Learn about Ho‘oponopono, the Hawaiian system for ‘setting it right,’ and restoring individual and community harmony and balance. It promotes acts of healing interpersonal conflicts and is relationship-centered and not agreement-centered. It often involves forgiveness. During Ho‘omalu, practitioners sit in solitude and gather strength prior to speaking one’s true feelings. With all family members working …
Research and examine the different contemporary and indigenous systems for resolving conflicts. Form teams of problem-solvers representing the various systems. Each team is given a group challenge with a conflict at the center, and they endeavor to resolve the conflicts in culturally responsive ways. They then debrief with each other what they experienced and observed. …
When people are upset, they access the fight/flight part of their brain. Do not try to solve problems if you or the youth are angry and upset. Create a cooling-off period and secure a time and place to work through the issue when the adult and the youth have clearer heads. Purpose is to de-escalate …
Plan meetings as a whole family (try for weekly) where members discuss the upcoming week. Identify where family members might need some help. Family Meetings are a safe space to talk about challenges each family member may be facing. Rotate who facilitates each week, using talking sticks or balls as a way of sharing equally. …
An interactive activity that increases awareness of our own and others’ preferences and opens doors to empathy. Create four signs on large chart paper – North, South, East, West . Write these traits associated with each “point”, and leave some room for note taking. North: Acting – Let’s do it, try new things, jump in, …
Although narrative structures are more easily remembered and come more naturally to youth, ask them to try these expository writing structures: Compare & Contrast (discuss the similarities and differences between people, places, items, or events, without bias); Problem & Solution (define a clear problem with multiple solutions and choose the best solution and explain why); …
Map out the larger system within which a conflict or an issue resides. Discover how the system might be reinforcing the conflict or issue. Identify breaks in the system, rules and regulations reinforcing the conflict, etc. Map solutions for shifting the system. Network mapping (analysis of how a network is connected) is a powerful tool …
Teach youth that anger can be a healthy emotion, and that it informs us about the importance of an issue. Teach them to remain calm when dealing with anger by breathing deeply and using attentive body language. Teach them how to help an angry person discover the cause of their anger by restating. Use “I” …
Help everyone in a group to get to a decision that they can be satisfied with by brainstorming and writing out a list of outcomes as well as responses to each outcome. Is there an outcome that most or all are pleased with? If not everyone is pleased with any one outcome, is there an …
Establish age appropriate shared jobs that rotate throughout the year and that will help build the classroom or home environment. Create a classroom or family chore chart that presents the chores as caring and leadership rather than a burden. Chores can contribute to self-sufficiency as well as community and harmony in the home or classroom. …