Making Conflict Beneficial for Coalitions: Aligning on Future Visions
Wednesday June 24th, 5pm BST / 12pm EDT
While we encourage synchronous attendance, we will provide a recording to all ticket holders that will be viewable for a few weeks.
A central challenge for any coalition, movement or organisation working on tough social issues is finding a concise, effective way of defining their common vision that is enthusiastically shared by all. It can be even harder to then agree on what that vision actually looks like in practice, and what it would take to bring it to life, before finally translating this into a coherent and persuasive story for others.
But with the right approach, this can all become more likely. We’ll learn in this workshop from Dominika Noworolska – a cultural researcher turned professional mediator interested in how we can better make sense of complex issues by leaning into divergent perspectives.
In this workshop we shall:
Learn techniques for mapping and understanding the range of perspectives that will exist on any major social issue, and what drives them
Consider practical approaches from mediation and conflict transformation that can help build an aligned group or coalition by seeing disagreements as an opportunity to bring greater collective clarity, rather than impending failure
Beyond practicalities, Dominika will invite you to reflect on two questions:
- When have you experienced conflict as a transformational catalyst in life or work, if ever?
- How would your approach to conflict and conflicting views have to change to bring more of this transformational potential into your organisation or coalition?
Dominika Noworolska has spent her career navigating the space between people, systems, and stories. She has previously advised global brands on their communicative positioning among shifting cultural narratives and led design research for people-centred digital transformation within the Scottish and UK Governments. Most recently, she has begun integrating these experiences more explicitly within the field of mediation. Beyond her professional practice, Dominika’s perspective is shaped by her lived experience as a foreign Polish woman in Scotland and a multi-neurodivergent thinker and collaborator across neurotypes.
About Future Narratives Lab
Future Narratives Lab is a non-profit research and strategy initiative dedicated to building the independent cultural and political power of civil society. We work with coalitions, campaigns, foundations and other expert partners to help them develop the Ideas, the Aesthetics and the Resources needed to push issues up the agenda and build power.