Giving Tuesday

GIVING TUESDAY

Nancy Grundman, Program Coordinator

Giving Tuesday occurs the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. This year it falls on December 3. It is a day to say thank you to the non-profit organizations that make our community better. At MVMP, we are a tiny non-profit organization doing big things for the Island Community and we have been hard at work expanding our services. Our sliding fee scale means we turn no one away for inability to pay.

Here’s how our community projects have shown meaningful impact:

Workplace Conflict: A spring three-part workshop is now being repeated due to additional demand. A weekly workplace conflict management cohort is an additional program for supervisors and managers. All are co-sponsored by the MV Chamber of Commerce.

Family and Divorce mediation: These services have grown steadily as we provide Islanders with an affordable, self-determined and collaborative process for healthy separation, divorce and/or parenting planning. Contributions to the Family Fund keeps these services affordable.

Conflict Coaching: A new service available through generous support of the Newman’s Foundation. Two one-hour sessions of free 1:1 Conflict Coaching are available for any community member.

Volunteer mediators: We are present at every Small Claims Court session. As a state-approved Community Mediation Center, court referred cases receive free mediation services.

Consultative and facilitation services: Non-profit Boards, governmental entities, organizations and businesses receive individualized support based on their needs for conflict resolution services.

Conflict Resolution Courses: These are available to the Community including Introduction to Mediation and Introduction to Conflict Coaching. Individually tailored programs can be developed.

Youth Mediation: Training for youth aged 13-22 is free of charge and participants receive a stipend. The MVMP Youth Program is a partnership with the Aquinnah Cultural Center. Your contributions to the Youth Grant Fund will help to keep this project advancing.

Think of us on Giving Tuesday--or any day. We will make good use of your contributions.

November Mediation Musings

Workplace Conflict: You need more tools in your tool bag

Ugh I have to go to work. 

Thank god Its Friday. 

No one died wanting more days at work.

Our culture is full of all kinds of negative messages about work and working. Here on the Vineyard we would all like to be happily following our passions and living the dream. But the reality for many is that work is stressful and depleting.

Its not the conflicts that one successfully resolves that eat away at us. We are likely proud of our efforts when we solve a conflict. We likely see the result as an accomplishment. Resolved conflicts can build us up and make us feel strong enough to face the next challenge.

It’s the ones that got away, the arguments left unfinished, the patterns that never change, the unaddressed unfairness, the interpersonal difficulties never settled. These are the conflicts that make us miserable at work. If you ever stayed up at night chewing over a work situation and dreaded the morning alarm, unresolved conflict may be the explanation. 

MVMP has been working to help. In partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Oak Bluffs Library we are now presenting our sixth of seven 2019 lunchtime workplace conflict workshops. Upcoming is Toxic Workplaces on November 14 and Team building on December 12. We will probably repeat the series in the spring.

We also offer a course on workplace conflict that meets weekly. On Tuesday mornings, a cohort of managers and supervisors meet in a private ongoing course to discuss a professional conflict management text and offer each other suggestions and ideas about handling workplace conflicts. This group will complete their ten sessions in December. Participants earn a certificate in workplace conflict management. The next course will be offered for new members at the end of January.

Knowledge about how to analyze conflict, manage emotions and use effective dispute resolution tools can help all of us. We spend so much of our time at work and yet most of us don’t have enough strategies to effectively resolve conflicts. MVMP is honored to be able to offer some assistance for community members. It is our hope that our efforts will help to make Martha’s Vineyard a happier more productive place—a place where our work lives can be a component of ‘living the dream.’

Sara Barnes,

President and Lead Mediator

Conflict Resolution Day is a Huge Opportunity

CONFLICT RESOLUTION DAY IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY

Mediation Settlement Day

 Ken Andrichik, MVMP Board Member

Mediation Settlement Day was born in 2001 and grew in popularity. Bar Associations, community-based organizations, and court programs, along with Law Schools and Universities joined in support. Throughout, organizations conduct special programming to promote mediation and educate potential parties and attorneys about the mediation process. In New York, the 7 World Trade Center lobby, the Mid-Hudson Bridge, and Niagara Falls were lit in blue to commemorate the day!

