The Conflict Partnership Process

Initially, one might assume this video's host is the type of touchy-feely, daily affirmationist that spawned Stuart Smalley. Billed on the box as one of the country's foremost "conflict resolution facilitators," who assisted in solving conflicts in Bosnia, Africa and Northern Ireland (I, myself, wouldn't put those on my resume), Dr. Dudley Weeks' vocation as itinerant professional peacebuilder (have granola, will travel) in a dysfunctional world screams for parody. But upon video viewing, the good doctor defies stereotype and his Eight Essential Steps to Conflict Resolution (derived from his 1992 eponymous book) appear to be a cogent paradigm for quelling disputes in just about any relationship or social situation. Conflict, we're told, is the natural result of diversity; it's only bad when we deal with it in an adversarial manner (hummm). Happy, high lonesome whistling, ala Slim Whitman, separates the video's segments which consist of Dr. Weeks imparting his cooperative methodology, coupled with conflict role-playing by British actors--whose accents, incongruous with the Big Sur-ish scenery behind the doctor, provide a continental flavor to the video. This is the type of sensitivity training tape a company, or library, might show employees on all-staff day. It also gets the Psych 101 seal of approval. Don't eject before the credits scroll, you'll miss Dr. Weeks' plaint folk song. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (W. Pierce)