflict Resolution Day on the website: http://www.conflictresolutionday.ca/

Conflict Resolution Day is October 20, 2022 this year with the theme: Mind Your Bias.

Mind Your Own Bias – Complimentary Workshop

Please join on October 20, 2022 at 12:00 P.M. to learn skills about how to mind your bias!

Minding our bias can teach us how to welcome diverse perspectives, close the distance between perspectives, and find common ground with our neighbours again. Our workshop will shed understanding of biases, clarifying when a bias may be in play and offer tangible skills that help participants move from recognition to recovery. With this understanding, you will be able to communicate with each other in a way that sheds light on the perspectives that are gained from clear communication.

During the presentation you’ll learn how to define and recognize biases, learn about the science behind biases, see how biases can be recognized in an environment, and learn strategies and communication tools to minimize the impact of biases.

October 20, 2022 at 12 PM – 1PM
Free, Online

Registration

TED Talks

5 Ways to Listen Better – Julian Treasure

In our louder and louder world, says sound expert Julian Treasure, “We are losing our listening.” In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening — to other people and the world around you.

10 Ways to Have Better Conversations – Celeste Headlee

When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations — and that most of us don’t converse very well. Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades, and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening. In this insightful talk, she shares 10 useful rules for having better conversations. “Go out, talk to people, listen to people,” she says. “And, most importantly, be prepared to be amazed.”

The Power of Listening – William Ury

William Ury, cofounder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation, is one of the world’s best-known and most influential experts on negotiation. William Ury explains how listening is the essential, and often overlooked, half of communication. His stories of candid conversations with presidents and business leaders provide us with impactful lessons, such as understanding the power of a human mind opening up. He asks us to join a listening revolution, and promises that if we all just listen a little bit more, we can transform any relationship.

Podcasts

Theory of Enchantment: Chloe Valdary

Could the antidote to racism be enchantment? Chloe Valdary thinks so. Theory of Enchantment is a radical approach to anti-racism rooted in understanding that celebrates the complexity of the human spirit. Since racism derives from deep insecurities projected onto others, the work of enchantment includes shadow, acknowledges personal complexity, and affirms right relationship with self. Diversity need not be division, and inclusion does not discount differences.

Empathy does not ‘fix’ but accompanies another’s suffering, and criticism can be used to uplift and empower. Valdary’s fulsome framework—from workshops to a self-paced online course–includes myth, literature, religion, and Jungian concepts.

Theory of Enchantment reaches beyond conflict resolution for connection with universal principles of humanity, healing, and wholeness. It is a life practice and personal discipline that teaches that we can–actually—root everything we do in love and compassion.

Articles

How To Resolve Interpersonal Conflicts in the Workplace – Liz Kislik 
 
Brené Brown on the Right Way to Argue at Work – Graham Winfrey

Are You Setting Expectations for Employees in the Right Way? Forbes Coaches Council 

Courses

Know Your Values – Free Online Course

In celebration of Conflict Resolution Day, Values Based Living is offering free access to their Know Your Values online course. Enter coupon code CRDAYFREE at checkout.

Values Based Living combines conflict resolution, self-inquiry, and neuroscience to help people learn to live in alignment with their values.

In this course, you will explore:

  • Your top values
  • How values affect unconscious behaviour
  • The power of emotions and values, and how to work with them instead of being hijacked by them
  • How to create a step-by-step plan to uncover and use your values in a way that is designed just for you

Approaching Conflict with Confidence Series

The Approaching Conflict with Confidence series is online training to learn practical skills to better manage conflict at work and at home.

This series is for people without a background in ADR and who aren’t looking to become a mediator but would like to become more effective at managing conflict in their personal and professional lives. Through interactive online training, you will learn the theory and practice the skills to resolve conflict effectively.

Take one course in the series or combine them to enhance your learning and skill development.

Upcoming Course Dates:

Community Resources

211 Alberta Resource – Find Community and Social Services
211 is a helpline and website that provides information on and referrals to Alberta’s community, social, health-related and government services. The vision for 211 Alberta is to be the primary source of information and gateway to human services for individuals and planners.

Credit Counselling Society
Credit Counselling Society is an award winning, non-profit service, helping individuals and families find their best options to deal with their debt and get their finances back on track.

