In our interview series, entitled “Peace Talks”, we speak to peacemakers with different backgrounds and life stories, and ask them to share their thoughts and reflections.
This edition of "Peace Talks" features Jayden Heng from Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road):
Q: How was your overall experience at the Peacemakers Conference 2018?
My overall experience at the Peacemakers Conference 2018 was a very positive one. I came in unfamiliar to the concept of Mediation and honestly did not expect to learn much from the Conference. On the contrary, I have gained much invaluable insight and knowledge on conflict management and resolution, and I am immensely grateful to have had such an opportunity to be a part of the Peacemakers Conference 2018. As testament to the success of the Peacemakers Conference, my team and I were greatly inspired and excited to share our newly acquired skills to train the student leaders of ACS (Barker) in the area of Conflict Management and Resolution. I would highly recommend everyone to go for a Peacemakers Conference should they ever get the opportunity to participate.
Q: What was the most unforgettable part of the Conference for you?
For me, the most memorable part of the Conference would definitely be the mock mediation sessions, where participants would roleplay the position of either a Mediator or a disputing party. The practical hands-on exposure to mediation helped make the learning very engaging and enjoyable yet meaningful and authentic.
Q: What is an example of you applying what you learned in the Conference in real life?
One personal example was my endeavour to mediate a very fiery dispute between two of my very close friends. I learned that resolution cannot be forced and that it takes a lot of time, communication and willingness to understand one another for a successful mediation session. Given the sometimes raw uncontrolled emotions, unfiltered trash talk, endless accusations and persistent personal attacks exchanged between disputing parties, mediation can be a very treacherous journey yet rewarding one. One of the many valuable lessons I learned from PMC is that conflict resolution is not about pointing fingers or finding fault with the opposing parties’ actions, but more about everyone coming and working together to solve the conflict at hand. I’ll never forget this key takeaway from the conference - Mediation is not about “You Vs. Me” but rather “Us Vs. the Problem”.
Q: If you could give one piece of advice to the incoming participants of the Peacemakers Conference 2019, what would you tell them?
Be Open, be Eager and have Fun. I truly believe that everyone should come in with an open heart, mind and a teachable spirit. Strive for eagar participation in every activity as it will not only benefit the individual but also contribute to the learning experience of everyone else. Most importantly, have fun and don’t be afraid to make mistakes because it’s all part of the learning. Happy Mediating! 😀
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As Singapore’s leading peer mediation experts, Peacemakers has an extensive track record of managing and delivering conflict resolution training for youth at both local and international levels. If you would like to train your youth to better manage conflict, let us know how we can help via email at mediate@peacemakers.sg.
