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>> ACR Update, August 29, 2003 <<
Published by the Association for Conflict Resolution,
a merged organization of AFM, CREnet, and SPIDR
http://www.acresolution.org
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WELCOME TO ACR UPDATE!

ACR Update is sent on a regular basis to share important conflict
resolution news and organizational updates with our members. We encourage
you to scroll through the items listed below, and hope you'll find this
information useful. We look forward to your feedback!

OVERVIEW OF ARTICLES
August 29, 2003

[1] ACR Annual Conference: October 15-18, 2003
* Second Chance Registration deadline: September 18, 2003
* Hotel Reservation deadline for recently reduced conference rate: September 19, 2003
* Donate to the Silent Auction
* Call for Nominations Extended for ACR Awards
[2] ACR's Leadership in Quality Assurance
* Advanced Practitioner Workgroup Report
* Mediator Certification Task Force Report
[3] Board of Directors Election: Voting Begins September 1, 2003
[4] ACR Publications Update
*Call for Papers: Special Issue of Conflict Resolution Quarterly
* ACResolution Submissions
[5] ACR Sections Update
[6] ACR Chapters Update
[7] Quotes
[8] Message from Our Sponsor
* The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory: Increasing Competence across the Cultural Divide

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[1] ACR Annual Conference Update
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ACR's THIRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE: GEORGE MITCHELL TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS
"The World of Conflict Resolution: A Mosaic of Possibilities"
October 15-18, 2003
Orlando, Florida

REGISTER NOW!
Please visit our Web site, http://www.acresolution.org to register and to access information about the conference program, hotel fees and deadlines. Register by September 18, 2003 in order to take advantage of the Second Chance registration rate, and make your hotel reservations by September 19 to ensure you receive the conference room rate that was recently reduced to $135 per night. Members, if you don't remember your ACR ID number, you may leave this item blank on your registration form.

ACR is pleased to announce that former senator George J. Mitchell will present the closing keynote address at the 2003 ACR Annual Conference. Senator Mitchell (D-Maine) served for 15 years in the U.S. Senate and was the Majority Leader from 1985-1995. In the mid 1990s, Mitchell led the Clinton Administration's successful negotiations to achieve a peaceful political settlement in Northern Ireland and was nominated for the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in this effort. He currently chairs the Ethics Committee of the U.S. Olympic Committee and serves on the National Healthcare Commission and the International Crisis Group. Mitchell's early experience as a lawyer and judge, followed by his long and successful career in national and international diplomacy, make him a particularly appropriate speaker for an audience of conflict resolvers.

DONATE TO THE SILENT AUCTION AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE!
Own something unique, or don't have time to take that cruise that you have already paid for? Then think about donating your items to the Silent Auction. Receive a tax deduction, market your business and get a good feeling from giving. To learn more about the Silent Auction or to download a donation form click here: http://www.acresolution.org/research.nsf/key/AC03-SilentAuction.

Please plan to join us in Orlando in October for this exciting conference!

CALL FOR AWARD NOMINATIONS DEADLINE EXTENDED
The August 15th deadline has been extended to September 5th. Please feel free to e-mail your nominations for the following awards:

*ACR Peacemaker Award: mlang@mediate.com

*John M. Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award: dsaposnek@mediate.com

*The Mary Parker Follett Award: eneumeier@earthlink.net

*The Abner Award: winjerwin@aol.com

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[2] ACR's Leadership in Quality Assurance
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TASK FORCE ON MEDIATOR CERTIFICATION RELEASES INITIAL REPORT FOR MEMBER FEEDBACK
ACR's Task Force on Mediator Certification has developed an initial report and recommendations on an ACR certification process. This process will require more training and experience than traditional 40-hour minimum training programs, but less than that required by the Advanced Practitioner membership category. To read the initial report and offer your feedback to the Task Force, click here: http://www.acresolution.org/research.nsf/key/CertTF2003.

ADVANCED PRACTITIONER WORKGROUP SOLICITS MEMBER INPUT ON ITS REPORT
In 2002, the ACR Board appointed a Workgroup to develop standard criteria for ACR's "Advanced Mediation Practitioner" (AMP) membership category. As proposed, AMP membership status would be conferred only through those ACR Sections that have elected to establish such a membership category and have received approval from the ACR Board to implement it. The Advanced Practitioner Workgroup (APW) has developed a set of proposed criteria for ACR’s Advanced Mediation Practitioner membership category. Prior to formal submission for Board action, the APW invites ACR member review and comment. To do so, click here: http://www.acresolution.org/research.nsf/key/APWR2003.

