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

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OVERVIEW OF ARTICLES
June 1, 2006

1. ACR Solicits Nominations for its 2006-2007 Board of Directors
2. 2006 Annual Conference: Exhibit Space, Hotel Rate, and Philadelphia Sights
3. Upcoming Section Conferences: Environment and Public Policy and Family
4. Call for Article Proposals: ACResolution Fall 2006 Issue
5. Membership Update: Teleseminar on Marketing, Call for Member News
6. Take Advantage of Upcoming Section Teleseminars
7. Chapters Updates and Los Angeles Chapter Social Event
8. Quotations
9. Message from our Sponsor: Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution

Reserve Your Exhibit Space Today!

Exhibit space at ACR’s Sixth Annual Conference is now available. Your business, school or organization will have maximum visibility in Philadelphia this fall with an exhibit table! ACR puts its exhibitors at the very center of its Annual Conference, in the foyer of the beautiful Sheraton Philadelphia City Center.  Meet new prospective clients, connect with old ones, recruit new students or sell your products during the Annual Conference, October 25-28, 2006.  Send an email to Anne Gallivan (agallivan@ACRnet.org) for information and a copy of our Partnership Brochure. Take advantage of the discount for Philadelphia exhibitors. Reserve early to secure your space!   

Reserve Your Room Now and Receive the Annual Conference Rate

ACR’s Sixth Annual Conference

October 25-28, 2006

Philadelphia, PA

ACR’s 2006 Annual Conference will be held at the Sheraton Philadelphia City Center at 17th and Race Streets. To reserve your room at the Annual Conference rate of $155 per night, call the Sheraton at 215-448-2000 and mention the “Association for Conflict Resolution.” Be sure to join us in Philly this fall for an exciting three days of informative sessions, meetings and networking opportunities!

Regularly updated Annual Conference information is available on ACR’s website, and online registration will open in June.

“Philadelphia Here We Come” (Part 6)

Sightseeing and Tours

by James A. Rosenstein

There seem to be almost as many ways to explore Philadelphia and its environs as there are fascinating places to visit and things to do.  This article will identify a few of them for folks who would like to get off the beaten path and prefer some assistance beyond a good map and a car or a sturdy pair of walking shoes.

Exploring the Historic Area and Center City. 

For walkers, there are several guided tours (including Centipede Tours ph: 215-735-3123, www.centipedeinc.com, and Lights of Liberty, ph: 215-542-3789, http://www.lightsofliberty.org/main.htm) and at least two self-guided walking tours of the historic area, provided by AudioWalk & Tour of Historic Philadelphia (with rental CD player, www.ushistory.org/audiowalk/index.htm)  and The Constitutional Walking Tour (free, www.theconstitutional.com), both of which can be obtained at the Independence Visitor Center at 6^th and Market Streets.  For those preferring to expand their horizons beyond “America’s Most Historic Square Mile,” available options include double-decker sightseeing bus (The Big Bus Company, ph: 215-923-5008; http://www.bigbustours.com/phila/html/phila_home.html), horse-drawn carriage (‘76 Carriage Company, ph: 215-925-8687, www.phillytour.com), imitation trolley (Philadelphia Trolley Works, ph: 215-925-8687, http://www.phillytour.com) and amphibious vehicle (Ride the Ducks, ph: 215-227-3825 http://www.phillyducks.com).

To read the rest of this article, which includes information about special interest tours and exciting half-day and full-day trips from Philadelphia, click here.

• Online Discussion Forums/ Message Board

• Access to the full Membership Directory

• Reduced Rates on Professional Liability Insurance

• ACR CareerCenter

• CRQ Online: Access ACR's academic Journal online anytime

• 20% off Purchases from BNA Books and Jossey-Bass publications

• Discounts on Medical Insurance, Hertz Car Rental and buymagazines.com

• and much more...

ACR Environment and Public Policy Section Midyear Conference June 28–30, 2006

The Environment and Public Policy (EPP) Section is gearing up for an enlightening and enjoyable three-day conference at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, June 28 - 30, 2006. Chaired by Professor Lawrence Susskind, Director of the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program, and Harry Manasewich, President of Human Factor Dispute Resolutions, “Deliberative Democracy: New Directions in Public Policy Dispute Resolution” will offer participants the opportunity to network with each other while learning from top theorists and practitioners in Public Policy Dispute Resolution and Deliberative Democracy (broadly defined as democratic civic engagement).