MyMoneyCoach
MyMoneyCoach.ca is a free public service provided by the Credit Counselling Society.  The website objectively shows average Canadians how to save money on their everyday living expenses and how to make smart financial choices.

Mediation and Restorative Justice Center
​Do you have a disagreement with your neighbours or family and don’t know what to do?  The Mediation and Restorative Justice Center can help you to resolve difficult conflicts or disputes that may arise between you and your family members, neighbours, members of your community, people at work, or fellow participants in groups or activities by facilitating a meeting with the person or people you are having a dispute with.

Strathcona County Community Mediation Services
Problems with your neighbours?  Strathcona County Community Mediation (SCCM) can help. Living together in a community can be challenging.  Not all people experience events in the same way and when you find you are in conflict – there is help.  Mediation provides the time, space, process, and facilitators to have an open and honest and respectful conversation to gain understanding of one another’s concerns and together, to explore options for resolving it.

Community Mediation Calgary Society
Community Mediation Calgary Society (CMCS) is a registered charitable not-for-profit organization with trained volunteer mediators who provide a safe space for open and effective conversation. The end goal is to develop understanding and empathy between participants, so they can reach a mutually agreeable resolution.

Celebrate Conflict Resolution Day 2022Read More

Share These Fall Capacity Building Events with Your Friends, Family & Contacts!

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There are lots of free and low-cost opportunities this fall for the general public to increase their confidence in approaching conflict!

Many of these events are offered online and could be taken from across Canada. 

Please pass on these learning events to non-practitioners who are working on developing conflict management skills.

Conflict Resolution Day Free Workshop: Mind Your Bias

We all have biases, and their roots are complex. By understanding our own biases and how they’re formed we can be proactive and prevent conflict.Minding our bias can teach us how to welcome diverse perspectives, close the distance between perspectives, and find common ground with our neighbours. This workshop will shed understanding of biases, clarifying when a bias may be in play and offer tangible skills that help participants move from recognition to recovery. With this understanding, you will be able to communicate with each other in a way that sheds light on the perspectives that are gained from clear communication.

Free & Online
October 20, 2022

Details & Registration

Want to Host a “Mind Your Bias” Workshop in Your Organization?

Please join on September 22 from 12:00 to 1:30 PM for a Train-the-Trainer Workshop to receive the information and resources to host your very own Mind Your Own Bias presentation. 

Free & Online
September 22, 2022

Details & Registration

Learn to Approach Conflict with Confidence

Series of Courses in Conflict Resolution for the General Public

Understanding Conflict

This course is designed to introduce students to new ways of looking at conflict.  With these new understandings, students will be able to approach conflict more confidently and effectively.

Online
Sept 14 & 21, 2022

Details & Registration

Assertive Expression

Students will have more skills for using assertive communication effectively and will be more confident using these skills in their daily lives, as well as in conflict. 

Online
October 4, 2022

Details & Registration

Managing Conflict

This interactive and applied training is designed to get students applying key concepts and practicing conflict management skills from the start of the course, so students will leave the course feeling able to start applying their new skills.

Online
October 27-29, 2022

Details & Registration

Defusing Techniques

This workshop will help you understand the dynamics of anger and will provide you with the knowledge, self-awareness, and skills to verbally defuse situations.

Online
November 7, 2022

Details & Registration

Interested in Taking Your Skills a Bit Deeper?

Communications in ADR forms the foundation of further learning in conflict resolution and is a prerequisite for some of our other courses.

Communications in ADR

Edmonton, September/October 2022

Calgary, October/November 2022

Online, November 2022

An introduction to the causes and effects of interpersonal conflict, with particular emphasis on the dynamics of conflict, conflict resolution styles and the cycle of conflict.

Share These Fall Capacity Building Events with Your Friends, Family & Contacts!Read More

Free ADR Webinar – Workplace Harassment: Expected and Prohibited Conduct

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While we all know there is a requirement to treat our colleagues, clients, and others we interact with at work with dignity and respect, sometimes inappropriate interactions creep in without our awareness or recognition.

This introductory presentation covers:

  • sexual harassment and bullying behaviours
  • affects to the targets of harassment and the overall workplace
  • respectful workplace behaviour and expectations
  • reporting and investigative procedures and expectations

Speaker:  Ruthann Weeks, CRS

Ruthann Weeks is a People and Culture Strategist and founder of Harmony In The Workplace. She is a change agent whose efforts have helped to bring the importance of an abuse-free work environment to the forefront of public awareness. She is an author and gifted keynote speaker who delivers a powerful message about today’s workplace challenges.

