The Oberlin College Dialogue Center operates under the Office of the Ombudsperson as a mediation center and a forum for dialogue in the Oberlin College community. Established on the principles of social justice, OCDC — with its values of resolving conflicts by promoting dialogue and creating social justice by providing a space for people to express their views — reflects and reaffirms the basic values of Oberlin’s history. Since its start in 2001, OCDC has built a reputation within the Oberlin community. Students, faculty and staff constitute its member and they act as mediators, facilitating dialogue. The Oberlin Review met with several members of OCDC, asking them about their experiences and what they consider to be the role of OCDC on campus.

Keeping in line with OCDC custom, the group discussed and answered the following questions as a single unit.

How and why did you join the OCDC?

Social justice. This ideology central to OCDC’s existence was what drew me to become a member of the OCDC. Participating in the Social Justice Institute was a great opportunity, which added to my awareness of the issues of social justice, equality and the resolution of conflict through dialogue.

A lot of Oberlin alumni are professionals working in the field of conflict resolution, and they too inspired me to be a part of this body.

How has your experience been working and facilitating as a member of the OCDC?

Very fulfilling, very rewarding. Working at OCDC — just having the chance to resolve differences, helping to remove misconceptions and miscommunication between people — has been very satisfying. Just the feeling that I helped people resolve their conflicts is very comforting.

Working with various people and different communities around campus has been a great learning experience. Being able to handle dialogue and learning about multi-partiality has seen me evolve into a better listener.

Do you think your experience at OCDC affects the way you interact with people in your daily life? Has it translated into the way you deal with friends and family?

Definitely. By mediating and facilitating dialogue, I find myself in a better place to take part in discussions. I am more conscious about who’s speaking, who’s not. I try to make sure that everyone’s heard and that I get my point across well without infringing upon someone else’s voice, and this has made my communication much more effective.

Moreover, I have realized that change can be made in a small setting — through dialogue and conversation. You don’t always have to go out on the street and protest.

What, and how important, do you consider to be the role of the OCDC in the Oberlin community?

Very crucial. OCDC basically affects how conversation and dialogue is conducted across campus. By making sure that different viewpoints are heard, and that conflicts are resolved on the basis of social justice, OCDC ensures that the peace is maintained on campus. Moreover, with its principle of multi-partiality, OCDC represents a trust, and it is this trust and the values of integrity, independence and honesty that allow people to bring their issues forward to the center.

After all, when it did not exist, where would you go if you had a conflict or a dispute? OCDC fulfills this essential role of a mediation center where people can come and talk about their opinions freely, and what makes it special is that it functions within the structure of college, and yet it functions independently as part of the Office of the Ombudsperson.

Do you think OCDC’s presence and its efforts are acknowledged by the campus community?

While many students know about the OCDC, we fail to realize that it is a larger campus than we think it is. I feel that we could do more if people knew more about us and the services that OCDC offers. I also feel that OCDC is an under-utilized resource. Faculty and staff particularly could definitely make more use of the various services that are provided here. What students, faculty and staff should know is that we are trained mediators; there are no judgments being made here, and the whole process is absolutely confidential.

Do you feel that the efforts of the OCDC and its place at Oberlin are recognized? Also, what are the future programs and activities planned out by the OCDC?

OCDC offers a special service to the College and the members of the College, and the community greatly appreciates our efforts. Over the years, we have held symposiums, facilitated dialogues and annually held the Social Justice Institute, and we plan to continue this in the future. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the institutional support that we continue to receive from the College. More recently, President Krislov, too, has complimented our efforts with the recent events [including dialogues regarding the Oberlin Police incident] on campus.

People outside Oberlin have also expressed interest in knowing more about the OCDC model. We have received requests from several colleges and universities, and we are also working with Amnesty International. In the future, we hope to resume mediation training, and we also intend to branch out by working with the local school systems in developing a mediation training program for school-going children.