ROUNDTABLE BREAKFAST: A Mediator's Dilemma: The Limits of Neutrality

ACR-GNY & CUNY Dispute Resolution Center at John Jay College present

A Mediator's Dilemma: The Limits of Neutrality

The question of neutrality has always prompted debate among mediators about its meanings, applications, benefits, and limitations. The actions of the current presidential administration have engendered both calls for renewed efforts at bridging barriers and, conversely, demands to abandon third-party roles and join the fight against authoritarianism. Frank will explore this dilemma, offering lessons from his own experiences and inviting reflections from participants.

FRANK DUKES

Frank Dukes, Ph.D. is a mediator and facilitator with the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation at the University of Virginia. He has mediated numerous collaborative change processes, including negotiations involving communities impacted by the 2014 Duke Energy coal ash release and work with Appalachian communities undergoing economic transition. He founded University & Community Action for Racial Equity (UCARE) to address UVA’s legacy of slavery and white supremacy, led community engagement as a member of the design team for UVA’s Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, and was a member of Charlottesville’s Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces determining the fate of the City’s Confederate statues. He served as lead mediator for a transformative process that resulted in the descendants of the enslaved communities at James Madison’s Montpelier gaining parity at this National Trust for Historic Preservation property, including equal representation on the board of directors. He was awarded the 2016 John C. Casteen III Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Award for the University of Virginia, and ACR’s 2012 Sharon M. Pickett Award for Environmental Conflict Resolution. He served as chair of UVA’s Women’s Center Advisory Council and is currently chair of the Board of the anti-hate group Not In Our Town.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Roundtable Breakfasts are online meetings via Zoom. The link will change each month and will be distributed to all registrants the day before and the morning of the event. All listed times for ACR-GNY events are for Eastern Time. 8:00 am – 8:30 am | Join call to network with attendees 8:30 am – 10:00 am | Presentation and Discussion About the Roundtable Breakfasts The Roundtable Breakfasts are organized by ACR-GNY and the CUNY Dispute Resolution Center at John Jay College. They take place the first Thursday of the month and are ongoing since 2001. Views expressed in connection with any Roundtable event publicity or at sessions are those of the speakers and participants and not of the CUNY DRC or ACR-GNY. This program is supported by ACR-GNY's 365 Sponsor: