Biography

Roberto M. Chené, M.A. is a private practitioner in Intercultural Leadership and Conflict Resolution from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Roberto has degrees in Philosophy, Theology, and has done post-graduate work in Social Welfare Policy at Brandeis University. He has many years of practice in the fields of mental health and education. He has deep roots and extensive experience in social justice work within the Chicano-Latino community. He has organized and been part of various multicultural coalitions. His work includes the exploration of the leadership and relationship building capacities that are integral to creating authentic intercultural community. From his point of view, the challenge we face today is to construct a paradigm of relationships where the differences are not reconciled through dominance as is dictated by the current diversity model but the differences are reconciled through negotiation and facilitated participation. Roberto is currently consulting and training with several organizations. Using an interactive participatory approach, he asks participants to consider how each of us, as learners, can creatively re conceptualize new models for framing intercultural relationships. The development of intercultural negotiation, mediation and facilitation skills accompanied by the active elimination of prejudice are required in order to build an engaged learning and work community. This approach to intra- and interpersonal understanding provides participants with the opportunity to reconstruct and enhance how we relate across our differences in order to truly and authentically collaborate for systemic change. Roberto is a former co-chair of the National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution. He has taught Latinos and Public Policy and Education Across Cultures at the University of New Mexico. He has worked with the Hispanic Research Center at the University of New Mexico and has been a consultant to the Hispanic Research Center at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. He has consulted with the program on Minority Graduate Education at ASU. Roberto was the director of the Adult Component of the Kellogg Foundation-funded Intercultural Community Leadership Project at Santa Fe Community College from 1990 through 1993. Roberto has worked as a private practitioner for twenty five years.