vailsymposium

In times of turmoil, it’s easy to become mired in the negative, doom-scrolling and becoming convinced that we’re broken. However, there is hope. On Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Vail Interfaith Chapel, Vail Symposium welcomes Dr. Beth Fisher-Yoshida, program director in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program of Columbia University and Vieve Radha Price, co-director of TÉA Artistry, for a special program that demonstrates how the peace process happens at all levels. In this engaging event, they’ll demonstrate that it is often arts in the community that are the catalysts that can address social pressure points and provide the means to transform and heal.

When looking deep into communities impacted by violence around the world, conflict resolution expert Fisher-Yoshida noticed pockets of communities less impacted than others and asked, “why isn’t this worse?” She observed groups of mothers coming together to walk kids to schools, reclaiming parks and ultimately decided that “we know a lot about conflict, but not enough about peace.” She is an expert in women in negotiation as well as working with youth leadership in Medellín, Colombia.

Similarly, Price, founder and co-director of TÉA Artistry, created the Insight theatre group to focus on using the arts to address pressure points in American culture following her work in conflict analysis and resolution and public policy.

Through their work in arts and conflict resolution, both Fisher-Yoshida and Price have come to engage with peacemaking at all levels: in the streets, at the community level and at the policy level, and ultimately share how applied arts not only entertain but heal a community and the people within it.

Recommended reading available at The Bookworm in Edwards
“New Story, New Power: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiation” by Beth Fisher-Yoshida: