Upcoming Events

Join us for an informal evening colloquium on

Friends, Enemies & Stories

Victoria House, Level 3, 23 Victoria St East, Auckland Central
12 August 2026 · 5:30-7:30 pm

Places are limited.
Register your interest by emailing: deborah@goodpractice.org.nz

or register your interest online: https://FriendsEnemiesStories.as.me/:

A conversation with Andrew Ladley

Disputes are rarely only about facts. They are also about stories: who belongs, who is trusted, who is seen as friend or enemy, and how those stories shape the possibilities for resolution.

Join us for an informal evening with Dr Andrew Ladley as he explores one of the central ideas emerging from his current research.

About Andrew

Dr Andrew Ladley holds a PhD in Legal Anthropology from the London School of Economics. He has worked internationally as an adviser and mediator on conflict and governance, including with the United Nations and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva. He has held academic appointments at the National University of Singapore and Victoria University of Wellington, where he also served as Director of the Institute of Policy Studies.

Topic:

At all levels (personal, commercial, international), disputes may concern contested facts, rights, positions and interests. But, especially when disputes move into conflicts, they are also often about stories. These may include histories, justifications, and key matters of identity and decision-making: who belongs, who is trusted, who is friend or enemy, who makes decisions, how, why. Many factors, including stories, shape the possibilities for more fighting, and/or negotiation, mediation, pausing issues without full settlement (sometimes indefinitely, as in N - S Korea), and finding paths forward… to somewhere.

Drawing on multidisciplinary fields, and some personal, published and international examples, Andrew will introduce a framework that helps him (at least) better understand disputes/conflict and look for factors that might shape the options and directions of travel.

Participants will receive a selection of short readings beforehand to illustrate the issues. At least one contemporary example of conflict/negotiation (Iran) will be referenced. This will be an interactive presentation/discussion.

Venue: Chambers of Deborah Manning, Auckland CBD

Places: Those interested should please express such to deborah@goodpractice.org.nz or register your interest here https://FriendsEnemiesStories.as.me/:  For space reasons and to encourage discussion, please note that only about 10 participants will be invited. In the event that there is wider interest, the colloquium may be repeated or expanded to cover related issues.

Investment: $85 per person (includes refreshments and pre-reading).

Who might be interested?This conversation should appeal to lawyers, mediators, judges, academics, postgraduate students, policy professionals and anyone with an interest in conflict, negotiation, professional judgement and decision-making.

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