Volunteers are vital to the success of the Conflict Resolution Center. With their help, neighbors and families find peaceful resolution. The volunteers gain something too, recognizing that conflict resolution work is richly rewarding and helpful in their own relationships and community.

People considering becoming a volunteers will need excellent communication skills, a commitment to respect exchanges between people, an ability to assist people in solving their problems, basic computer skills and the ability to maintain confidentiality and impartiality. We particularly encourage people who speak languages in addition to English to apply. You must be 18 years or older to apply. Please contact our center at BCRC@bellevuewa.gov to apply to become a volunteer.

Training

24-hr Conciliation Training: 2025 Session Dates TBA.

This free training is a prerequisite to volunteering with our program. As a volunteer conciliator, you will assist callers in understanding their issues, exploring options and developing strategies for problem resolution. In this training, you will learn conflict theory, advanced communication skills, negotiation, conflict coaching, and procedural tools.
If you would like to participate in the 2025 conciliator training, please send an email to BCRC@bellevuewa.gov. If you have any additional questions, call (425) 452 - 2897.

Community Events / Training

BCRC partners with the King County Library System to offer workshops and events to build skills in the areas of listening, challenging conversations, civil discourse, and cross-cultural communication. Workshops are held at libraries around Bellevue. Please Email us at BCRC@BellevueWA.gov for further details and scheduling information.

Art of Listening : In this 4-week workshop series you will learn how to be a more artful, peaceful, and attentive listener, and have the experience of being truly listened to. Registration is recommended as classes fill quickly. Advanced Art of Listening: want to practice your advanced listening skills with others? Do you want to discuss some communication issues you have before getting together with friends and family? If you have already received training in the Art of Listening workshops or wish to advance your listening skills in other ways, please join us!

Art of Challenging Conversations: In this four-week workshop, practice skills for engaging in challenging conversations, which include assessment of the issue, initiating, choosing words carefully, hearing the other, negotiating an outcome and deciding on next steps. This is a workshop to help you learn how to keep the peace when discussing a heated topic.

Cross-cultural Communication: Bellevue and Kirkland are home to highly diverse residents living next door to each other and working alongside each other. Many conflicts arise from people from different cultures not understanding the perspectives, assumptions, lifestyles, and communication styles of one another. We help participants get inside the thinking and communication of other cultures, hopefully coming to appreciate the differences and strengths. Videos from our cross-cultural communication trainings are available:

Communication opportunities

Conflict Resolution Volunteer