About NVMS Blog Community Uncategorized

Bridging Communities

Bridging Communities is a strategic direction for NVMS Conflict Resolution Center to create scalability of impact and strengthen relationships with communities. It will utilize mediation, training, and restorative practices to strengthen community relationships and empower individuals to manage and resolve conflicts constructively.
Bridging Communities include:

Restorative Justice (RJ) Conferences |Restorative Justice Training |Community Listening Circles | Group Facilitation | Community Education Training | Community Peacebuilding Training | Youth Training | Peer to Peer Mediation Training |…and more

The goal of Bridging Communities is to engage community members and provide them with tools to manage conflicts in their daily lives. Scalability arises when community members learn to become advocates for stronger community relationships and collaborate with NVMS to provide community training on peacebuilding and bridging communities.

Calling for Participation: Bridging Communities
Peace Ambassadors Training


NVMS Conflict Resolution Center invites interested community members to participate in a
“training the trainer” training on Engaging Conflict – An Introduction to Community Peacebuilding. Encompassing a DEI lens, this four-part module introduces conflict analysis, conflict engagement, conflict resolution, and restorative practices. Upon completion of the training, NVMS welcomes graduates to:

Organize with NVMS to coordinate community listening circles
• Practice their skills as community peace advocates and co-trainers with NVMS staff
• Participate in community storytelling about the experience of conflict resolution
• Recommend to NVMS critical community partnerships that can promote peacebuilding
• Become an advocate of alternative dispute resolution in the community (mediation, facilitation)
• Advance their training to include restorative justice certification and mediation certification
• Serve as a Bridging Communities Peace Ambassador.


The first cohort for this “training the trainer” training is limited to 16 participants. Residents may independently apply or may be nominated by a third party. Preference will be given to participants from under-resourced communities and people of diverse backgrounds — to reflect the demographic diversity in the region and consistent with the strategic direction of NVMS Conflict Resolution Center.

This 12-hour training will take place in person on May 20 and 21 (Saturday and Sunday), from 9 am to 3 pm, in the training facility of NVMS Conflict Resolution Center in Fairfax. Participants are expected to attend the 2-day training fully. The lead trainer is Christine Paulson, executive director of Resolution Virginia – a coalition of six community conflict resolution centers in the state.

Registration closes on Friday, May 12, 2023. To register for participation, contact Mark Preston, training program coordinator, at mpreston@nvms.us.

Recent Training Partners
Alexandria City Public Schools
City of Virginia Beach Police Department
Fairfax County Office of the Commonwealth Attorney
Little River United Church of Christ
Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation
United Community
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity

Funding for this program is provided by
Marge Bleiweis Community Education Fund
Susan Shearouse Scholarship Fund
Fairfax County Government

0 comments on “Bridging Communities

Leave a Reply