ACR Update, January 9, 2006
Published by the Association for Conflict Resolution,
a merged organization of AFM, CREnet and SPIDR
http://www.ACRnet.org

WELCOME TO ACR UPDATE—the monthly e-newsletter sharing important conflict resolution news and organizational updates with ACR members. Your feedback is welcome!

To view this issue online, go to: http://www.ACRnet.org/publications/acrupdate.htm

OVERVIEW OF ARTICLES
 January 9, 2006

  1. ACR's Sixth Annual Conference: Call for Proposals Open Until January 9; Philadelphia Here We Come!

  2. ACR Solicits Member Comments on Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (RUAA)

  3. Membership News: Job Bank to become full-service CareerCenter; Special Membership Offer

  4. Section News: Environment and Public Policy, Family, Spirituality and Workplace Sections

  5. Chapter News

  6. Quotations

  7. Message from our Sponsor: Mediate.com
1. ACR's Sixth Annual Conference: Call for Proposals Open Until January 9; Philadelphia Here We Come!

2006 Annual Conference Proposals Accepted Online Until January 15, 2006

ACR requests proposals for its Sixth Annual Conference, to be held October 25-28, 2006 in Philadelphia, PA. Online submission of proposals for workshops began December 1, 2005, and closes January 15, 2006.  Please visit our website at http://www.ACRnet.org/conferences/ac06/index.htm to submit your proposal! 

Philadelphia Here We Come!

We in the Greater Delaware Valley Chapter are delighted to be the hosts for ACR’s 2006 Annual Conference, between October 25 and 28, in Philadelphia. As residents of this historic and exciting region, we know that all attendees can anticipate a fun-filled as well as educational visit, and we want to do everything possible to ensure this outcome.

Toward this end, via ACR Update, we will provide all Annual Conference participants with the information they will need to maximize their Philadelphia experience in whatever time they will have available for it. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of everyone doing their own planning before they arrive because there is so much to do and so little time in which to do it—even if you decide to extend your trip at either or both ends of the Annual Conference.  Furthermore, many of the most popular attractions require advance reservations (and in the case of our best restaurants, these reservations should be made many weeks in advance).

In subsequent issues of ACR Update leading up to the Annual Conference, we will write about many different aspects of the city and its surrounding region, focusing on the likely interests of attendees and our hope that they will bring their family members and friends. We will briefly highlight a wide range of topics, including:

  • Philadelphia’s key role in American and world history (and how you can re-live some of it today);

  • Our many world-renowned entertainment and sports venues;

  • Different sightseeing and tour opportunities for both the city and region, including how to “do it yourself,” because Philly is one of the most walkable cities in the world;

  • Our many outstanding dining and drinking establishments;

  • Shopping for bargains and for that one-of-a-kind upscale item you simply must bring home;

  • Unique Philadelphia experiences like the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the National Constitution Center, Reading Terminal Market and the Mummers Museum and regional ones such as the Winterthur Museum and Gardens, Longwood Gardens and Valley Forge National Historic Park;

  • Our many other world-class museums; and

  • How to get around easily and safely from the central location of the Annual Conference hotel.

Please let us know, at phillyin06@verizon.net, what you would like to see in this column and what else we can do to enhance your visit to the city that has been variously called the “City of Brotherly Love,” the “Place that Loves You Back,” the “City that W.C. Fields Loved to Bad Mouth”, and (most recently) “America’s Next Great City.” We look forward to welcoming you to Philadelphia and ACR’s Sixth Annual Conference in October!

ACR requests proposals for its Sixth Annual Conference, to be held October 25-28, 2006 in Philadelphia, PA. Online submission of proposals for workshops begins December 1, 2005, and closes January 15, 2006.  Please visit our website http://www.ACRnet.org/conferences/ac06/index.htm for further information and instructions! 

2. ACR Solicits Member Comments on Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (RUAA)

ACR’s Legislative and Public Policy (LPP) Committee considers endorsement of uniform acts and dispute resolution policy developments and makes recommendations to the ACR Board of Directors. For example, the LPP Committee and the ACR Board have conditionally endorsed the Uniform Mediation Act and have recently endorsed the revised Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators. ACR does not lobby, but has significant weight in the policy arena at the federal and state level.

ACR’s LPP Committee has initiated a legislative review of the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (RUAA), which was drafted and adopted in 2000 to update the Uniform Arbitration Act (UAA) of 1956. The RUAA is now being considered at the state level.

A LPP Committee proposal regarding ACR and the RUAA may be viewed or downloaded on the ACR website at http://www.ACRnet.org/about/initiatives/publicpolicy/index.htm. The LPP Committee is conducting a comment period on this proposal for ACR members through February 1, 2006. All ACR members are invited to contribute opinions and suggestions. Please email your comments to ACR Program Manager Jennifer Druliner at jdruliner@ACRnet.org by February 1, 2006.

 

ACR MEMBERS:

Take advantage of your valuable members-only benefits today!

Log in to the Online Member Center today and get started!

3. Membership News: Job Bank to become full-service CareerCenter; Special Membership Offer

It’s a new year.  Are you looking for a new job?  A new employee?

ACR is pleased to announce that its Job Bank listserv will soon be upgraded to a full-service CareerCenter – an online resource designed to connect employers with the largest, most qualified audience of conflict resolution professionals.  Starting later this month, employers and job seekers will be able to connect with the click of a mouse.  Visit the ACR website  for more information about how the ACR CareerCenter can help you make your next move:

Job Seekers: Employers:
  • Free resume posting
  • Advanced job search options
  • Increased exposure for resumes
  • Optional new job alerts
  • Moving & relocation services
  • Saved jobs
  • Quick and easy job posting
  • Access to quality candidates
  • Online reports
  • Job activity stats
  • Simple pricing options
  • Special introductory pricing
  • Featured Job availability

SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP OFFER!
Log in to the Online Member Center and renew your membership online now and you will automatically be entered to win TWO FREE MONTHS OF MEMBERSHIP!