Working as a Certified Resource Specialist in the human service sector, Ruthann went on to graduate as a Human Resource Manager. She is a Certified Psychological Safety Advisor and specializes in leadership development, people and culture, diversity and inclusion, workplace bullying, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and mental health in the workplace.


April 28, 2022
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Online

Details & Registration

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Free Webinar: Being Cyber Safe – Why It Matters

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In the presentation, “On Being Cyber Safe – Why It Matters” we’ll underline the importance of Internet and computing hygiene and provide you with some ideas that will help guide you in your day to  day Internet activities.  You’ll walk away with tips and tricks you can use in your personal life and leave with an appreciation of why carrying these behaviours over into the workplace matters. Among the varied items we’ll touch upon, we’ll also take a few minutes to dive into an example of a business email compromise, the most successful vector of attack leading to data breaches.

Speaker:  Phil Palamattam

Phil Palamattam is a Senior Manager at ATB Business Risk, Fraud and Cybercrime.  His role at ATB is to share  knowledge and educate employees, clients and the general public about fraud and cybercrime risk and how everyone has a role to play in protecting themselves and their workplaces.  Before moving to ATB Business Risk, Phil was a Senior Manager with ATB’s Operational Risk Management where he worked in a governance and oversight capacity, responsible for overseeing fraud, physical security and incident management risk, including providing fraud subject matter expertise in relation to new initiatives.

Prior to ATB, Phil was a police officer with the Edmonton Police Service.  Having retired after serving 25 years. For 15 of those years,  Phil managed the EPS’ Technological Crimes Unit, investigating, and managing the investigation of cyber crimes, digital forensic examinations and forensic video analysis.  In 2015 he launched EPS’ first dedicated Cyber Crime Investigative Detail.  He ultimately retired from the Edmonton Police Service from it’s Economic Crimes Section tasked with investigating large scale or complex frauds that would involve at times, numerous complainants, profit and not for profit organizations across a broad range of industries.  He would say if anything, he enjoys the fraud and cybercrime space because it’s a never ending journey in learning how bad actors operate while giving insight into our own vulnerabilities.

January 26, 2022 at 11:30 am – 1:15 pm

Free & Online

Details & Registration

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Free Webinar: Introducing a Contemplative Practice into your Practice

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Imagine what the world could look like if we had more awareness or were more skillful in providing constructive feedback to each other!

Jules utilizes “Active Engagement” (the art of active noticing and mindfulness) as a principled way to help teams, clients and consultants, families and loved ones have honest and safe conversations with each other. He promotes self reflection and being more aware of our own behaviors and actions to see  if they are in alignment with our espoused values.    Are they in sync?  Really???  Let’s find out.

Perfect lessons and reminders as we re-emerge into a new world post Covid world.

Jules LeBoeuf is a registered forestry practitioner with the College of Alberta Professional Forest Technologist with 35 years of experience in natural resource management.  A career ranging from working in the field as a forest officer to senior manager in Wildfire Management has reinforced the importance of dialogue in building trustworthy relationships on the landscape or in the corporate boardroom.  His insight into natural resource management and human factors has enabled him to help teams solve substantive problems more effectively through reflective dialogue practices.  As a neutral third party facilitator he assists a broad range of individuals and teams based on the core principles of transparency, supporting free informed choice, creating safe places to talk together and taking time to build shared understanding with intent to take action.

He has completed a 2-year certification practicum for facilitators and trainers in the art and science of the practice of Active Engagement hosted by The Centre for Contemplative Dialogue located in Georgetown, IN, USA.  He is an active faculty member and trainer/facilitator on workshops and practicums sponsored by the Center for Contemplative Dialogue and currently working as a senior manager with the Government of Alberta, department of Environment and Parks.

December 15, 2021 at 11:30 am – 1:15 pm 

Free & Online

Details & Registration

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10 Ways to Honour Remembrance Day & Take Action Towards Peacebuilding

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Remembrance Day commemorates the moment armies stopped fighting and officially ended the First World War. We can honour and recognize those who have served and continue to serve during times of war, conflict and in international peacekeeping activities. 

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Remembrance Day Poppy in Canada. 

The poppy is not only an important symbol but also offers a fundraising opportunity; legion members and other volunteers distribute Poppies, and gratefully accept donations to the Poppy Fund.

