NICOSIA, CYPRUS | Forty-two Seeds from the Middle East, the United States, and the United Kingdom took part in an intensive four-day training in Cyprus on negotiation and mediation led by students and faculty from Harvard Law School. The program was held in Nicosia from January 14-17.
During the training, Seeds examined real life negotiation and mediation case studies and learned about theories behind effective strategies to settling disputes.
“I also learned how to show people that I’m listening to them and how to manage emotions better,” said an Egyptian Seed. “I also learned that it’s always important to know your goal in order to be able to work towards it.”
This is the 6th year that Seeds of Peace has partnered with Harvard Law School’s Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program (HNMCP) to create and implement a custom training curriculum, and the first year the program has been held on the divided island of Cyprus.
Professor Robert Bordone, founding director of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinic, led the program with Harvard Law Lecturer Florrie Darwin, and HNMCP associate Sam Straus.
In addition to taking part in the training, the Seeds met with Greek and Turkish Cypriot Seeds to gain a better understanding of the conflict in Cyprus. The group was hosted by the Home for Cooperation located in the United Nations Buffer Zone. The Cypriot Seeds serve as board members at the community center, which serves as a bridge-builder between the two divided communities in Cyprus.