Dinner Series: Navigating Interpersonal Conflict in a Globalized Workplace

CTL Dinner Series – Navigating Interpersonal Conflict in a Globalized Workplace

Thursday, October 20, 2022 from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

1233, 37th St NW (The Green House)

*Dinner will be served
If interested, please fill out a brief application form (new window) by Thursday, October 13 @ 5:00 pm; space is limited.

About the Speaker

Dr. John Barkat presently serves as the Mediator for the International Monetary Fund, reporting to the Managing Director. Previously, he served as Assistant Secretary-General heading the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services. In that role he served as a senior advisor reporting directly to the Secretary-General overseeing offices in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Bangkok, Santiago, Beirut, Entebbe and Goma.

He is an internationally recognized expert in the field of international mediation, consensus-building and preventive diplomacy. He is also widely recognized for his work on management and governance of international organizations, global workforce resilience, and private sector corporate social responsibility.

Dr. Barkat has served as a UN moderator and negotiator working directly with environmental and foreign ministers to achieve international consensus on the reduction of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—projected to reduce global warming by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius—which was ultimately agreed upon in October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda. He also presently serves on the UN Steering Committee for international religious leaders to develop a global strategy and action plan to help reduce incitement to violence caused by religious extremism. This resulted in a global agreement on a Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes, which was unveiled by the Secretary- General in July 2017 and is now in implementation phase internationally.

Within the United Nations system, he has served as Chair of an interagency working group on mental health issues. Under his leadership the group developed a system-wide Mental Health Strategy which was adopted in 2017/18 for the UN and related funds, agencies and programs. Additionally, he served as a champion on the issue of respectful treatment of all UN staff and related personnel. In recognition, the Secretary-General appointed him to head a task force to initiate a Civility Campaign for the UN. He also regularly works with the private sector on issues related to corporate social responsibility and has been a regular presenter at the International Corporate Citizenship Conference.

Dr. Barkat has taught at Columbia University’s International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution and is an honorary faculty at the University of Granada School of Law, in Granada Spain. He has also taught business management courses through the MBA program at the Pace University’s Graduate School of Business and other universities.

He has also had leadership roles in the Association for Conflict Resolution, served as former president of the International Ombudsman Association, and is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. In 2017, he was the recipient of the Front Line Champion Award, presented to those who have made a significant impact on the field of Mediation and who have helped others through their commitment to the effective practice of mediation.

Dr. Barkat received his Ph.D. from Columbia University, holds an M.P.A. from Pace University, and a B.A. from The King’s College. His recent article, Reaching for Ripeness: Promoting Negotiation Through Unilateral Conciliatory Action, is printed in the International Journal for Conflict Management and a profile of his life and career entitled, Three to Tango: Reflections of a Mediator, appears as a chapter in Evolution of a Field: Personal Histories in Conflict Resolution (DRI Press, 2020).