With the ongoing restrictions due to the pandemic, you can attend a virtual Remembrance Day ceremony like the National Ceremony in Ottawa. You can also search for activities in your local community (eg. see item 4 below).

With our poppies on our lapel and with plans to attend an online ceremony, what other ways can we honour Remembrance Day and promote peacebuilding activities year round?

1. Say Thank You

If you know a Veteran or someone who has been involved in peacebuilding, reach out to them and say a heartfelt “Thank you”. You can also add some Words of Remembrance to the Legion’s online gallery. Remember that saying thank you shouldn’t only be confined to November 11. 

2. Partake in Some Self Reflection

Spend some time each day quietly reflecting on how we would like to relate to ourselves and others and how we can promote peaceful relationships. Think about if there are any conflicts in your life that could use some peacebuilding. Examine your habits and media consumption to see if there are any channels influencing conflict and harmful beliefs about other groups of people. 

3. Plant a Peace Garden

This activity is a great way to remember beyond just one day a year. You can plant a tree or a garden in honour of those who have sacrificed for us and as a reminder to strive for peace. The Legion sells poppy seeds for just this purpose. 

4. Continue Learning about Historical Conflicts

If you get the opportunity, plan to visit the Canadian War Museum, The Military Museums of Calgary or other local history museums. If you prefer to learn from the comfort of home, The Canadian War Museum has online resources for you to explore. The Canadian Clubs of Alberta are hosting a webinar on Canadian Sacrifices in WWI on Nov 17th. You can also check out some Remembrance Day book recommendations from the public library. 

5. Educate Yourself on Current Conflicts 

Take some time to update your knowledge on some of the current conflicts around the world. Learn about the social conditions that can deteriorate well-being of individuals and communities such as poverty and discrimination. Learn about inequalities in human rights, health care, opportunities, safety and security. Find ways for dialogue and collaborative interaction with people who have diverse backgrounds and different perspectives.

6. Volunteer Your Time

Volunteering to help Veterans or at a center for new immigrants. You can learn first hand from Veterans and give back in a small way. By volunteering with new immigrants, you will learn about different cultures and learn about the hardships people face when they are resettling. Ask what you have to offer to others and learn what they can share with you.

7. Teach the Next Generation

Connect with kids in your life to impart peacebuilding on the next generation. There are many activities you can do with kids while discussing Remembrance Day. The Legion has some suggested learning activities and crafts. You could paint poppies on rocks and place them at a cenotaph or on the gravestones of Veterans. 

8. Seek Peace with Others in Your Daily Life

Strive for connection and harmonious relationships in your life, both with those you are close to and to greater humanity. Practice forgiveness and make a commitment to acts of kindness to others. 

9. Learn Skills to Manage Conflict

Learn about constructive ways to manage differences and resolve conflict. 

If you are new to Alternative Dispute Resolution, you could try our course, Managing Conflict. Managing Conflict is designed to give you the basic skills you need to more effectively manage conflict.

If you’re looking for more professional training, you could take Communications in ADR. We have sessions coming in 2022 in Edmonton and in Calgary. This course introduces students to the causes and effects of interpersonal conflict, with particular emphasis on the dynamics of conflict, conflict resolution styles and the cycle of conflict.

If you’re an ADR professional, you may want to specialize in Restorative Justice and Peacemaking Circles. Learn about Restorative Justice and its application in the criminal justice system with an overview of the values, goals and principles guiding victim-offender dialogue. Gain knowledge of how peacemaking circles are being used in a wide variety of settings.

10. Find Ways to Nourish Your Hope for Peace

Talk about local heroes who promote peace. Examples can include teachers, firefighters, neighbours, and kids! Find role models to inspire you and like-minded others for support. Find and share positive information about successful peace initiatives.

Make it a Habit

Most importantly, make a habit of reflecting on the freedoms and peace in your life, and to remember the humans and animals who served and sacrificed for all we have today.

10 Ways to Honour Remembrance Day & Take Action Towards PeacebuildingRead More

Free Resources & Training for Conflict Resolution Day 2021

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This Year’s Theme is Kindness & Communication

Our world is changing in so many ways and this means our manner of communication is changing. With covered faces and virtual meetings, we must rely more on the intention of the words that are being used to relay messages.

Check out some of the events and resources for Conflict Resolution Day 2021.

