Youth Summit Advances Conflict

Youth Summit Introduces High School Students and Educators to Conflict Resolution

In December 2020, the Straus Institute hosted “Young Voices in Divided Times,” an inaugural summit that equipped high school students, educators, and administrators with conflict resolution skills. More than 100 attendees, including 50 high school students joined the virtual event, which featured a panel discussion, a training on navigating and responding to conflict, and strategy sessions. The summit was part of the Straus Institute’s Beyond the Dialogue initiative, which advances justice through dispute resolution practice and principles. Judge Danny Weinstein, whose support has made Beyond the Dialogue possible, joined the program to convey his enthusiasm for the event.

Professors Sukhismranjit Singh and Shaphan Roberts shared their insights on the role of young people in bridging understanding on difficult issues. Singh shared, “The young brain is incredibly creative. Our goal is to channel this creativity and push it to the forefront of the conflict resolution movement and have the youth be the leaders.” Roberts added,

“I think how a society resolves its conflicts speaks volumes about that society. And I believe that our youth are naturally more invested in the outcome because the future belongs to them.”

The event included an interactive session conducted by experienced practitioners from the Western Justice Center, an organization that trains youth, educators, and community members on resolving conflict. Among the participants were Kim Schulist and Payton Silket ('20, MDR '21). Schulist, an accomplished litigator in education, shared conflicts her clients have encountered related to COVID-19. Silket addressed youth engagement on societal challenges, commenting, “The youth are not risking some of the things that people who are further along in their careers may be risking. And so, that allows young people to be truth tellers and truth seekers . . . without being bogged down by some of the societal expectations.” Schulist and Silket were joined by students from Malibu High School, Culver City High School, Pacific High School, Palisades Charter High School, and schools from the Bay Area and Arizona.