The concept of conflict transformation was developed by John Paul Lederach and others working in the peace building movement. The premise of the framework diverges from the more mainstream concepts of conflict resolution and mediation in that conflict is viewed as an opportunity, rather than a singular negative event. The approach goes beyond negotiating solutions and focuses on building something new.

This was also Ms. Daniels' window into the global world, into other cultures, into other ways of being, but more importantly, led her to ways of connecting across culture, ways of understanding each other in deep respect, and methods of moving us through the misunderstandings that can create disconnection, mistrust, and eventually conflict.

Jen trained and worked over many decades with peacebuilders, nonviolent activists and social movement organizers at the School of International Training and Training for Change with teachers such as Dr. Paula Greene, Dr. Louise Diamond, Dr. Mohammed Abu-Nimer, George Lakey, Judith Jones, Erika Thorne. In Russia, Jen worked with Golubka (Dove).

Ms. Daniels' believes facilitation involves holding space as a a profound act of listening and scanning for language and body cues with an awareness of how the group evolves and shifts in their perspectives. Jen believes in the power of collective intelligence -- "the capacity of human communities to evolve towards a higher order complexity, harmony, and action."

Jen has spent a decade facilitating workshops with students from war-torn regions, Indigenous advocates committed to healing their communities, religious leaders weaving fractured communities back together, and community members relying on dialogue circles to find mutual understanding.

She is trained in and has employed a variety of modalities such as multi-stakeholder dialogues, inter-group dialogue, collaborative inquiry, Study Circles, the World Cafe and other participatory processes. And, with George Lakey and his crew at Training For Change who uses the direct education approach which 'challenges traditional education by confronting the beliefs, conflicts, and oppression that keep leaders and groups from being their most powerful'.

Inspired and mentored by giants in the field of social movements and emerging artists leading the way to social change and a much more inclusive storytelling, Ms. Daniels' has maintained a proximity to social movement spaces throughout her life that has spanned multiple cultures and countries.

Throughout her life she has always been surrounded by a counsel of female and femme elders, ancestors and co-conspirators that hold her accountability, bring her joy, love and challenge her to continue to question and challenge her perspectives.

Ms. Daniels' was inspired to study landscape architecture after reading a description of the field as the design of humans in their spaces. She had just spent over a decade in a dialogic, language-dependent modality, could it be achieved through spatial design as well? And, if so, how could these spaces impact our ability to work through conflict and build connection?

How people feel in a space and how they relate to one another can mean the difference between warm and open conversation to stilted and reserved flow.

Jen spent her years obtaining her Masters at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design studying under James Corner, Anita Berrizbeitia, Cindy Saunders and listening to the wisdom of mentors such as Diane Jones Allen and Walter Hood and Cornelia Oberlander.

Here is some of my built work.

Jen is a dancer.

She began studying classical ballet from the age of seven and grew up in the theatre performing in a regional ballet company. Throughout her nearly half-century in movement spaces in addition to ballet, she has studied a vast array of genres from Jazz, Hip-Hop, Improvisational, Contemporary, Modern, Bachata, Salsa, Kizomba, and other African styles. She has also worked with numerous choreographers.

The art of dance offers up a unique perspective about the quality of movement through space, and the potential to choreograph experience in a sensory and experiential way, interwoven with narrative and expression.

What is found in dance shows up in Jen's facilitation style.

Dance requires discipline but is also balanced with the immediacy of joyful creativity.

Movement informs us of leadership; the physical interplay of leading and following.

Being a dancer requires being attuned to ones' body, sensing others around you and learning how to read other bodies in the room, much like the facilitator must tune into the frequencies of the group dynamics.

Because, a group is emergent and physical.