NW Collaborative
Futures Conference

Choosing Peace Over Justice: A Family Schism in the MAGA Moment

This presentation recounts one very personal conflict with two siblings who challenged my right to vote in the 2020 US election. I am a dual US and Canadian citizen, having called Canada home for the last two decades. In 2020, I forfeited my right to vote as the most viable path to peace. While the forfeiture of my vote resolved the legal conflict, the personal conflict persists. The emotional borders have been drawn for safety. The walls are up with no will to dismantle them. As a mediator and a member of a once-upon-a-time family, I am working through the grief and the options for peace on this side of the wall.

Speaker: Lori Charvat
Principal & CEO, Sandbox Consulting, LTD.

Lori Charvat is an experienced mediator, facilitator, consultant, leadership and team coach. She trained as a lawyer and holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Laws (LL.M) in dispute resolution. Seeing the workplace as a “community,” Lori incorporates principles of justice and equity with her passion for organizational development to support mutual accountability, connection and sustainability. Lori’s clients include large, complex organizations in post-secondary education, government, health care, and crown corporations as well as start-ups and not-for-profits. 

In addition to her work with Sandbox, Lori serves on the board of the College of Veterinarians of BC and as a committee member with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC. She is also the Past Chair of the board of Mediate BC.