Conflict Brings Potential for Change

Two individuals from the US came to ACCTS-ATW’s community center in Husn to host a workshop on managing conflict where women learned necessary tools that showed them conflict resolution is not only possible but leads to positive changes.

May 20, 2017

Husn, Jordan (ACCTS-AWT) - No matter the culture, everyone experiences conflict and must understand healthy ways to work through it. Sheryl Belson and Kaela Bell, two individuals from the US, came to the community center at Husn to host a conference for women on how to handle conflict. These two presenters - a grandmother and granddaughter - discussed the reason why people experience conflict, the proper steps to take to address it, and the goal to reach a win-win solution for the parties involved. About 40 women between 25 – 45 years old attended this meeting.

At the beginning, women shared their own stories of conflict in small group settings. Then they took the steps presented at the conference and discussed how they could use them in their individual situations. Women then spoke to the whole group about issues with children, friends, and family as the presenters reinforced communication, listening, and reaching a win-win solution. Some of the women were quick to point out the cultural differences between America and the Arab world. Presenter Sheryl Belson noted that regardless of culture, there is still commonality in addressing conflict.

A conference on conflict resolution fits in perfectly with the mission of ACCTS-AWT to equip and empower women to pursue change in their personal and social life. One of the women shared, “I want to take what I learned and share it with a friend who is going through conflict.” Another lady who attended in the conference has a background in psychology. She is interested in volunteering at the community center to help women address psychological and emotional issues related to conflict.

In the Arab world where women often feel disregarded, a conference about conflict management gives women a voice to speak up about their feelings, the tools to create change for a healthy home life, and the steps necessary to live peaceably in their society. When women are given the means to thrive in society, they can pass those on to the next generation so they can also establish healthy patterns in their lives. It proves to be a win-win situation for all.