In my former role as director of a national mediation program, we recognized Mediation Settlement Month. We reduced or eliminated administrative fees and mediators agreed to lower their fees. This “sale” on mediation every October gave staff administrators a brand new reason to contact the parties. Mediation at bargain prices!

 The aim is to encourage parties to try mediation for the first time and to reinforce its value and effectiveness to those who have benefited from mediation previously. Other organizations coordinated efforts with Conflict Resolution Day, the third Thursday of every October.

For MVMP, Conflict Resolution Day offers an outstanding opportunity to remind Islanders about the breadth of our services and the benefits of peaceful, collaborative conflict resolution. Tell your friends and neighbors that MVMP offers valuable resources to individuals, families, and business owners. We provide education to help organizations manage and prevent workplace conflicts. We guide young people on techniques to resolve disputes with their peers. We have a fabulous story to tell and Conflict Resolution Day gives us the perfect “excuse” to start up a conversation about our services.

Several board members will hand out flyers and brochures at the courthouse and local grocery stores. I encourage board members, mediators, volunteers and MVMP supporters to pitch in at one of these outlets of just get some flyers to hand to folks you encounter on that day.

Mediation Musings: Every Day is Conflict Resolution Day

by, Sara Barnes, President and Lead Mediator

October 17, 2019 is a worldwide celebration of Conflict Resolution Day. In Massachusetts the legislature has declared the week of October 14-18 Conflict Resolution Week.

Every day is conflict resolution day at Martha’s Vineyard Mediation Program. Here are a few happenings from last week.

• Working on the Youth Mediation Program—creating partnerships with a youth organization so our mediators have a confidential setting for mediation services.

• Answering inquiries from numerous individuals and organizations who are seeking mediation, facilitation or conflict coaching services.

• Interacting with various divorcing couples and our in-house lawyer who prepares the court packets, in order to finalize divorce documents.

• Workplace conflict session #2 with a cohort of supervisors and managers who are working their way through a published conflict management text.

• Preparation of our quarterly reports to the offices of the Attorney General, District Court, Probate/Family Court and Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration.

• Discussion with a sister mediation organization in order to consider a partnership on a complicated project.

• Preparation for the twice-yearly Introduction to Mediation course fielding inquiries and preparing materials.

• Drop by from a friend of the organization who was thinking about getting involved in MVMP.

• Meeting of the Conflict Coaches to develop their campaign to promote this free service for Martha’s Vineyard residents.

Sometimes we feel like we are in a tiny boat paddling hard against prevailing winds that push in the opposite direction. Your support and belief in our mission—to encourage and assist all residents of Dukes County to resolve conflicts through mediation and other constructive dispute resolution tools—keeps us afloat.

On October 17 we will celebrate Conflict Resolution Day, joining with thousands across the globe who take one day to lift up the notions that conflict resolution is the way forward toward peace and understanding. Add this one on to your list of holidays. Celebrate with MVMP.

Youth Project with the Aquinnah Cultural Center

YOUTH PROJECT WITH AQUINNAH CULTURAL CENTER 

Sarah Safford, MVMP Youth Coordinator

Our first youth training took place in June. It was very successful with 12 youth mediators completing the course. Learning about conflict, Wampanoag legacy as conflict resolvers, listening skills and the negotiation process these youth mediators were amazing!

Over the summer we also worked on a Youth Mediation Role Play video including a scene of conflict on the water.The edited video will be available on Vimeo to be used as an instructional tool for future Youth trainings. We want to thank MVTV for their support in making this and other videos.

The other part of our Youth Project involved the young people doing historical research and interviews with Wampanoag elders on traditions of conflict resolution. One of the youth mediators assisted in the oral history interviews and eight Wampanoag elders participated.  

These interviews are currently being edited and will be available for the ACC to use in their educational programs and exhibits. 

Future plans include establishing a regular weekly presence at Alex's Place, the teen center at the YMCA across the street from the high school. We have a commitment from the Y staff to support any mediation activities we want to offer.

Our new Youth Liaison Intern, will assist with recruiting for the next youth training session to be held in November /December and along with me, Sarah S, will be doing outreach to schools, PTAs, and community organizations across the island.