Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Public Conflict Resolution

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lemons and lemonade pitcher

Public Conflict Resolution

Ronald J. Hustedde, College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky
Steve Smutko, Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University
Jarad J. Kapsa, Sociology Department, University of Kentucky

This manual is a train-the-trainers tool. It is designed to be taught and used primarily by extension educators, community officials, and citizen leaders. The basic goal of the manual is to give workshop participants the applicable knowledge and skills to help teach others how to identify, understand, manage, and when possible and desirable, to resolve conflicts within their own communities. The materials that follow and the training sessions themselves are resources and guides. It is not our intention for Lemonade to be taken as a map on how to educate people to deal with conflict. These are concepts and skills that training participants can adapt to meet the needs of their constituency. Just as every community faces unique conflicts, so must the precise manner in which we confront and deal with conflict be of its own design. We hope you leave this training with (at least) two things:

  • different ways for understanding the sources and forms of conflict; and
  • concrete skills for addressing it.

Download the complete instructors guide.