Conflict is inevitable. Rancor isn’t.
Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer Campus & Community Conflict is inevitable. Rancor isn’t. Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer February 18, 2025 4 min read ‘Disagree curiously,’ says undergrad nonprofit founder. And she’s not alone. Part of a series of profiles focused on community-led efforts to promote dialogue across campus. Shira Hoffer’s vocation is rooted in the family meetings her parents led at their New Hampshire home to deal with conflicts or hard topics. The four would sit on the couch around a bowl filled with M&Ms, which would slowly disappear as they talked. “I’m predisposed, you could say, to be invested in conflict resolution,” said Hoffer, a senior concentrating on social studies and religion. “Both my parents modeled for us how to give weight to different perspectives and exploring pros and cons and not writing things off immediately.” Hoffer leaned on those experiences when she launched the Hotline for Israel/Palestine shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks to foster productive...