[ Model | Philosophy | Definition | Audience | Process | Training
| Materials | Costs | Uniqueness | Evaluation | Contact ]

Model: Role Play Peacegames explore Conflicts and Conflict Resolution and are available for all age groups on all types of conflicts.

Philosophy: Role Play Peacegames work with instruction in conflict resolution. These games provide students the opportunity to play the parts of parties in conflict situations and to play the role of a mediator who helps the parties reach agreement. The games show students alternatives to violence for dealing with conflicts.

Our philosophy is to provide inexpensive simulations of conflicts that might be helpful to anyone doing instruction in conflict resolution. Students using the Role Play Peacegames learn how to understand the views and interests of others.

As was noted by Alan Markwood in his review of these games in The Fourth R, "Anyone who has been well trained to a mediator is familiar with the use of conflict role plays to practice and develop skills need in mediation. In this case, Mr. Felder has written and compiled role plays by topic, and is marketing them as games. Each game pack has five games on that packs topic, plus some brief introductory material. Everything in each pack is printed on 8.5 x 11 inch sheets, each folded in half to produce a four page booklet. Each game consists of at least three such booklets. One is a statement of agreed facts about the conflict situation, and each of the other two booklets states the viewpoint and interests of one of the parties. Some conflicts have three or four parties"

Our goal is to provide an enjoyable way for students to learn concepts of conflict resolution including the difference between negotiation, arbitration, and mediation, the difference between interests, issues and personalities, and the strategies of competition, compromise, and collaboration. A person using Role Play Peacegames is able to introduce conflict resolution concepts in an enjoyable way.

As a review in The Book Reader noted, "Felder gives good commentary and nomenclature in each game: definitions of negotiation and arbitration, and advice on mediation skills. 'A mediation session is least productive if people just talk about personalities, because parties are unlikely to change personalities. Focussing on interests works better.' Players also grasp the power of alternatives such as competition, compromise and collaboration. And kids (at whatever age) get a feel for the fairness in ground rules and the long term value of agreement."

Definition: Conflict are disagreements between two or more individuals or groups. Students play the parts of parties who have disagreements, and the part of a mediator who help the parties to reach agreement.

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Audience: Role Play Peacegames are available for all types of conflicts for all ages. A binder entitled "Kid's Conflicts" with a special "Kids Lesson in Conflict Resolution" works with 4th grade to 7th grade, Family and Teenage conflicts boxes work with grades 7 and up, and other games are appropriate from 8th grade to 12th grade. All games are attractive with large clear printing.

Process: The teacher reads the "Lesson in Conflict Resolution," and can use questions provided to test learning and optional overhead projector sheets. Students are placed in small groups for simulations. The person playing the part of the mediator reads the "Fact Sheet" on the selected conflict. Then each party in the conflict reads sheets which describe their positions and interests. The mediator reads a description of the mediator's job, which tells the mediator how to conduct the mediation session.

Training: The games provide a quick introduction to conflict resolution that is intended to stimulate teachers and students to further study. A reviewer wrote that "The games can be used as written but how well they are used depends on the degree of additional knowledge and structure added by the person who would use them."

Materials: Binders of games with five games in each box are available on all of these topics: Kid's Conflicts, Teenage Conflicts, Family Conflicts, Marital Conflicts, Divorce Conflicts, Courtroom Conflicts, Institutional Settings (Rehabilitation), Environmental Conflicts, Police and Community, The Middle East Peace Talks, Conflicts in the Balkans, World Conflicts, Racial and Multicultural Conflicts, American History, World History and a Variety Pack. Individual games are also available.

Costs: Games are sold five in a binder, complete with a Lesson in Conflict Resolution, Directions, and Instruction in Mediation for $24.95 or in a Teacher's Edition with charts for $44.95. Individual games with Lesson, Directions, and Instructions are $8.95.

Uniqueness: A review in The Fourth R stated, "The Great Idea: Constructing mediation role-plays separately from any curriculum and marketing them as games allows for some useful applications. First some of the people who never cared to read about mediation may be attracted to a game format and may then seek to learn more, especially if the game materials are written to encourage this. Second, mediation training programs that choose not to write their own role-plays can purchase them as needed. Third, to the extent that the content of a game is accurate and sufficiently broad, it can be a valuable addition to academic courses on that topic. One other good idea included in the design of these materials is stating multiple interests of each party, with differing degrees of importance specified for each."

Evaluation: These games have all been field tested and are constantly being improved. The National Association for Mediation connected with the National Center for Dispute Resolution, which distributes many of these games, states that "As part of a larger curriculum, these games are a great resource for the teaching of mediation skills."

Contact:

Wellington Press
9601-30 Miccosukee Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308-9662
(904) 878-6500

Orders handled by Findhorn Press

P.O. Box 13939

Tallahassee, FL 32317-3939

Fax (850) 893-3442

(850) 893-2920

 

Call Toll Free1-877-390-4425

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© Copyright 1998 by David W. Felder. All rights reserved.