Conflict Resolution Process Simulation

This activity is designed to be used in the context of a small or large group setting with at least three (but preferably more) persons. In this simulation, participants are assigned roles corresponding to those described in the Silver County Case Scenario, and behave in ways that they think the person they are portraying would behave.

1) Assigning Roles: For more realistic role simulation, assign roles that typecast persons into groups and characters that they would normally associate with. Alternatively, to challenge the perspective of the participants, assign roles based on value orientations or interest group affiliations that they would not normally associate with. If you have fewer participants than characters, you can act out the scenario without the other characters involved, or you could assign dual roles to the participants. Or, if you have more participants than characters in the scenario, you can create new characters or roles as you see fit. (Possible roles can be members or officials of the various organizations representing Silver County. See the "People of Silver County" menu item under the "Silver County Story" tab on the menu bar for a list of characters, groups, and organizations.)

2) Role Simulation: Have students split into their respective groups, and have them act out and behave in ways that they feel their characters would respond to the decisions that need to be made regarding the rapid growth and development facing the region.

3) Design a Process for Mitigating Conflict: Have students design a process that will include as many interests of competing groups and individuals as possible, to achieve the best case scenario for the region.

4) Participate in the Process to Test It Out: Have students play out the process, to see if indeed they could achieve the desired win-win situation they have developed.

5) Negotiating an Agreement: Have students document the outcome of their process, with concrete steps and outcomes that grew out of the conflict mitigation process.

6) Discussion and Debriefing: Have students step out of their roles and discuss how they felt as a result of participating in this simulation. What did they learn about the perspectives of others? What did they learn about their own perspectives? Do they think that their process could work in the "real world"? If their process did not achieve the desired results, what could they have done differently to achieve a win-win outcome?