How to solve violence and restore relationships was discussed by ombudsmen at a meeting at UWB

Effective conflict resolution, working with victims of violence, dynamics and restoration of relationships in the university environment. This was not only discussed by the participants of the School Ombuds Platform colloquium at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, who met for the fourth time.

"My job is to protect the rights of those potentially at risk of discriminatory behavior within the institution. It is possible to turn to me if some form of violation of social security may have occurred at UWB, that is, for example, discrimination, unequal treatment, bullying, aggression or sexualized and gender-based violence," Petr Šimon, the ombudsman at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (UWB), described his work.

The Ombudsperson is the person in charge of dealing with situations involving unethical behavior, mediating disputes and conflicts within the organization, providing assistance to anyone who contacts him/her in the area of social safety, and last but not least, overseeing the creation and maintenance of social safety in the academic environment. As part of this issue, a School Ombuds Platform Clearinghouse was held on 16 and 17 January at UWB, subtitled How to approach notifications? Perspectives and challenges in ombuds practice.

"Based on the 2023 survey, we found that only six of the nineteen universities have dedicated positions on social security and equal opportunities. Today, almost every university in the country has an ombudsman or a person in a similar position," said Klára Cozlová Čmolíková, head of the Gender Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Department at the Academy of Fine Arts and an external crisis interventionist. "Working with people in a university environment is still not perceived as crucial. Therefore, I believe that we should ensure equality and quality. Setting a common direction and ethical values, ensuring the quality of our work and also having enough resources are key," she added.

The meeting at UWB was another step in the process of establishing ombudsmen at Czech universities, where there are currently more than 50 ombudsmen and ombudswomen of the rights of students and employees. The agenda that these positions bring places high demands on ombudsmen - from the choice of appropriate procedures to professional insight to effective communication. The colloquium focused on sharing best practices, reflecting on different approaches and specific challenges such as contracting - that is, setting realistic expectations and collaboration between ombudsmen, clients and institutions.

The programme of the colloquium included presentations by renowned experts in mediation, restorative justice and ombuds practice. Veronika Lovrits and Brent Epperson from the University of Luxembourg presented the Empathy, Attention, and Respect Approach (EAR) method for effective conflict resolution. Kristýna Pešáková from the SPONDEA organisation, Alice Koubová from the Institute of Philosophy of the CAS and Petra Masopust Šachová from the Institute for Restorative Justice offered perspectives on working with victims of violence, the dynamics of relationships in the so-called "drama triangle" (victim, persecutor, rescuer, ed.) and the restoration of relationships.

Participants also discussed the amendment to the Higher Education Act, which has an impact on the positions of ombudsmen and overall policy in the field of higher education. "Our goal was to help ombudsmen better understand the complex situations they deal with in their work and to offer them tools for solutions," Jaroslav Šotola, chair of the School Ombudsmen Platform (ŠOP), summarized the event.

If you have been a victim of sexual or gender-based violence, intimidation, aggression, bullying or discrimination, you can file a complaint with the UWB Ombudsman. Witnesses who were present at the event can also file a complaint. The necessary contacts and further information can be found here.