“Negotiating the Nonnegotiable”
World-renowned Harvard conflict-resolution expert in Westport Sept. 7
From advising leaders of war-torn countries to working with senior executives and families in crisis, Daniel L. Shapiro, PhD has helped thousands of organizations and individuals solve the problems that divide us.
Named one of the top 15 professors at Harvard University, Shapiro is founder and director of the Harvard International Negotiation Program, associate professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital, and affiliate faculty at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. He consults regularly for government leaders and Fortune 500 companies, and has advised everyone from hostage negotiators to families in crisis, disputing CEOs to clashing heads of state.
Shapiro will present the inaugural lecture of the Cardozo Society, the Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of Upper Fairfield County’s affinity group for legal professionals and law students, on Thursday, Sept. 7 at The Conservative Synagogue in Westport. Presented in partnership with First American Title Insurance Company, the lecture is eligible for a one-hour Connecticut MCLE credit, and is open to the entire community – lawyers and non-lawyers – free of charge.
Shapiro has launched successful conflict-resolution initiatives in the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia, and for three years chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Conflict Resolution. Through non-profit funding, he developed a conflict-management program that now reaches one million youth across more than 20 countries.
“I’m fascinated by the nature of human nature, and in particular, with the hidden emotional forces that fuel conflict,” Shapiro says of his work. “The field of conflict resolution provides me with a pathway to explore my curiosities about human nature and to convert those findings into practical tools to improve the human condition.”
Shapiro thinks a lot about the “tribal trap” that can easily ensnare societies, America among them. But he suggests an attitude of optimism.
“While the United States has entered a new state of tribalism and divisiveness, it’s not a hopeless situation,” he says. “I’ve worked with hundreds of groups around the world and have observed how, if stakeholders are equipped with the right tools and mindset, even the most seemingly intractable conflict can transform over time. Consider how South Africa and Northern Ireland each navigated their way through profoundly complex political and social barriers to a more peaceful society. Peace is not simply a piece of paper or a quick fix; resolving deeply-embedded conflicts is an intense process – it takes time, energy, and the willingness for people to transform their emotions and attitudes.”
Federation for Jewish Philanthropy of Upper Fairfield County Inaugural Cardozo Society Lecture featuring Daniel L. Shapiro, PhD: Thursday, Sept. 7, 7 PM, The Conservative Synagogue, 30 Hillspoint Road, Westport | Advance registration required: shalomct.org/Cardozo | (203) 226-8198