 

Keynote addresses and workshops will focus on the intersection of theory and practice in resolving public disputes, the role of ADR practitioners in resolving intractable public policy disputes around social and moral issues such as abortion and race issues in rebuilding the Gulf Coast. The conference will also look at public dispute resolution as a business, leveraging data gathered from surveys of the top dispute resolution individuals and firms, and include a panel of professionals who work to resolve conflicts outside the United States.

 

For more information, please contact Anne Mansfield, 802-831-1338, or visit the EPP Section website. 

ACR Family Section Conference, July 13 - 16, 2006 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts

The ACR Family Section Conference, “Making Waves – Breaking Barriers,” will be held July 13 - 16, 2006 at the Sea Crest Oceanfront Resort and Conference Center. The conference site is in beautiful Old Silver Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, scene of the AFM conference in 1997.  A limited number of rooms have been set aside until June 13 for conference participants at the rate of $190 for Thursday night and $220 for Friday and Saturday nights, plus tax.  For reservations, call 800-225-3110 before June 13, 2006, and request the group rate for “Association for Conflict Resolution.” For information and directions to the resort, please visit www.seacrest-resort.com.  

Registration is open. The pre-conference brochure and registration form may be downloaded at: http://ACRnet.org/sections/family_section_conference_2006.htm.

The conference will feature (1) three pre-conference workshops on Thursday afternoon; (2) an opening plenary and reception Thursday evening featuring David Hall, Provost and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Northeastern University Boston and author of the best selling book The Spiritual Revitalization of the Legal Profession: A Search for Sacred Rivers; (3) 54 workshops Friday morning through Sunday morning focusing on every aspect of family mediation; and (4) a closing brunch and plenary featuring highly experienced mediators, each with a different style of mediation, working with very high conflict couples. Download the pre-conference brochure and registration form here: http://ACRnet.org/sections/family_section_conference_2006.htm.

CALL FOR ARTICLE PROPOSALS

For ACR’s ACResolution Fall 2006 Magazine on Court-related ADR

ACR’s fall 2006 issue of ACResolution magazine will focus on the topic of Court-related ADR. The editors seek proposals from people who would like to write articles on any aspect of this topic. They seek diversity in authors and subject matter; authors do not have to be ACR members.
If interested, please:

• write a half-page description of your proposed article,
• include a title/headline for your article,
• include your name and contact information,
• include one to three lines of biographical information, and
• specify if you would like to write a major (3,000 words) or minor feature (1,500 words).

Send your proposals via email to ACResolution Managing Editor Emily Welty at ewelty@ACRnet.org  as soon as possible, but no later than June 10, 2006.

An editorial advisory committee will review the proposals and choose 2–3 major features and 2–3 minor features. All authors will be notified by end of June.  If selected, completed articles will be due to ACR by August 1, 2005.

Association for Conflict Resolution Presents a 3-Part Teleseminar Series: “Marketing Your ADR Practice: How to Make Conflict Resolution Your Day Job”

ACR is proud to present a three-part teleseminar series, “Marketing Your ADR Practice: How to Make Conflict Resolution Your Day Job.” Taking place from June-August 2006, the series will feature authors from the spring 2006 issue of ACResolution. Each seminar will provide insights, tips and ideas to help you learn how to effectively grow your client base. These teleseminars are provided free of charge to all ACR members.

The schedule for the teleseminars is:

June 15, 1:00 PM EDT. Presented by Forrest Mosten, author of “The Path of the Peacemaker” and Diana Mercer, author of “Making Marketing Authentic.”

July 7, 2:00 PM EDT. Presented by Bruce Blitman, author of “Ten Tips to Increase Your Edge in a Competitive Marketplace.”

August 9, 1:00 PM EDT. Presented by V. Michelle Obradovic, author of “Guided by Questions.”

Stay tuned for more details, including seminar synopses and information on how to RSVP for each session. If you have any questions, please contact Andy Levin at (202) 464-9700 ext. 211, or by email at alevin@ACRnet.org .

Call for Member News

We’re proud of our members and their achievements. We’re also proud of our growing field and want to keep you aware of the latest conflict resolution news around the world.

•     Have you been in the news lately? We want to celebrate your successes! Share your announcements with the ACR community and the world at large.

 •     Seen any news on Conflict Resolution and Society? Send us news stories, new research or current events that highlight the significance of the field in our world today.

•     Want to share your “Conflict Resolution Success Stories?” Whether you are a practitioner, a consumer, a student, a teacher or just a concerned individual, share your success story with us. (Please note that we will not share your name on our website if you do not so desire.)

