The MII TED Talk Club: Jonny Sun: You are not alone in your loneliness (14th April)
Register here: clr.ie/137293  (If you have previously registered for our TED Talk Club you do not need to register again).

In the MII TED Talk Club, we all watch a TED Talk live together online and then a panel of mediators discusses its relevance to mediators. The audience can join in, ask questions, come on screen. It’s fun, thought-provoking, reflective stuff. You’ll like it (everyone does) and anyone can join.

For April, we have chosen to watch this video from Jonny Sun: You are not alone in your loneliness

Being open and vulnerable with your loneliness, sadness and fear can help you find comfort and feel less alone, says writer and artist Jonny Sun. In an honest talk filled with his signature illustrations, Sun shares how telling stories about feeling like an outsider helped him tap into an unexpected community and find a tiny sliver of light in the darkness.

Join us after the Easter holidays on Tuesday 14th April at 1pm BST/Irish Time when our panel (Michael Lang in Florida, Jane Bouzek in Chicago, Ilona Kupp-Lieck in Bordeaux, Avril Sheridan and MII President Andrea O’Neill in Dublin) analyses why this TED Talk is relevant to mediators and anyone else concerned with conflict and conflict resolution and they will be asked questions such as:

Q. How might Sun’s emphasis on vulnerability as a pathway to connection challenge the traditional mediator stance of neutrality – particularly when parties feel deeply isolated or unheard?

Q. In conflicts where parties feel like ‘outsiders,’ how can mediators help them express these identities in ways that foster mutual understanding rather than deepen alienation?

Q. Given Sun’s insight into the dual nature of communication spaces, both connective and chaotic, how should mediators adapt when parties’ relationships have been shaped by online misunderstandings, fragmented communication, or digital hostility?

Register here: clr.ie/137293