MARION LITTLE: Victoria & Suburbs

Marion Little, BA Linguistics, MA Dispute Resolution, is the Executive Director for Threshold Housing Society, providing transitional housing for youth at risk of homelessness on Vancouver Island. Marion is a communication skills instructor at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy, and she is a Past-President of the BC Network for Compassionate Communication. For over 10 years she has regularly contributed to various community initiatives including parent education, teacher training, restorative justice social skills for youth, and the Canadian Red Cross' nationally acclaimed 'RespectEd' violence prevention programs.

Since 1990, Marion's academic interests have focused on language-use, power dynamics, and empathy development during conflict. From 2006-2008, she led research projects in San Diego CA and Vancouver BC schools assessing the impact of a model called Nonviolent Communication on bullying, self-esteem, and school climate. The research teams are now submitting papers to academic journals for publication. Marion's recent Master's thesis "Total Honesty/Total Heart: Fostering conflict resolution skills and empathy development" was nominated for the 2008 Lieutenant Governor's Silver Medal at the University of Victoria. Marion offers dynamic professional development presentations and workshops on request.