Visit ACR News Online to see past stories and to submit your news updates. ACR is also seeking member updates for the “Member Milestones” department of ACResolution magazine. Submissions may be sent via email to Publications Manager Emily Welty            (ewelty@ACRnet.org ).

We want to hear from you!

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June 2006 Section Teleseminars: Health Care and Spirituality Sections

Health Care Section Teleseminar Forum: June 7, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. EDT

ACR’s Health Care Section is pleased to announce the first Healthcare Teleseminar Forum featuring leaders in the field. The first in a series of teleseminars will be held on Thursday, June 7, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. PDT.

 

Chris Stern Hyman, founder of the Medical Mediation Group LLC, New York will discuss a pilot program for mediating malpractice lawsuits filed against health care facilities operated by the City of New York. Following Ms. Hyman’s presentation, there will open dialogue with participants. To participate, please send an email to healthcare06teleseminar@ACRnet.org. You will receive an auto reply email with the confirmation details in the body of the email. If you do not receive your confirmation, please contact Anne-Marie Burton, ACR Sections Manager at aburton at ACRnet.org.

Spirituality Section Teleseminar: June 19, 2006

RESCHEDULED! Kenneth Cloke: “Why Every Conflict Breaks Your Heart: Conflict as a Spiritual Crisis” on June 19, 2006, 3:00 p.m. EDT.

To participate, please send an email to Conflict@ACRnet.org. You will receive an auto reply email with the confirmation details in the body of the email. If you do not receive your confirmation, please contact Anne-Marie Burton, ACR Sections Manager at aburton at ACRnet.org.

 

Interested in participating in a teleconference? Send an email to sections at ACRnet dot 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.

ACR Chapter Leader Monthly Calls Update

ACR Chapter Leaders have been participating in monthly conference calls where valuable ideas have been exchanged.  To date, we have discussed:

• Reaching a large geographical area
• Involving students in Chapters
• Increasing Chapter visibility at the Annual Conference
• Improving collaboration with Sections
• Hosting a film festival
• Successfully increasing the number of members using ACR member geographical lists

Interested Chapter leaders can join the calls, which are held the 1st Thursday of every month 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT.  Please contact Ashley Parker, Membership and Chapters Associate, for the call-in number (phone: 202-464-9700 ext. 245; email: aparker@ACRnet.org ). Topic suggestions are welcome and should be sent to ACR’s Chapters Director Tara Fishler at tara@tarafishler.com .

ACR Chapter Advisory Council Update

The ACR Chapter Advisory Council (CAC) meets every six weeks to discuss Chapter initiatives.  One of the great things the CAC members are doing is serving as liaisons for prospective Chapters.  People in 17 states and several countries have expressed interest in potentially becoming Chapters.  The CAC is helping to foster those relationships.  The CAC is also working on clarifying categories for International, Affiliates and Associate Memberships.

Other CAC initiatives include:

• Improve visibility of Chapters at ACR’s 2006 Annual Conference
• Collaborate more with Sections
• Revise Model Chapter Bylaws
• MMM – Mutual Membership Marketing – Clarify multi-year plan for acceptance by board and Chapters

Join an ACR Chapter!

There are 20 ACR Chapters! Get more information at http://www.ACRnet.org/chapters/.

Check out the ACR Chapters’ discussion forum! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ACR_Chapters

Los Angeles Chapter Meeting and Social Event: Friday, June 2, 2006

ACR’s Los Angeles Chapter (ACR-LA) will hold its second meeting of the year, combined with its first social event for members and their guests, a “Happy Hour” gala, on Friday, June 2, 2006. The purpose of this event is for current and new members to share their special areas of interest, professional or personal, with one another, and to pool those interests to help develop the Los Angeles Chapter in accordance with its vision and mission. The Happy Hour gala event will be held on Friday, June 2, 2006 at Crustacean Euro-Asian Cuisine from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. We are requested by the restaurant to arrive promptly at 4:00 p.m. Afterward, all are invited to dine together as a Chapter. If you are interested in attending this event, you must RSVP to join us. We look forward to meeting all members and an enjoyable evening.

ACR-LA Recruitment Challenge from Chapter President Thomas Watkins: As

President of the Los Angeles Chapter, I have thrown down the gauntlet to each member to enroll a minimum of two new members before the end of 2006—and that includes me. The recruitment winner will be honored during the Chapter’s annual meeting. Visit http://www.mediate.com/acrla  or contact me at www.ThomasResolutions.com.

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