Conflict Engagement
The UBC Office of Equity and Inclusion’s Conflict Engagement Initiative defines conflict as “a difference that matters.” When conflict arises within a group or team, it can be either constructive or destructive. When destructive, it can create division, shut down communication, and lead to resentment. Recognizing the signs of destructive conflict is key to addressing and preventing them. Ultimately, conflict engagement skills encourage reframing conflict as constructive—a pathway to innovation and stronger relationships—rather than a recipe for division and blame.
Inclusion
Inclusion refers to “the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability).”¹ In a workplace context, inclusion is about creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued, respected, and provided with opportunities to flourish, thrive, and succeed.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation is an ongoing commitment that requires action from each of us. Learn more about the meaning of reconciliation and concrete actions you can take individually and as a unit or department.
Trauma-Informed Pedagogy
Trauma-informed pedagogy is an approach to teaching and learning that is responsive to the diverse experiences of both individual and community trauma within academic settings.
Intergroup dialogue
Intergroup dialogue is a face-to-face, structured, and facilitated group experience that creates opportunities for participants to listen deeply, engage in self-reflection, and gain new perspectives on polarizing societal issues.
Universal Design
Universal Design (UD) calls for the removal of barriers to support everyone, not only people with disabilities. It can be applied to a variety of contexts, including learning and the workplace.
Affinity Spaces
An affinity group is a community of peers that offers support, guidance, resources, and mentorship to its members, who identify as like-minded with the group. Affinity groups are particularly valuable as they provide a sense of belonging, community, and collective empowerment to members of historically, systemically, and perpetually marginalized groups.
Polarization
According to Courageous Dialogues: Moving Beyond Polarization project, “Polarization is a complex social dynamic that occurs when an issue that involves many different people, concerns and opinions is reduced to two opposing sides— ‘for or against’ or ‘us vs them.'” Learn more
Restorative Justice and Transformative Justice
Restorative and transformative justice approaches are most commonly applied in criminal justice reform, but they have also been applied to academic and healthcare institutions to help units navigate how to address differences, disagreements, conflicts, and harm. Learn more
Unconscious Biases
Unconscious (implicit) biases are pre-judgments or mental shortcuts we make about others. We all harbor beliefs about members of various social and identity groups. Learn more