Make your dues go farther! Renewing online saves ACR resources!
One Drawing Every Month!
Support ACR While You Shop!

Start your shopping at iGive.com, where you can choose from hundreds of stores and every purchase helps ACR. Your online shopping will earn up to 26% of the purchase price for your designated cause. Join iGive.com for free and make your first purchase within 45 days of joining, and you’ll earn an additional $5 for your cause.

4.  Section News: Environment and Public Policy, Family, Spirituality and Workplace Sections

Environment and Public Policy Section Conference: June 28–30, 2006 in Boston!

Please save the date and spread the word:  ACR’s Environment and Public Policy Section will hold a conference June 28-30, 2006 in Boston.  As always, the conference promises to be “more fun than thought humanly possible.” Plan to join us in Boston!

Family Section Update

Proposals Sought for Family Section Conference
The Family Section’s conference committee is seeking workshop proposals for Making Waves -- Breaking Barriers to be held July 13-16, 2006 on Cape Cod. The due date for proposals is January 9th and they should be emailed to kolman.3@osu.net. For more information and a submission form, go to http://www.mediate.com/ACRFamily/docs//Cape%20Cod%20Workshop%20Proposal%20Form.doc.
New Mediation Brochures Available Soon
The Family Section’s membership committee is developing two mediation brochures. One targets consumers and the other targets referral sources. The brochures, which will be customizable, will be available to members soon. Watch for an announcement.

Join a Family Section Committee!

The Family Section committees provide a great place for members to network, learn more about the field and even, sometimes, identify sources for business. Those who join also help the Family Section remain vital and helpful to its members. Please consider joining one of the Committees. Check the Family Section website at http://www.mediate.com/acrfamily/pg6.cfm.

Spirituality Section’s Writers’ Teleconference Forum begins January 19

The Spirituality Section’s Writers’ Teleconference Forum kicks off on January 19, 2006 with a teleconference on “Mindfulness, Deep Listening and Stories: The Spiritual Core of Peacemaking” presented by Dr. Mark Umbreit  (3:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. PCT). Dr. Umbreit is a Professor and the founding Director for the Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking at the University of Minnesota, School of Social Work and is the Boden Chair Visiting Scholar at Marquette University Law School. He is a mediator, facilitator, trainer, researcher and author of six books. For information on how to participate in this teleconference please visit http://www.mediate.com/acrspirituality/pg28.cfm.

Workplace Section Update

ACR Workplace Section Seeks “Labor and Employment Arbitrators” to Apply for Advanced Practitioner Status

The Workplace Section of ACR has launched an “Advanced Practitioner” membership category for labor and employment arbitrators. The objective is to offer a new community of peers for the most senior workplace arbitrators in the nation. There is no current professional organization for employment arbitrators. There are many tangible benefits to becoming an arbitrator AP, including networking, case consultation, legislative policy review, and practice development.

Membership is open to labor arbitrators, employment arbitrators, or those with a mixed practice. A specified number and mix of countable cases is required for application. There is no degree requirement. The standards of membership and the application form are available on the ACR website. ACR membership is required, but can be obtained in the application process.

For more information on applying to become a labor and employment arbitrator AP member, visit the ACR website at: http://www.ACRnet.org/referrals/ap-workplace_arb.htm. If you are an active labor or employment arbitrator, apply now!

ACR Workplace is selling CDs for the following teleseminars: “Violence in the Workplace: A New Way to Recognize Potential Explosions and Effectively Intervene” and “Extreme Facilitation.”

Please check the Workplace Section’s website for details on purchasing CDs of the teleseminars “Violence in the Workplace: A New Way to Recognize Potential Explosions and Effectively Intervene” and “Extreme Facilitation.”

Support ACR While You Shop!

Start your shopping at iGive.com, where you can choose from hundreds of stores and every purchase helps ACR. Your online shopping will earn up to 26% of the purchase price for your designated cause. Join iGive.com for free and make your first purchase within 45 days of joining, and you’ll earn an additional $5 for your cause.

5. Chapter News: New England Chapter Winter Member Meeting February 16
SAVE THE DATE: The New England Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution (NE-ACR) is pleased to announce that its Winter Member Meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, February 16, 2006, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Suffolk University Law School, located at 120 Tremont Street in downtown Boston.  To learn more about or to join NE-ACR, or to register for this meeting, please visit www.neacr.org.  If you have any questions, please contact Mindy Milberg (milberg@milbergmediation.com, 508-655-6800) or Diane Levin (neacrevents@partneringsolutions.org, 781-631-3990).
Interested in participating in a teleconference? Send an email to sections at ACRnet.org to receive dial-in instructions.

Please note: most Section teleconferences are a Section member benefit. To join a Section, log in to ACR’s Online Member Center, click on “My Account History,” then “Add Sections,” and select the Sections you want to add.
6. Quotations
Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today. -- Cherokee Indian Proverb
The Past is the textbook of tyrants; the Future the Bible of the Free.  Those who are solely governed by the Past stand like Lot’s wife, crystallized in the act of looking backward, and forever incapable of looking before. -- Herman Melville, White Jacket
“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 French by Richard Howard

We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future. -- George Bernard Shaw

7. Message from our sponsors: Mediate.com

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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 at ACRnet.org
Web: http://www.ACRnet.org
Copyright 2006, Association for Conflict Resolution