Toward a Fourth Culture: Dialogue, Healing, and Collective Well-Being

Conflict shapes not only ideas but also the health of individuals and communities. Its psychosocial and physiological effects — from stress and defensiveness to anxiety and fractured trust — impact resilience and well-being. Dialogue provides a way forward by reducing division and fostering a “fourth culture”: a shared space that emerges when people engage across difference with openness, curiosity, and care.

Well-being practices strengthen conflict readiness by supporting regulation and grounding. When integrated into dialogue, they help participants respond to conflict in healthier ways while sustaining a culture of collective well-being within the dialogue space.

This 90-minute session weaves together dialogue theory, a Canadian national dialogue case study, and resiliency practices. Participants will learn how dialogue can transform conflict and contribute to healing, resilience, and stronger campus communities.

Audience: Student, Faculty, Staff leaders

Facilitator: Alicia Kuin, Dialogue Facilitator and Conflict Management Consultant

Registration required: Contact epcinfo@yorku.ca for information.