2-Day Online Workshop on Conflict Transformation through the Dialogic Method (12-13 December 2026)

About the Programme

Conflicts are an inevitable part of our personal, professional and social routines. While the form and nature of conflicts are constantly changing, conflicts themselves remain pervasive. In recent times, however, the question has arisen: Can conflicts be seen as opportunities, rather than challenges?  By using innovative and effective strategies – including the Dialogic Method – to respond to conflicts not only resolve them but also transform them into potential opportunities leading to multiple outcomes that facilitate significant growth, innovative changes and value creation.

Conventional alternate dispute resolutions such as arbitration, mediation and conciliation do play a role in taking a different approach to conflict. However, enhancing individual ability to resolve conflicts – for one’s own self and for those around us, across personal and professional situations, can not only be efficient and cost-effective, but it can also enhance relationships and result in innovative solutions.

NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad and Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue’s workshop: Conflict Transformation through the Dialogic Method has been designed to help the participants leverage this change-making potential inherent in conflicts using the Dialogic Method Framework.

The Dialogic Method framework draws on multiple disciplines including mediation, behavioural science, and systems thinking towards co-creating value-positive, sustainable solutions to conflict and problem situations. It helps individuals define, understand, and solve complex problems that arise out of conflict situations, and has been used effectively by a range of audiences, including peace builders, panchayat members, children, social changemakers, gender activists, migrant workers, civil society organisations, law and policy advocacy organisations, as well as business leaders.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

• Approaching the conflict situation in terms of the opportunities it presents.
• Mapping a conflict situation with all its elements and stakeholders involved.
• Understand the “Power of One” – the scientific basis for how the Dialogic Method works.
• Identifying and involving all the stakeholders in the situation and ensuring their ownership towards resolving the conflict and implementing the solution.
• Differentiating between surface statements and underlying motivations to find the alignment of interest.
• Incorporating the tools and strategies to achieve value positive outcomes and win-win-win through conflict transformation.
• Understanding the transactional value of empathy and using it as a strength and skill to engage in a conflict.
• Using diversity and differences to create more possibilities and options to transform a conflict.
• Practise the skills iteratively through simulated experiences to handle the resistance along the process of conflict resolution.

Target Group

The Workshop is designed for anyone working or interested in the realm of conflict transformation and resolution. This includes students, practitioners, educators, and others working with individuals, communities, or institutions navigating conflict.

Pedagogy and Delivery Method

The Workshop has an experiential and interactive design that uses activities, cases and role-plays to deliver key learning points.

Learning Modules

Module 1- Conflict and Dialogue

• What is conflict?
• Types of Conflict
• Theories of Conflict
• Sources of Conflict
• Value positive outcomes from conflicts
• Conflict Resolution vs Conflict Transformation
• Activity: The Value of Dialogue

Module-2: Fundamentals of the Dialogic Method

• Dialogic disciplines: An overview
• Difference between the Dialogic Method and other dialogue-based disciplines
• Thought Experiment: Why Dialogue Works?
• Activity: Principles of the Dialogic Method
• The Rationale of the Dialogic Method
• Multiple Outcomes of the Dialogic Method

Module- 3: Stage 1: Define

• Engage Step 1: Define
• What and Why –Differentiating Surface Statements and Underlying Reasons
• The “who” element: Identifying the stakeholders
• Strategic Trust: Finding Alignment of Interest
• The Dialogue Tree Tool: An introduction
• Using the Dialogue Tree Tool: Mapping the What, Why and Who of the situation

Module- 4: Stage 2a: Understand- Emotion

• Experiential Example: Introduction to Emotion, Perspective and Information
• The Dialogue Tree: Digging through the soil – How Emotions, Perspective and Information fit into engaging in dialogue
• Emotions: How to uncover and work with them?
• Importance of Empathy
• Practising Empathy

Module- 5: Stage 2b: Understand- Perspective and Information

• Experiential Example: What is Perspective?
• The Utility of (Differing) Perspectives
• How to gain Perspectives?
• How to uncover Information
• Types of Listening
• Practising Listening

Module- 6: Stage 3: Solve

• Thought Experiment: Generating Options
• Evaluating Options
• Actionating the Outcomes

Module- 8: Practice

• Roleplay: Practising all the stages of the Dialogic Method Framework

Module- 9: Notes from the Field

• The Impact of the Dialogic Method on the Paralegals and Anganwadis

Eligibility

Candidates who are pursuing graduation or have graduated are eligible to register.

Duration: 2 Days. 3 sessions will be conducted each day, and each session will be for 2 hours.

Registration Process: Submission of Online Application Form along with the requisite fee.

Intake: 30 (minimum) to 50 (maximum) per batch. Admission will be first come first serve basis.

Mode of Delivery: Zoom

Registration Fee: Rs. 4750/- (Four thousand seven hundred and fifty Rupees only)

Note: Registration Fee once paid is not refundable.

Click Here to Apply

Resource Persons:

Dr. Krishna Udayasankar: B.A. LL.B. (Hons), Grad. Cert. IB, Ph. D. (Certified Mediator) has 23 years of experience in academia, research and social sector. He is the CEO of Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue.

Ms. Stuti Desai-Moorchung: BSL, LL.B., LL.M.(Certified Mediator) has 21 years of experience in corporate, academic and social sector. She is presently working as Capacity Building Lead, Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue.

Naagha Shyamala holds an MSW in Clinical and Community Practice from CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore. She is a Teach For India alumna and has been a passionate teacher and mentor to the children and teachers in her school. Her work experience includes facilitating skill-building sessions for adolescents, training teachers, and working with organisations in the field of gender equity and mental health. She is now a Junior Program Manager at Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue. She is also an avid reader and a travel enthusiast.

Ms. Akshatha N Tirumale holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University. She began her career at Amazon Web Services as a Cloud Support Engineer and later joined the India Fellow Social Leadership Program to work at the grassroots level and understand the social complexities of India.

Mr. P Ashwini Kumar is presently working as Assistant Professor at NALSAR and the Nodal Officer, NALSAR Pro Bono Club, which works to advance legal awareness and promote free legal services for marginalized sections of the Society.

Award of Certificate:

A ‘Certificate of Participation’ will be awarded to participants who have attended 80% or more sessions.

Certificates will be awarded jointly by NALSAR University and Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue.

Important Dates– Tentative

For further details, please contact:

Ms. Stuti Desai Moorchung

Head of Operations

Kshetra Foundation for Dialogue

stuti@kshetra.space

Mr. Ashwini Kumar Pendyala
NALSAR University of Law
ashwinikumarp@nalsar.ac.in