Peace is a right, and a choice available to everyone.
I am Megan McKay, & I build peace.
Peace is a right, and a choice available to everyone – whether the problem exists internally, between two people, between communities, or between nations.
Conflict is the birth place of change, and with the right support, you can come out of conflict evolved, and learn to live within conflict in a peaceful way.
I am equal parts honored and excited to help assess your situation and design a process towards peace which fits your specific needs.
The beginning.
I got my start in peacebuilding in 2003 at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Ireland. It was eye-opening for a Canadian girl who grew up in rural Southern Alberta to witness guys involved in armed conflict make the effort to talk to the other side, and made me think that there was magic in the process.
I learned from facilitators there that I had a knack to comfortably step into the middle of the conflict with a combination of close listening, excellent memory, empathy and non-judgement.
I spent time in South Africa learning some revolutionary facilitation approaches and went back to Ireland many times, one of which was to research the practices at Glencree for my Graduate thesis for my Masters in Dispute Resolution from the University of Victoria in B.C. I then took my international experience and invested it at home, taking on leadership of the Provincial Court Civil Claims Mediation Program for Edmonton in 2011, and then an Advisory role with Municipal Affairs Dispute Resolution in 2014. I also continue to mediate Provincial Court Civil Claims and Family Disputes for Alberta Justice, and have been involved since 2003.
A unique approach.
Over the years, my practice has developed to meet client needs. I offer a unique combination of humour, efficiency, patience and practicality to every client.
I offer one-on-one conflict coaching, two person or large group mediation and facilitated dialogue processes, and large group conflict coaching. My offerings are always changing based on what I hear from clients, and draws on almost twenty years of experience acquiring skills and creative ideas to build peace. The first step is to reach out and let me know you’re interested.
My practice is also informed by the intensive personal development I have committed to, guided by the 2013 Yoga Development Course, a three month immersion at the Yasodhara Ashram in the Kootenays in B.C., and the transformative experience of becoming a mom in 2015.
Professional Association Membership: ADR Institute of Alberta
Roster Memberships: Civil Claims Mediation Roster and the Municipal Affairs Mediation
The Collaborators
These are people available to collaborate on peacebuilding projects. I have worked with them in the past and we share an alignment of values and understanding of the critical importance of peace.