dougnoll’s posthaven

Segment 1: Building a More Peace-Able World.  On this edition of The Doug Noll Show we have the honor of speaking with Prabha Sankaranarayan, a conflict transformation consultant who has mediated, facilitated and trained in Europe, Asia, Africa and the USA. She is the current CEO and President of Mediators Beyond Borders (http://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/), an international organization focused on building a more “peace able” world. Prabha started her career as a clinician working with individuals who had experienced violence, trauma and large-scale disasters. After realizing most of her days were spent actively listening to clients – which she enjoyed - she took a mediation class and was instantly hooked. She then begin practicing family mediation and eventually restorative justice.

Segment 2: Build Local Skills for Peace and Promote Mediation Worldwide.  MBB’s Liberian project just ended after a successful 7-year run. The intensive project brought about a higher employment rate as well as less violence among the participants. They have now established a mediation center in the Liberian camp and have been asked to come back and do some work with women in the community as well.

MBB’s mission is simple: to build local skills for peace and promote mediation worldwide. The idea is that practitioners from around the world can actually contribute to building the capacity for peace on every level. They focus on the local level with volunteers who initiate projects with an invitation from MBB. MBB puts out a call for action, collects volunteers who have the necessary skills, and then they’re off and running. Each project looks different, with different participants, different volunteers, different issues, different goals.

Prabha divides their work into two main categories: building local advocacy and promoting mediation. These projects are always in partnership with local volunteers. The goal is to find what is resilient within a particular community and use those properties to rebuild the community after a trauma.

Segment 3: Nepal, Sierra Leone, and More.  MBB also has a Nepal project going, as well as one in Sierra Leone. The organization consists almost entirely of volunteers, with many of them funding their own trips to countries in which they are assigned. Although the long-term impact is difficult to evaluate, there is reason to believe their work is having an effect, even in as short as an 18-month period. Since they work at a local level they leave a group of people who help to train others on the ground. There is a huge range of projects in which MBB has been involved.

Segment 4: A Web of Peace.  Doug believes peace begins with our neighbors. We can’t depend on political leaders or foreign diplomats or NGO. It has to happen person-to-person and face-to-face. MBB creates a web of peace, and that’s where the real change occurs. To find out more about Mediators Beyond Borders, or to get involved, please visit http://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/. They’ll put you to work if you have an interest in being an on-the-ground peacemaker.

To listen to the entire interview:

Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

Segment 4