Visit the Conflict Resolution Day website for more information.

Free Virtual Workshop: Bring Kindness into Communication

Oct 21st 12:00pm – 1:30pm

This workshop will show us how to bring kindness into communication by exploring the differences in and value of both empathy and sympathy, create empathic statements and how empathic responses can diffuse conflict and improve relationships. We will look at the importance of being aware of alternate cultural responses in communication and how conflict can bring new insight and understanding to your personal and professional interactions.

​Being kind in communications requires awareness, strength and courage. Join us on Conflict Resolution Day, October 21, 2021, to bring a little more kindness to our world.

To register for this virtual workshop, please email:info@conflictresolutionday.ca

Podcast: What is Conflict Resolution Day? 

This podcast was hosted by CR Day Co-chair Don Shapira, and features Ali Ansell and Cindy Imppola, his Co-Chair and Communications Lead, respectively, from the Alberta Conflict Resolution Day Committee. They discuss what Conflict Resolution Day is all about and the upcoming session this year.

Low-Cost Online Professional Development:
Managing Conflict

Begins Online on November 18

We all have conflict in our lives.  Whether you deal with other conflicts or have your own, becoming skilled in managing it can be a game-changer at home, at work, and at play.

In this course students will learn the importance of separating the person from the problem and skills that will help them discover previously unimagined possibilities for resolution. Students will learn ways to change what can be changed, the “negotiables”.

This course is for the general public; if you know someone who is not an ADR professional that could benefit from this course, please share!

Details & Registration

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Free Learner Session : The Heart of the Mediation Service Model

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To access this post, you must purchase Full Membership, Associate Membership or LINK Membership.

Free Learner Session : The Heart of the Mediation Service ModelRead More

2021 ADR Conference & Conflict Resolution Day Event

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Brought to you by AAMS, sponsored by ADRIA, ADRIC, AFMS and others

This is a two-day event commencing with an online Professional Development Conference on October 20th. A second day of public content is provided free to celebrate International Conflict Resolution Day.

Day 1 / Conference / For ADR Practitioners

Online on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 8:30am to 4:30pm

Day 1 will focus on ADR practitioners, and each session will qualify towards CEE credits. Gain valuable insights through interesting sessions at a very reasonable cost. Session topics and speakers include:

  • Should ADR Professions be Regulated? (Panel discussion moderated by retired Justice Andrea Moen)
  • Critical Communication Mistakes One Makes With Their Divorcing Clients & How to Correct Them
  • Keynote Address: Ry Moran on Truth & Reconciliation: Generational Trauma & Healing
  • Construction Adjudication
  • Workplace Health & ADR
  • Reforming our Family Justice System
  • British Columbia’s Attorney General

Conference sessions are being recorded and will be available afterwards for all registered attendees. 

Early Bird Registration – On or before October 11:
ADRIA Members – $100; Non-Members: $150; applicable taxes extra

Regular Registration – After October 11: 
ADRIA Members: $150; Non-Members: $200; applicable taxes extra

Register

Day 2 / International Conflict Resolution Day Event / For the Public 

Online on Thursday, October 21, 2021

Day 2 will provide public information and valuable insights on ADR communications no matter what province you reside in. This free quality training is provided by the Conflict Resolution Day Committee; a team that has provided in-depth training for Albertans for over a decade.

Everyone: Free (registration required)

Watch for more details or visit the Conflict Resolution Day website.

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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day

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September 30 is the very first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (as well as Orange Shirt Day); a new national holiday in Canada. It is an important occasion to reflect and have conversations with family, colleagues and friends on all aspects of Canada’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples. Canadians now have a new opportunity to learn more about the Residential School experience, and to honour the survivors, their families, and those that didn’t survive. It is a day for non-Indigenous people to learn and work towards reconciliation.

Orange Shirt Day was created in 2013 to educate people and promote awareness about the residential school system and the impacts it has had on Indigenous communities. People are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to mark the day.

The Origins of Orange Shirt Day in Canada

Below, Phyllis Webstad explains the story of her experience at Residential School and the origination of Orange Shirt Day in Canada. She discusses the present situation and her hopes for the future.

Many more videos and resources can be found on the Orange Shirt Day website.

