Still, as valuable as these experiences were in East Jerusalem, each new experience is unique. My confidence stemmed in part from educational training and experience working with prior NGOs that offered a depth of personal and professional knowledge that I felt equipped me to excel at Baladna.įor example, over the course of my internship with CDCD, I attended regular meetings with high-ranking Israeli and Palestinian officials, developed succinct writing summaries, and organized media publications for diverging groups.

I probably came across to colleagues as a rigid, know-it-all North American. When I began my work with Baladna, I felt a sense of overconfidence. For instance, internship experiences with Baladna and the Center for Democracy and Community Development (CDCD) taught me about the consequences of adopting a rigid frame. My internship with Baladna provided lessons on working in competing environments. Many of the first-year skills from the Conflict and Dispute Resolution (CRES) program at the University of Oregon provide a helpful foundation for work in other fields. This can be a difficult concept for the eager problem-solving conflict resolution specialist to embrace, even though holding onto such a perspective has been shown to create an impasse between parties in conflict. Uncertainty is eating a mystery treat covered in a dark brown substance that produces discovery and openness. The movie’s iconic inspirational quote, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get,” explores the benefits of the unknown. Forrest Gump, a movie released in 1994 with Tom Hanks cast in the title role, offered audiences an inspirational tale of one man’s journey through heartbreak and joy to overcome great odds.

Quote about global conflict mediation