SEEDS envisions a future in which all individuals, organizations and communities recognize conflict as an opportunity for positive growth – and have the skills and capacity to engage in effective dialogue and promote peaceful resolution of interpersonal and intergroup challenges and conflicts.

Toward this vision, SEEDS’ mission is to increase the capacity of individuals, groups, and organizations to build healthy relationships and to restore relationships in the face of conflict.

We do this through mediation, facilitation, training, and coaching. We develop programs, models, and competencies that help bridge cross-cultural and other differences. And we design our services to respond to the needs of the diverse communities we serve, reduce barriers to participation, and reach underserved communities.

SEEDS seeks to fulfill our mission through values-based practices:

We foster healthy relationships, communities, and institutional cultures rooted in dignity, respect, and self-determination.
We create spaces and opportunities for volunteers, community members, teachers, students, and co-workers to develop, use, and share the capacity to transform conflicts and (re)build relationships.
We support participants in working together respectfully to address shared problems and to develop mutually agreeable and effective solutions.
We aspire to facilitate restoration of all that has been lost through conflict, including trust, dignity, respect, self-determination, capacity for collaboration, and meaningful relationships.
We recognize and surface patterns of inequity, marginalization, and oppression in our work and among our participants and are committed to disrupting these patterns in our organization.
We build trust by recognizing the dignity of all individuals and serving them equitably in mediations and facilitated processes.
We seek to prevent conflict by fostering resilient relationships and building community.
We strive to ensure that our staff, board, and volunteers reflect the diverse communities we serve.