Participate in Orange Shirt Day

If you would like to participate in Orange Shirt Day, you can choose to support organizations that donate proceeds from orange shirt purchases to Indigenous organizations. Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing a shirt:

  • Where was the shirt made?
  • Who owns the company who makes the shirt?
  • Where are the proceeds from this purchase going?

There are many Indigenous-led organizations that are accepting donations through this period such as Reconciliation Canada or Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

Commit to Learning

ADRIA is an organization dedicated to promoting, delivering and improving justice and access to justice in Alberta. We know that we have much work to do and are committed to listening more and learning more as we work to pursue justice, diversity and reconciliation. For more on our commitment to diversity, please read our page on Diversity Matters.

Join us in taking action to mark this national holiday by committing yourself to learning more. You may want to make space in your day on September 30th to take in a variety of learning resources including these below.

As an introduction, Bent Arrow Society in Edmonton has a great blog post on Being a Non-Indigenous Ally.

View the recording of our Indigenous History Month webinar from 2020 featuring Ry Moran speaking about the important work of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation or his subsequent presentation about Truth & Reconciliation work in Canada.

Commit some time on September 30th to reading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports.

Watch the ADRIC recordings on Diversity in ADR, including:

Begin the free Indigenous Canada Course at the University of Alberta.

Continue the Conversation

Be prepared to have conversations with the people around you, including the young people in your life who may have questions. How to Talk to Kids About The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has some tips for having meaningful discussions that move towards reconciliation.

Keep having these hard conversations with your friends, family and colleagues about residential schools and other parts of Indigenous history. Keep the conversation going throughout the year – not just on September 30th.

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Free Webinar: From Horses to Negotiating: A Day in the life of a Vancouver Police Officer

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Join us for a free webinar on September 29, 2021 at 11:30 am – 1:15 pm

Presenter: Susan Sharp, Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Mounted Unit

Susan Sharp is the Sergeant in charge of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Mounted Unit.

A 22-year member of the VPD, Susan has worked in various operational positions in surveillance, property crime, and the Court and Detention Services section.

She is also a member of the Crisis Negotiator Team, where she is a Negotiating Liaison Officer who advises  the Critical Incident Commander .

Susan will share her stories about what it’s like to be a police officer on horseback in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.  She will also share some of the strategies her team uses when communicating with a person in crisis or negotiating with a high-risk subject.

Details & Registration

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Free Online Webinar: Colonization, Historic Trauma & Reconciliation

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Wed, September 15, 2021 at 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM MDT

Canadian Clubs of Alberta, through partnership with ADRIA presents:

Alberta Senator Dr Patti LaBoucane-Benson speaks passionately to issues of Canadian Colonization, Historic Trauma & Reconciliation.

Alberta Senator Dr Patti LaBoucane-Benson is a Métis from Treaty 6 territory in Alberta. Her 30-year career has been dedicated to serving her community in Alberta, across Canada and around the world—as the director of a Boys and Girls Club in St. Paul in 1990, through 23 years of service at Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA), and Conference Director and Lead Facilitator of the Nelson Mandela Dialogues in Canada, an international gathering of freedom fighters that took place on Enoch Cree Nation in 2017.

Patti’s research for her PhD in Human Ecology (University of Alberta) focused on how Indigenous families and communities experience their own resilience in response to multiple forms of trauma. Her lifelong work has become an extended conversation about healing from historic trauma.

Patti’s perspectives on this conversation are rooted in her transformative experiences of the Cree ceremony. The Elders’ teachings of kindness, respect, humility, and honesty have informed her life as well as her research into best practices for Indigenous offender healing, domestic violence, and historic trauma-informed service delivery. Her most recent research bridges neuroscience and Indigenous knowledge of child development, as well as finding common ground between Western and Indigenous water science.

As a recognized catalyst for change, Dr. LaBoucane-Benson was appointed to Alberta Ministerial Panel for Child Intervention (2017-18) that resulted in Bill 18: Child Protection and Accountability Act. The primary focus of the panel was reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care in Alberta.

Patti brought her PhD research to life through a work of creative non-fiction, an award-winning graphic novel—The Outside Circle (House of Anansi, 2015)—that tells the story of an inner-city Aboriginal family who transcend poverty, gang affiliation, and hopelessness. Her teaching materials are used in classrooms across Canada and in training sessions for professionals.

