National Contact: Sharon Pickett 301-365-9307
Local Contact: Alan Wiener 858-538-3300

Alternative Dispute Resolution Experts to Meet in San Diego Aug. 21 - 24, 2002

More than 1200 experts in alternative dispute resolution will gather in San Diego from August 21-24 for the annual meeting of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR). Participants will share ideas and strategies to help promote the peaceful resolution of conflict. The conference will attract mediators, arbitrators, educators and other conflict resolution practitioners from across the nation and around the world.

The keynote address (8/22 – 9:00 AM) will be given by Arun Gandhi, grandson of the late Mahatma Gandhi and co-founder of the Gandhi Institute for Non-Violence.

Nearly 200 conference sessions will then focus on topics including:

• Conflicts emanating from the September 11 crisis

• Prevention of violence on school campuses, and the resolution of disputes by and between youth

• Commercial, consumer and online dispute resolution

• Court-connected alternative dispute resolution

• Cross-cultural disputes

• Environmental and public policy disputes

• Family, neighborhood, and community conflicts

• Government and international dispute resolution

• Health care disputes

• Religious conflicts and the role of spirituality in conflict resolution

• Workplace and other organizational disputes
  

The conference is open to the public and will be held at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center. Additional information, including the conference program, speaker biographies and registration information, is available on the ACR Web site or by calling ACR at 202.464.9700.

The Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. with more than 6000 members across the nation and around the world. ACR was formed in 2001 through the merger of the Academy of Family Mediators (AFM), the Conflict Resolution Education Network (CREnet) and the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution (SPIDR).

The San Diego Chapter of ACR (ACR-San Diego) is comprised of mediators, arbitrators, educators and others who practice or support Alternative Dispute Resolution in the greater San Diego area. ACR-San Diego was initially formed in 1987 as the San Diego Chapter of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution (SPIDR). For more information, see the Chapter Web site at www.ACR-SanDiego.org, or call 858.538.3300.

MEDIA INVITED TO ATTEND FREE OF CHARGE. INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.
San Diego News Event: Aug. 21-24
Talk Shows/ Speaker Interviews—any time

(08/20/2002)