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[3] ACR Board of Directors Election
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It's time for ACR's Second Board of Directors Election! In this election, members will select the incoming President-Elect and Vice President, and three new At-Large Directors.

ACR members who are eligible to vote (all membership categories except Associate and Organizational Affiliate) will receive ballots via e-mail (or via postal mail to members for whom ACR does not have a valid e-mail address) by September 1. Completed ballots may be submitted to ACR online, via fax or via postal mail, and must be completed online, faxed, or postmarked by October 1, 2003 in order to be counted as valid. The results of the election will be made public at the ACR Annual Conference in Orlando (October 15-18, 2003).

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[4] ACR Publications Update
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CALL FOR PAPERS: SPECIAL ISSUE OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION QUARTERLY:
"Training in ADR: Theoretical Foundations, Methods, and Needed Innovations" (Volume 22, no. 3)

Editors: Michael Lang (guest editor, and previous editor of Mediation Quarterly) and Tricia Jones (editor of CRQ).

This special issue will consider key questions about the nature of conflict resolution/ADR training, and will address as many areas of conflict practice as possible. Submissions from all practice areas are encouraged, including: family, community, courts, CRE, international, workplace, public policy, environmental, restorative justice, intractable conflict, spirituality, deep-rooted identity conflicts, etc.

Those interested in submitting an article for consideration should submit a one-page outline to the editors (mlang@mediate.com; tsjones@temple.edu) by December 1, 2003. The outline should identify the basic content of the proposed article and indicate briefly how the content addresses one or both of the key questions listed below:

1) How well is our training infusing the theories and knowledge about conflict processes in that area of conflict and practice? To what extent have trainers infused a critical understanding of the dynamics of the conflicts people are being trained to work with as well as knowledge and application of basic conflict and conflict resolution theories?

2) What training methodologies best exemplify the relationship between what is being taught and how it is being taught? Are trainers developing their courses in a way that allows them to “walk their talk” – to demonstrate in their approach to the training or course materials the same critical skills and professional values about which they are teaching? For example, do those who teach a facilitative style of mediation adopt a similar approach to the way they construct and present course material?

ACRESOLUTION SUBMISSIONS

ACResolution is ACR's flagship quarterly organizational magazine. Please consider submitting to the following departments.

Members in the News

Members in the News, a subsection of the magazine's In Brief section, is the place for you to update your fellow ACR members on recent developments in your life and professional career. Found a new job in the field? Appointed to a new position? Received an award? Write and tell us about it! Submissions should be no longer than 50 - 100 words, should be accompanied by a photo in JPEG or TIFF format, scanned at 300 dpi (you may send a photo hard copy if an electronic version is not available), and should note your ACR membership status and history. Please note that we can only include news about you once per volume (4 issues). Submissions received in September will go into the Fall 2003 or Winter 2004 issue of the magazine, depending on space availability.

Balancing Act

Balancing Act is a one-page department in the magazine focusing on members who are committed to developing themselves as whole persons, both inside and outside the workplace. Submissions of 500 to 600 words and photos should highlight an after-hours activity or hobby that enables you to feel centered and grounded outside of your busy life as an ADR professional. Please tell us about how this activity or hobby revitalizes you, helps you achieve balance in your personal life, feeds your intellect, and nurtures your soul. If you would like to present an idea for Balancing Act, please send us a short paragraph describing your hobby. If selected, we will then ask you to write a full page.

Learning Matters

We are always looking for short articles that discuss various aspects of conflict resolution education in schools, colleges, and other environments. If you have an experience to share, please let us know.

Diversity Practices

This section of the magazine is devoted to best practices in diversity and conflict resolution and highlights innovative strategies for effectively responding to conflict within our increasingly diverse community. (For this department only, send submissions to Contributing Editor Dr. Benjamin Reese at reesources1@aol.com.)

Please send all submissions to ACResolution's Managing Editor, Mark Sawchuk, at msawchuk@acresolution.org, accompanied by your complete name, contact information, and primary professional title.

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[5] ACR Sections Update
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ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC POLICY SECTION: Diversity Mentoring Program

The Environment and Public Policy Section (EPP Section) is establishing a diversity mentoring program that will pair experienced environmental and public policy practitioners, program managers and nonprofit, local, state, and federal staff who lead collaboratives, with individuals from under-represented ethnic and racial groups interested in careers in environmental and public policy dispute resolution. Participation in the EPP Section's diversity mentoring program could provide talented minority ADR professionals one bridge to careers as ACR neutrals.

The EPP Section has had increasing diversity in the environmental conflict resolution field (“ECR”) on its agenda since the mid-1990s; its commitment to diversity was highlighted at the Section’s mid-year conference and will be a focus of its meetings at the ACR Annual Conference.

For information on the history of the EPP Section’s diversity commitment, and about barriers and ways to create opportunities, go to http:// www.acresolution.org; click on “Sections,” “Environment and Public Policy Section,” and then “Diversity Discussion.”

For more information about this new project, contact:

Juliana Birkhoff
8396 Idylwood Rd.
Vienna, VA 22182
Work: (202) 965 6390
Home: (703) 560 6304
jbirkhoff@igc.org

FAMILY SECTION CONTINUES MEDIATION TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS

The Family Section will continue to offer scholarships for mediation training for at least one year. The Rudy and Denise van Daalen Wetters Mediation Training Scholarship Fund was established with an initial donation of $5,000 by the couple for whom the scholarship was named. The remaining funds will soon be exhausted, since several scholarships have been granted. Several mediation trainers have made in-kind donations by discounting their training fees for scholarship recipients. The Family Section's Diversity Committee will continue to administer the scholarship and would be happy to accept donations to the fund. For detailed information, search the ACR Web site using the keywords “training scholarship.”

INTERNATIONAL SECTION

This is an important and exciting time for the International Section, as world events raise the awareness of conflict resolution across the globe. The International Section has a steadily growing membership, which now represents twenty-six countries and a wide range of practices. To serve this growth and interest, the Section is rapidly increasing its member services and opportunities for member involvement.

The Section is pleased to announce that its updated newsletter, ACR International Section News, will now be published regularly for its members. Each issue will highlight articles on different countries or regions of the world, and reflect the broad range of conflict management and resolution tools being used around the globe. The first issue of the updated newsletter includes articles and news from Brazil, Europe, the Asia Pacific region and India. The Section also is working to expand the content and resources for members on its Web page and strengthen its ties to other ACR Sections and areas of practice through its new Advisory Committee. If you are a member of both the International Section and another ACR Section, and are interested in participating in the International Section's Advisory Committee as a liaison to that Section, please contact your Section Chairs and let them know of your interest.

The International and Consumer Sections will hold a joint reception in Orlando on October 15, the evening before the 2003 ACR Conference begins. At the reception, presentations will be given on the state of conflict resolution in different countries of the world. On the morning of October 16, the International Section will hold its annual meeting (with a continental breakfast) to plan activities and objectives for the next year.

If you are interested in joining the International Section, please contact ACR's Membership Development Coordinator, Cherise Alley, at calley@acresolution.org. The cost is $10 per year.

RESEARCH SECTION

The Research Section's meeting at the ACR Annual Conference has been rescheduled. The Research Section meeting will be held Friday, October 17, 2003 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. Because this is the lunch hour, there are very few other sessions scheduled. A box lunch will be provided. Because the meeting is scheduled in a one-hour slot, Research Section members are encouraged to obtain their lunches and move to the meeting room as quickly as possible. The meeting can continue during the roundtable that will be held immediately thereafter (unfortunately, in another room - space allocations are tight). That roundtable will also include a discussion regarding interdisciplinary collaboration, based on recent experience with several interdisciplinary conferences. Active participation by Section members and others is encouraged.

Research Section Co-Chair James Levy found it necessary to resign his post in April due to other professional and personal commitments. Bob Ackerman continues to serve as Chair, and has made several new committee appointments.

Appointments to date include:

Learning Networks Committee: Julianna Birkhoff, Chair. Tricia Jones (Editor-in-Chief of Conflict Resolution Quarterly) and Guy Burgess (CRInfo) will also serve on this committee.

Next Generation Research Committee: Douglas Yarn and Gregory Jones, Co-Chairs.

Ethics Committee: Nancy Welsh, Chair.

Nominations Committee: Christopher Honeyman, Chair. Bobbi McAdoo also serves on this committee.

Several committee positions (including Chairs) remain open. It is the Section Chair's goal for each Section member to be actively involved in the work of at least one committee. So please contact Bob Ackerman (bxa9@psu.edu) regarding your interests.

Symposium Papers: In April, the Section co-sponsored (along with Penn State's Dickinson School of Law and the Broad Field Project) a symposium titled Dispute Resolution and Capitulation to the Routine: Is There a Way Out? Papers from this well-received symposium will be published in the Penn State Law Review this fall.

SPIRITUALITY SECTION

The Spirituality Section would like to remind everyone attending the 2003 ACR Annual Conference in Orlando to come to the "sacred space" hosted by Section members on Friday, October 17. The Section also will provide yoga and other surprises.

WORKPLACE SECTION ANNOUNCES ADVANCED PRACTITIONER DESIGNATION INFORMATIONAL CONFERENCE CALL

Please join the Workplace Section for a unique opportunity to find out how you can distinguish yourself as an Advanced Practitioner Workplace Mediator.

ACR's Workplace Section extends an invitation to join a conference call to find out how you can apply for and receive the recently-approved (by the ACR Board) Advanced Practitioner Workplace Mediator designation. John Settle and Erika Gray, Co-Chairs of the Workplace Section Advanced Practitioner Designation Committee, will discuss the benefits and value to mediators and corporate and government agency program managers. Please visit http://www.acresolution.org/research.nsf/key/workplaceAPD to review the qualifications and download an application to begin this process.

Call details: Friday, September 19, 2003, 2:00 p.m. Eastern/11:00 a.m. Pacific. You may call in from anywhere, and the cost is only your long-distance charges for a 55-minute telephone call.

To participate, e-mail Stephen Kotev at skotev@acresolution.org by September 12, 2003. In your e-mail, please include your full name, organization, name, title, location, e-mail address and phone number (unless you request otherwise, your contact information will be shared with others on the call) and any questions or concerns you would like addressed during the call. You will receive the dial-in number by e-mail to confirm your participation in the call prior to the call. The Section looks forward to hearing you on the call.

If you can't attend this conference call and want to know more, the Workplace Section is sponsoring a special session on this Advanced Practitioner Designation at the ACR Conference on Friday, October 18, 2003, at 4:45PM, Session 6.18.

Regular Workplace Section Conference Calls and Advanced Practitioner Designation are benefits developed for you by ACR's Workplace Section. E-mail Stephen Kotev at skotev@acresolution.org to join the Workplace Section or visit http://www.acresolution.org/research.nsf/key/sections to download the Section Invoice form.

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[6] ACR Chapters Update
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DALLAS CHAPTER CO-SPONSORED 3RD ANNUAL KIDS IN COURT PROGRAM AND KICKS OFF FALL SCHEDULE

On Tuesday, September 23rd, the Dallas Chapter will present the 2nd Annual Judges Panel. This will be an opportunity for people to hear area judges discuss current trends, both positive and negative, in the field of conflict resolution. Members will also have an opportunity to address the court with their questions and concerns about the present state of mediation. Janet R. Randle, Esq., will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. Members with questions for the panel should e-mail them to ACR-Dallas President Sheikha Hobeiche prior to the meeting (sheikha@hobeiche-mediation.us). The program will be held Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at the Center for Community Cooperation, 2900 Live Oak, near downtown, from 5:30 P.M.-7:30 P.M. A light meal will be served. There is no charge for members and a $5.00 charge for guests. RSVP no later than Sunday, September 21, 2003 to ACR-Dallas President Sheikha Hobeiche (sheikha@hobeiche-mediation.us). This meeting will also address the future leadership of the Dallas ACR Chapter. Nominations Chair Jane Stephenson will introduce the new recommended officers and board members to the membership.

The Chapter co-sponsored a program on August 7th to give young people in the Dallas area an awareness of how the U.S. court system works. Children participated in role-play and explored alternatives to litigation with ACR-Dallas volunteers.

ACR-CENTRAL CALIFORNIA HOLDS MONTHLY MEETING AND CO-SPONSORS AREA CONFERENCE
ACR-Central California Board member Tony Redfern will speak about his international work experience at the Chapter's monthly meeting on September 8, 2003. The Chapter meets every other month, usually around the second Monday of the month and unless stated otherwise, at the Wang's Panda Restaurant, 2814 N. Maroa Ave., Fresno, California at 12:00 p.m. Please contact Ian Walke, Central California Chapter President at walke@sierratel.com for more information.

The Chapter also will co-sponsor the 10th Annual Restorative Justice Conference, titled "Violence and the Journey towards Restoration," with Fresno Pacific University Peace and Conflict Studies Department. The conference will take place in Fresno November 14-15, 2003, with pre-conference training on November 13. Registration fees: $70 before November 1, 2003 (includes refreshments and Saturday lunch); $80 on or after November 1, 2003; $25 for students or those over 60 years of age. To register, e-mail pacs@fresno.edu or call 800-909-8677.

ACR-NEW ENGLAND TO HOLD REGIONAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The New England Chapter of ACR (NE-ACR) will hold its Annual Conference November 13-14, 2003 on "Beyond Dispute to the Conflict" with Keynote Speaker Bernie Mayer, Ph.D., ACR Board Director and author of Dynamics of Conflict Resolution: A Practitioner's Guide. Please visit http://www.neacr.org for more information.

ACR-NEW ENGLAND TO HOLD MEETING FEATURING ERIC GREEN
Eric Green, a national ADR leader, will be the featured speaker at the NE-ACR member meeting scheduled for Wednesday, September 3 in Boston. Professor Green, founder of the Boston firms JAMS/Endispute, Inc., and Resolutions LLC, is best known as the Microsoft mediator and for inventing the mini-trial and applying it and other forms of mediation to cases involving complicated issues of law, fact and science. He will speak from 5-7p.m. on "Mediating the Impossible High Stakes, Complex 'Bet-the Business' Case–Microsoft, Enron/Arthur Andersen, Mastercard/Visa and the Mega Torts." For more information, please visit http://www.neacr.org/meeting.htm or call 617-53-NEACR (617-536-3227).

JOIN AN ACR CHAPTER TODAY!
Below is a list of ACR Chapters by country, state and region. Contact information for each Chapter may be found on the ACR Web site, http://www.acresolution.org (click "Go to Chapters"). Please contact Chapter presidents for information about their region.

Don't see a Chapter listed in your area? To learn how to form a new ACR Chapter, please contact Amanda Andere at aandere@acresolution.org.

CANADA
British Columbia

UNITED STATES
Arizona
California - Central
California - Los Angeles
California - Northern
California - San Diego
Chicago
Colorado
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Maryland
Michigan - Southeast
Minnesota
New England
New Jersey
North Carolina
New York - Greater Metro
South Carolina
Texas - Dallas/Fort Worth
Texas - Houston
Virginia

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[7] Quotes
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Corn can't expect justice from a court composed of chickens. -- African Proverb

“It's a question of discipline,” the little prince told me later on. “When you've finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet.” -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince, 1943, translated from the French by Richard Howard

We need to restore the full meaning of that old word, duty. It is the other side of rights. -- Pearl Buck

Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him. -- Booker T. Washington

What you don't see with your eyes, don't witness with your mouth. -- Jewish Proverb

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[8] Message from Our Sponsor
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The Intercultural Conflict Style Inventory:
Increasing Competence across the Cultural Divide

September 19-20, 2003
Hilton Hotel, Gaithersburg, MD (Washington DC area)
For information and registration, contact:
Hammer Consulting Group
Email: dihammer@msn.com
Phone: 301-330-5589

The ability to effectively respond to cultural differences in conflict style is critically important. In this 2-day workshop, participants will learn about the Intercultural Conflict Style (ICS) model and ICS Inventory for identifying core approaches for resolving cultural conflicts and the five cross-cultural skill sets for effectively bridging intercultural conflict style differences. This workshop is presented by Dr. Mitchell Hammer, Principal of Hammer Consulting Group and Professor of International Peace and Conflict Resolution at American University.

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A 10-line, 100-word, text ad costs just $150! For more information,
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Resolution! Immediate Benefits: See
http://www.acresolution.org/research.nsf/MemberCenter!OpenView
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http://acresolution.org
Copyright 2003, Association for Conflict Resolution
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Association for Conflict Resolution
(a merged organization of AFM, CREnet and SPIDR)
1015 18th St., NW Suite 1150
Washington, DC 20036
Tel.: 202-464-9700
Fax: 202-464-9720
E-mail: acr@acresolution.org
Web: http://www.acresolution.org