Dear Sara, There are always choices to be made in the course of conflict. Many of these choices are choices of action, but there are also choices of attitude. I can assume there are six choices necessary to bridge cultural conflict: 1. choosing to honor all experience. 2. choosing to listen (deep, respectful, and proactive listening). 3. choosing shared standards (this does not mean giving up on your own values, but modifying them to be more inclusive). 4. choosing a way forward. 5. choosing to care about people (about everyone involved, even those you disagree with), and finally 6. choosing authenticity (a commitment to an authentic relationship). Making these choices is choosing to resolve, rather than escalate, conflict. This is perhaps the most fundamental choice in conflict situations. If stakeholders do not want to resolve a conflict, resolution is impossible. Once stakeholders have decided to attempt resolution, there are numerous choices to be made, choices that either move towards or away from resolution. Conflict and culture dynamically influence each other in inseparable ways, and thus conflict resolution requires cultural understanding. Conflict is not inherently negative and can be a positive learning experience, but this is unlikely if its cultural underpinnings are not understood. Yours, Helmy Saber