Keeping our Cool

Keeping Our Cool was an innovative civic mediation initiative at COP26 in Glasgow which contributed to the successful running of this major international event.

Further below you will find a downloadable link to our final report, which describes the rationale for the initiative; details how it was organised; explains the civic mediation approach and how the team operated; and provides details of some situations which the team worked on.

As well as providing some sense of the range of demonstrations, marches and campaign events which took place in Glasgow’s cities and squares across the days of COP26, the report highlights the key learning from Keeping Our Cool and the benefits of the civic mediation approach during protests.

Through the initiative, team members:

provided a calming presence, contributing to the likelihood that COP26 would proceed peacefully and positively
directly assisted people around a range of communication issues and problems
made direct and positive interventions in situations where misunderstandings, conflicts and tensions were developing, helping to resolve and de-escalate these

By bringing together mediators from across Scotland (and some from further afield) for this joint initiative, Keeping Our Cool helped to build professional relationships and networks. It has contributed to a growing tradition of civic mediation in the country, which it is expected will be usefully applied to other issues and situations over the coming months and years.

Report-on-Keeping-Our-Cool-Initiative Download

To find out more about this initiative, please contact Abdul Rahim, Senior Practitioner, by email: abdul@centreforgoodrelations.com

Click on the video clip below and view from 3m47s for an interview by Abdul Rahim sharing his perspective on the role of Keeping Our Cool practitioners during COP26: