Conference Purpose

Authority and Leadership

Working in groups of any size is rarely easy. Despite our best efforts to be focused, calm and clear, we often find ourselves struggling with authority, and facing ambiguous tasks, disputed roles, and unclear boundaries. These boundaries may be the personal space between two people or a wall between two peoples. In large part, this is because so much of what happens in groups, large and small, happens beneath the surface. In the workplace, in families, in communities, and in nations, there are dynamics that we do not fully comprehend or sometimes even see. As a result of these unspoken, misunderstood or hidden dynamics, groups can repeatedly stumble on otherwise simple decisions and make problems seem intractable. The ability to understand and then manage these dynamics is an indispensable aspect of effective leadership.

Israelis and Palestinians

The unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has plagued the Middle East region and beyond for decades. Beginning with the Oslo peace process in the early nineties, oscillation between hope and despair has become, unfortunately, one of the most compelling facts in the minds of both collectives. The shadows of hope have faded in the face of extremism, enmity and destruction. The second Lebanon war and the recent war in Gaza have demonstrated sharply and painfully the fragility of the peace process. Many on both sides of the conflict feel that the possibility of moving toward a mutual and accepted resolution has plunged to its lowest point.

Diaspora communities

Along with residents in the Middle East, people throughout Europe, Asia, and especially the US, actively share interests and concerns regarding the conflict and the fledgling peace process. While the nature and intensity of media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict varies immensely between Europe, the Middle East and the US, the picture in the mind of many, if not most, is that the "road map" of the peace process is leading to nowhere.

The emotional and physical traumas of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have an impact not only on those living in the midst of the turmoil in the region, but also on Diaspora communities. These traumas fuel the cycle of violence while reinforcing the anxieties and fears that each side has of the other. Some of the most contentious issues—the right of return, the future of Jerusalem, the separation wall, settlement activity and citizenship rights—are intensely debated within and between both communities. Research suggests that Diaspora communities have played a role in exacerbating the conflict, but may also play a role in peacemaking. In the United States, the role of American Palestinians and American Jews has not been adequately explored, particularly in relation to conflict resolution and peacemaking.

Primary Task

The primary task of the conference is to learn – through experience – how groups function, how we exercise leadership in groups, and how we can become more effective leaders within the organizations and communities in which we live and work. Uniquely, we will have the opportunity to focus on those elements of leadership that can often be obscured from view – the hidden challenges.

A Systems Learning Model

While intellectual learning about the dynamics of conflict is available in many different forums, this conference is a rare enterprise that gives its members the opportunity to learn from experience.

The conference design is rooted in a unique experiential learning method known as a group relations conference or the Tavistock method. It is a dynamic experiential learning laboratory. As staff and participants, we co-create a temporary institution that allows for opportunities to study the obvious and not-so-obvious dynamics of organizational and community life. By keeping certain factors constant (task, role, time, and place) while observing others that emerge in the “here and now,” both staff and conference members become participant–observers. We are in the process of co-creating an institution or community, at the same time that we are studying the impact on our own and others’ behavior as all of this is happening. Throughout the process, consultants provide observations that promote awareness of emerging issues and themes regarding leadership, authority, task, role and boundaries.

As members of different generational, ethnic and religious identity groups, staff and conference members bring into the conference setting the range of perspectives, beliefs, values, and attitudes of those identity groups towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this way, the temporary organization mirrors the patterns and relationships in our outside lives. By examining our beliefs, perspectives and behaviors within the conference setting, we will gain insight into the broader socio-political dynamics, and our own place in them.

In summary, through the conference experience, there will be an opportunity to:

• Better understand how leadership and authority emerges and is taken up in groups.
• Work across boundaries of identity and difference between individuals, groups, and communities.
• Better understand individual and collective roles in groups.
• Develop an awareness of the more hidden or covert dynamics in groups in general, and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular.
• Explore the emotional impact of the conflict on a personal and communal level.
• Consider possibilities for contributing to the transformation of conflicts and the process of peace-making,

The conference will be directed by Nimer Said, a Palestinian citizen and resident of Israel and Peter Shapiro, a Jewish citizen and resident of the US. By itself, the co-directorship of the conference reflects and represents the dynamics of authority, leadership, and peace-making.

Our Commitment

We will reflect on what is learned, make it more personal, and connect the experience to our lives outside the conference. It is our desire that through this experience we will find new ways to lead, and learn how to transform our corners of the world. It is also our explicit desire that this conference will provide an opportunity for personal and communal transformation in addressing the conflict.
 

Continuing Education Credits for Social Workers

The program has been approved for 17.5 Approved Entity Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. Collaborative of NASW and the Boston College and Simmons Schools of Social Work Authorization numberD41604b.