![Photo of woman engaged in conversation with a smile on her face](../../images/mediationfeature-418x235.jpg)
Mediation, Conflict Resolution, and Restorative Practices (MCR) Initiative
The Mediation, Conflict Resolution, and Restorative Practices (MCR) Initiative assumes that conflict is an inevitable part of any organization, and that the existence of conflict is not problematic. Instead, we embrace that “conflict simply is” (Watson et al., 2019) and aim to work towards equipping individuals with the skills necessary to meaningfully navigate conflict within their learning and working environments. The MCR Initiative is an effort to cultivate a constructive and collaborative conflict culture (Gelfand et al., 2012) and, in doing so, contribute to the development of more meaningful relationships between individuals and groups at Northwestern.
Through the MCR Initiative, our goal is to provide our community with constructive, empathetic, and evidence-based approaches to resolving conflict and settling disputes that do not rise to the level of formal complaints or policy violations but nevertheless negatively impact inclusion, sense of belonging, and well-being.
We encourage you to find out more about MCR on this website. For additional questions, our team can be reached at mcr@northwestern.edu.
Current MCR Offerings
![Photo of woman engaged in conversation with a smile on her face](../../images/mediationfeature-418x235.jpg)
![A group of four women sitting at a table laughing.](../../images/mcr-circles-418x235.jpg)
Community Building Circle Practice
![Photo of black woman writing at desk](../../images/mcr-resources-418x235.jpg)
Conflict Resolution Education & Resources
![A black man sitting across from someone at a table.](../../images/mcr-faq-418x235.jpg)