What Is CICR (cicr-icrc.ca) and What Does It Offer?

CICR is the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution, a Canadian training and intervention organization that has operated since 1988. It teaches conflict resolution, mediation, facilitation, and community dialogue using a "Third-Party Neutral" approach, and it also provides direct intervention services. It is worth a closer look if you are a manager, leader, practitioner, or organization in Canada (or working with Canadian teams) that wants practical conflict skills rather than theory alone.

What CICR actually does

The site positions CICR as "the go-to place for conflict resolution training in Canada." Two broad service lines sit behind that claim:

• Training — certificate programs and workshops, plus customized training built for a specific team.
• Intervention services — coaching, mediation, group and workplace facilitation, and training delivered by experienced practitioners.

Its stated audience spans managers, leaders, practitioners, and organizations, and it says it is trusted by governments, unions, and frontline teams across Canada and abroad. The teaching method is described as experiential, transformative, and recognized, led by expert practitioners.

The training programs

The programs page lists several distinct offerings. The main ones:

If you want a credential, the 160-hour Third-Party Neutral certificate is the flagship. If you want a short, low-commitment introduction, the one-day immersion is the entry point. The 3-day Identity-Based Conflict Seminar sits between them for practitioners who want to work on how identity shapes conflict.

Intervention and team services

Beyond open courses, CICR offers:

• Coaching for individuals
• Mediation between parties
• Group and workplace facilitation
• Customized training designed around how a specific team works through conflict

The site describes the customized training as "practitioner-led" and "lasting." This is the path to consider if your organization has an ongoing or recurring conflict issue rather than an individual who wants a certificate.

Community services

Some services are delivered by volunteers through Community Conflict Resolution Ottawa (CCRO), covering mediation, facilitation, and coaching in the National Capital Region. This is a separate, community-facing channel from the paid organizational work, and it is worth noting if you are in Ottawa and looking for lower-cost or volunteer-based support.

Events and membership

CICR runs Communities of Practice, speaker events, graduation, and an AGM. Two examples shown on the page:

• A Community Dialogue on Peace Education with Peace Train Canada — a free community dialogue on bringing peace education into Canadian classrooms, facilitated by CICR, Oct 30, 2026, 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at St. Andrew's Hall, Ottawa.
• Embodied Conflict Resolution – Deepening our Practitioner Work — Oct 31–Nov 7, 2026, at CICR, 150 Isabella Street, Ottawa. This one is ticketed and tied to a membership offer.

These events are a low-cost way to sample the approach before committing to a certificate.

How to decide whether to go further

• You want a recognized credential in conflict resolution → look at the 160-hour Third-Party Neutral certificate.
• You want a quick introduction → the one-day "Dealing with Conflict" immersion.
• Your team has a live conflict problem → the intervention services (mediation, facilitation, coaching) or customized training.
• You are in Ottawa and want community-level support → CCRO's volunteer services.
• You want to test the fit first → attend a community dialogue or speaker event.

One caveat: the page does not publish prices or registration requirements for the certificate programs, so cost and eligibility need to be confirmed directly through the site's program pages or by contacting CICR. The events listed do show dates and locations, which makes them the easiest first step to verify.