Sioux Lookout is a municipality in Northwestern Ontario that is home to approximately 5,000 people. The community has experienced many changes over the past twenty years. Once a predominately Euro-Canadian railroad town, it is now a cross-cultural community with over 50% of its population being of Aboriginal heritage. These changes have presented the community with many challenges in its struggle to respond to cultural differences.
The REsolve Project looks to build a sustainable model that will address and respond to conflict at the community level. In Phase 1, community based conflict resolution models across Canada and internationally were reviewed, and although there are many programs dealing with restorative justice issues, there are very few programs focusing on community based conflict resolution. Sioux Lookout is likely to be the first community in Canada to adopt such a program at the town level. In Phase 2, a series of community consultations were conducted, the results of which are captured in a 136 page Public Consultation Report, along with a seven page Summary Report. Phase 3 witnessed the first round of Community Based Conflict Resolution training with 20 citizens and in partnership with CICR.
The REsolve initiative is sure to be precedent setting in that it will set the standard on how such a program should be developed, tested, implemented and integrated within a community.
Project Summary
To develop a Community Based Conflict Resolution Model for Sioux Lookout that is easily transferable to other northern communities experiencing similar conflict.
Purpose
To build and nurture a conflict resolving community where ultimately hurtful conflict does not exist. A community that: welcomes all people regardless of race, faith tradition, colour, disability, sex, age, language, political or other opinion, social origin or sexual orientation by providing a safe and secure community where all peoples can live, converse, work and travel without fear of discrimination, racism, bigotry, or prejudice in a community that embraces diversity by celebrating our differences, respecting our traditions and nurtures our commitment to each other.
Process
The underlying premise of a community based conflict resolution is that you train a group of citizens to identify and deal with conflict situations. They in turn become trainers equipped with the skills and tools necessary to branch out and train other citizens. For example, you begin with a group of ten, and once ready, each will move on and train another ten. You now have 100 people who are equipped to carry the message forward. They each train another ten and now we have 1000 citizens embracing and living in a conflict resolving community.