29 The CLARA Approach to Difficult Conversations
“In the case of dissension, never dare to judge till you’ve heard the other side.”– Euripides
Euripides (484 BCE – 406 BCE) was a playwright from Athens. He was one of only three ancient Greek tragedians who had plays that survived. His quote shows how long certain conflict resolution strategies have existed. Understanding the other side is an essential piece of advice you’ll see over and over again. You can only judge once you know what the other side is saying. Judging beforehand – without all the information or other perspectives – makes it much harder to resolve a conflict.
“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it. ” –Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi (1869-1948) was an Indian lawyer and anti-colonialist who relied on nonviolent resistance. As a leader in the campaign for India’s independence from the British, other human rights movements around the world embraced his words and tactics. This quote reframes what many may believe about “peace” and emphasizes a person’s response to conflict. –peace career conflict resolution
The CLARA approach to engaging in difficult conversations is part of a Conflict Transformation strategy utilized by Dr. Randy Janzen as part of Peace Studies education. I first encountered this activity when Randy facilitated a session on communication skills for a group of students and community leaders at Selkirk College. The CLARA model was created by the pacifist Quaker organization, American Service Friends Committee.
The acronmyn C.L.A.R.A. stands for Calm, Listen, Affirm, Respond and Add. Each of these steps helps in the process of creating a respectful dialogue about tricky issues. Like many communication skills, they sound deceptively simple, but putting them into practice is challenging.
Purpose
The purpose of this activity is to give participants a chance to observe and then practice a model for listening to someone who has a different point of view.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Observe two people discussing a controversial situation using the CLARA method.
- Describe the steps of CLARA for engaging in a challenging conversation.
- Practice the steps of CLARA in a dialogue about a controversial topic.
Activity Directions
Set-Up: Chairs in a horseshoe with two chair facing each other at the front of the room.
- Choose a topic ahead of time: Facilitator chooses a topic that they know is controversial in the community. Ahead of the session they approach a co-facilitator or participant about engaging in a conversation together.
- Hand-Out: Print the following Hand-Out so that each participant can be watching for these approaches as they observe the interaction.
- Demonstration conversation using the C.L.A.R.A. approach: Engage for 15 minutes in a conversation with the designated partner about a controversial topic using the C.L.A.R.A. approach.
- Full Group Discussion: Debrief the interaction by asking for observations and examples of how t