About the Book
The children's book, Trouble at the Watering Hole, tells the story of forest animals who are fighting over a limited supply of water in a forest watering hole. Fighting with each other doesn't accomplish anything. Emo, a baby bear cub, and his best friend, Chickie, a colorful bird, explore ways that the forest animals can work through the problem, using proven, effective methods of conflict resolution. The story captures the "how" of conflict resolution and the skills that are part of the process.
The Parent/Teacher Manual offers games, exercises, puzzles, and conversation-starters to help parents and teachers describe the skills of constructive conflict resolution in the context of everyday situations. Chores, bedtime, TV time, use of mobile phones and devices, who uses the remote control for the TV, who gets to use sports equipment, who finds that their pencil has been taken by another student and many more situations bring to life the critical skills of constructive conflict resolution.
Trouble at the Watering Hole is the first book of its kind to reduce constructive conflict resolution to its essential skills. The Parent/Teacher Manual is a rich resource for discussing these skills and bringing them into focus for children by examining the role of constructive conflict resolution in everyday life.
To further help teach kids conflict resolution skills, search for the children's book TROUBLE AT THE WATERING HOLE and purchase both books together.
TROUBLE AT THE WATERING HOLE is also available as a coloring book.
About the Author :
Gregg Relyea is a lawyer, private mediator and negotiation teacher. In addition to helping parties in civil lawsuits settle their cases, he teaches negotiation at the University of San Diego School of Law and University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Mr. Relyea also trains people to negotiate and mediate their disputes. Mr. Relyea has been a member of the Panel of Distinguished Mediators for the American Arbitration Association and a Practitioner/Educator in the Association for Conflict Resolution. Dr. Joshua N. Weiss is a negotiation expert and the co-founder with William Ury of the Global Negotiation Initiative at Harvard University. He is also the Managing director of the Abraham Path Initiative. He received his Ph.D. from the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University in 2002. Dr. Weiss has spoken and published on Negotiation, Mediation, and systemic approaches to dealing with conflict. In his current capacity he conducts research, consults with many different types of organizations, delivers negotiation and mediation trainings and courses, and engages in negotiation and mediation at the organizational, corporate, government, and international levels. Dr. Weiss is the creator of the Negotiation Tip of the Week (NTOW) podcast. The NTOW has been in the top 100 iTunes Business Podcasts for the past three years and has been downloaded over 2 million times during that period. Dr. Weiss has conducted training and consulted with a number of organizations and companies, non-profit entities, governments, and international organizations.
Review :
From His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Dharamsala, India
The only sensible and intelligent way of resolving differences in today's world is through dialogue in a spirit of compromise and reconciliation. Dialogue, through which we learn to listen to other points of view, is the way to build greater trust and transparency, and is the foundation of lasting friendship. Everyone from small children up to political leaders have to understand that violence and conflict are counterproductive, that they are not a realistic way to solve our problems . . .
"Trouble at the Watering Hole" makes a valuable contribution to such educational efforts by imagining how animals deal with trouble round the watering hole. It is a vivid scene that children will easily understand. I congratulate the authors for their keen appreciation of the importance of finding ways to educate children so they grow up learning not to lash out at the first sign of conflict, but to approach problems more reasonably. Genuine peace and reconciliation, whether in relation to ourselves or in relation to others, comes about through taking an understanding, respectful and non-violent approach to the challenges we face.
From William Ury: Co-author of Getting to Yes and author of The Third Side
It would be a better world if every child had the chance to learn early in life about ways to resolve conflict through cooperation. In this wonderfully simple and instructive tale for children, accompanied by a practical teacher's guide packed with tips and exercises, Gregg Relyea and Josh Weiss make this dream possible.
From Niranjan Bhatt: President, Association of Indian Mediators (2000-2016) and Founder and Managing Trustee of AMLEAD (Institute for Arbitration, Mediation and Legal Education and Development), Gujarat, India
"Trouble at the Watering Hole" is a landmark contribution to the field of conflict resolution. A difficult subject has been brilliantly reduced to first principles for young readers. It will lead the younger generation to a more peaceful society. "Trouble" also can be incorporated at an advanced level in train-the-trainers programs. The parent-teacher manual is a superb way of elaborating the practical skills used in conflict resolution.
From Sriram Panchu: Founder, Indian Centre for Mediation and Dispute Resolution, Chennai, India
It's a powerful message to convey to children - that they can end disputes by talking, that they can themselves ask the right questions and find the right answers, and that they can retain friendships. In a society where conflict is on the rise and is increasingly disabling, imparting and imbibing this message is a sign of hope.
From Kenneth Cloke: Author of Mediating Dangerously: The Frontiers of Conflict Resolution
Conflicts begin at birth, and so should our skills in collaborative negotiation and conflict resolution. But how do we teach children diverse, age-appropriate ways of responding to conflict without either talking down to them or expecting them to act like professional mediators? This highly useful approach combines simple storytelling with a well-informed guide for teachers and parents covering skills for all ages, allowing teachers, parents and children to learn the same techniques, and practice them together.
From Hitoshi Suzuki: Co-Author of The Settling Brain and Professor (2007-2015) and Lecturer, Tokai University, Japan
It will be a more peaceful planet if every child reads this book when they are very young. It should be required reading for every student in school. The story will stimulate and awaken the better nature of people to be cooperative, reciprocal, and altruistic, at the youngest ages.
