Ripples and Rumbles: Equity and Conflict, featuring Ashley J Davis

To subvert means “to turn from below.” This could mean from the lower levels, but also from places that are hidden, unspoken, taken for granted, and invisible. These are places inside ourselves, and in our relationships, that we sometimes don’t know how to talk about. But the smallest ripples in the stories we take for granted can lead to massive rumbles of change. In this series we talk about the inner shifts and the questions we can ask, to step into leadership in ways that are nurturing and regenerative. We talk about power, conflict, fluidity and adaptability, and learning to lead together.

In the third conversation in the series, we talk with Ashley J. Davis about her experience mediating conflict with a lens of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. This was a very informative and thought provoking conversation about the essential role of conflict intervention in social change. We talked about why we need to bring conflict skills and a JEDI lens together for either to be effective. JEDI advocates benefit from building their conflict skills. Similarly, mediators have greater impact when they can integrate a justice and equity lens into their conflict work.

Ashley currently serves as an Associate Ombud at the University of Washington. Ashley received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School and Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University. Ashley began her career in dispute resolution several years ago, while working in her hometown Chicago as a mediator, program manager, coach, and trainer at a citywide mediation services provider the Center for Conflict Resolution. She is currently a board member for the King County Dispute Resolution Center in Seattle and American Bar Association Ombuds Dispute Resolution Section Fellow. Her work focuses on exploring the full spectrum of conflict intervention practices in the workplace and incorporates interdisciplinary fields such as organizational development, change management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

View the Discussion Here