Dr. LaBoucane-Benson continues to share her knowledge of healing from historic trauma with educators, healthcare professionals, lawyers and policy makers, as well as Indigenous communities. She believes that healing and reconciliation dialogue is the way forward in Canada, with focus on surfacing the common ground between Western and Indigenous people. The best, most useful policy and legislation will reflect this shared space that unites us as a society.

Appointed to the Senate in October 2018, Senator Patti LaBoucane-Benson lives fully in the space that helps define Canada. She is an avid gardener and her husband Allen is a traditional Nehiyaw (Cree) hunter; they believe that food security includes the respectful harvest of food from the land. They live near Stony Plain, Alberta, with their son Gabriel, on an acreage that has hosted ceremony, workshops, and dozens of transformational conversations with Elders, elected officials, and leaders from around the world.

Details & Registration

Free Online Webinar: Colonization, Historic Trauma & ReconciliationRead More

Join Us Online for Our Annual General Meeting on June 10th: Info & Improv Comedy

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Mark your calendars for June 10th when ADRIA hosts its 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) from 5 to 7pm.

This has been a year like no other, and although our pandemic response was front and centre at last year’s AGM, much has transpired since.  ADRIA is YOUR professional association, and both Staff & Board have worked hard this past year to operate safely and strategically, and to re-orientate its services and programs to thrive in a pandemic environment.

Every AGM provides our members with the opportunity to learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing ADR in Alberta, and to influence ADRIA’s direction.  As was the case last year, the 2021 AGM will be entirely online with interactive opportunities to engage and ask questions.

Come for the Info, Stay for the Improv

Knowing that the year past has been so very challenging, now is the perfect time to be upbeat about our future.  The ADRIA 2021 AGM will mix facts with funny, thanks to the improv talents of Rapid Fire Theatre.  Login at 5pm for an initial taste of what these talented performers will offer, and be assured that they will return to entertain you at the conclusion of the AGM.  ADRIA AGM’s are efficient without losing the opportunity to interact and ask questions.  The formal AGM is expected to last for one hour or less, so Rapid Fire will be back online, front and centre, commencing just after 6pm.  This will an AGM like no other, to cap a year like no other.  Plan to attend, to get informed and to share a few laughs by registering now at the link below.

Find More Info & Read AGM Documents
Register for the AGM

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Free Webinar on June 8: Indigenous Peoples, An Alberta Primer

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Dr. Shalene Jobin will be leading our webinar on June 8th from 11:30am to 1:15pm.

In this session, participants will gain an understanding of the societal and political landscape when developing relationships and partnering with Indigenous peoples.

Learning Objectives:

  • Introduction to the history and governance structures of Indigenous communities in Alberta
  • Learn about key events in Indigenous-Canadian relationships to appreciate the ongoing socio-political landscape
  • Develop a working knowledge and acquire greater insight into Indigenous understandings of good relationships
  • Increase your understanding of land acknowledgements – why and how they are meaningful

Dr. Shalene Jobin is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies, Director of the Indigenous Governance and Partnership program, Co-Founder of the Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge, and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Governance at the University of Alberta. Dr. Jobin is the co-creator and founding Academic Director of the Indigenous Partnership Development Program, an executive-level teaching partnership between Executive Education and the Faculty of Native Studies, University of Alberta. Shalene is Cree from her mother (Wuttunee family) and Métis from her father (Jobin family) and is a member of Red Pheasant Cree First Nation (Treaty Six). Shalene has a forthcoming book with UBC Press titled, Nehiyawak Narratives: Upholding Indigenous Economic Relationships.

Shalene has published in the edited collection Creating Indigenous Property: Power, Rights, and Relationships (2020), Living on the Land: Indigenous Women’s Understanding of Place (2016) and Indigenous Identity and Resistance (2010), and in the journals American Indian Quarterly (2011), Revue Générale de Droit (2013), and Native Studies Review (2016). She has also co-authored in Aboriginal Policy Studies (2012) and Surviving Canada (2017). Shalene is involved in numerous community-centred research initiatives, including Indigenous Approaches to Governance in the 21st Century, and the Wahkohtowin Law & Governance Lodge, a partnership between the Faculty of Native Studies and the Faculty of Law to provide law and governance supports to Indigenous communities. Dr. Jobin is the Vice-President of the board for Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, an organization serving the needs of Indigenous children, youth, and families in Edmonton and area.

Register for the Event

Free Webinar on June 8: Indigenous Peoples, An Alberta PrimerRead More