The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Columbia Law School organized a workshop to enhance the leadership capacities of the attendees by focusing on their awareness of ‘self’. The workshop was organized in two sessions, the morning and the afternoon session, and both sessions constituted a series of workshops on Conflict Resolution, Mediation, and Negotiation in theory toward the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. The programs are designed for delegates at any level who wish to achieve mastery of negotiation, mediation, and multilateral conflict resolution processes.

Professor Alexandra Carter, Director of the Mediation Clinic at Columbia Law School, spoke on understanding the connection of leadership and self-awareness. The goals of this workshop were to discover the importance of self-awareness, how to give effective feedback, and how these are important for leadership. It was a highly interactive session, and all participants exchanged their opinions and thoughts on the definition of self-awareness, self-reflection and how we find our feelings, etc. They engaged in asking questions and participating in group activities.

The morning session focused on understanding and navigating the self as an instrument of impact and change by a deeper appreciation of internal and external self-awareness. This would involve learning about effective communication with a focus on self-awareness and using self-reflection as a tool for effective communication. Udoka Okafor in Columbia Law School Medication Clinic emphasized that active listening skills could lead to empowering leadership. To make effective communication, we need to be an active listener. Summarizing the facts, feelings, issues, and interests of individuals as they discuss their conflicts can be helpful.

In the afternoon session, the topic of discussion focussed on cultural intelligence, the ability to adapt to people that are from different cultural regions based on three components, physical, emotional, and cognitive. The participants were reminded to adapt to different cultural norms, one needs to be internally and externally self-awareness. All the participants took part in an exercise to highlight how to be mindful of different cultural values and dynamics and how this plays a crucial role in the negotiation process.

The workshop enabled participants to realize the importance of positive feedback through several activities. Representatives addressed that being able to hear and accept feedback without becoming defensive is an essential skill for a leader and one that reflects an emotionally intelligent one. Participants made comments that this workshop fosters a deepened conception of internal and external self-awareness.

Date/Location: March 4th, 2020; 10:00-17:00; Conference Room F

Speakers: H.E. Mr. Marco A. Suazo, Head of Office, UNITAR NYO

Ms. Alexandra Carter, Director of the Mediation Clinic at Columbia Law School

Melissa Meza, Columbia Law School Medication Clinic

Udoka Okafor, Columbia Law School Medication Clinic

Jeeyoon Chung, Columbia Law School Medication Clinic

Jessica Barragan, Columbia Law School Medication Clinic

Written By: WIT Representative Sehee OH