ACR Update, October 4, 2007
Published by the Association for Conflict Resolution
http://www.ACRnet.org

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

1. ACR Annual Conference Updates – October 24-27, 2007
2. Advanced Commercial Mediation Institute
3. ACR Annual Board of Directors Elections
4. Conflict Resolution Day 2007 - October 18
5. Section News
6. Chapter News
7. Invest in ACR

ACR Seventh Annual Conference

October 24 - 27, 2007   Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix Convention Center / Hyatt Regency Phoenix

Rethinking the Table: People, Places, and Practices

Excitement is Building: The ACR Phoenix Conference is right around the corner!

The Phoenix conference program features high quality educational sessions on a wide range of timely topics and enjoyable events to share with colleagues and friends. There is much to inspire both experienced practitioners and those new to the conflict resolution field.

 Conference Institutes – specialty and in-depth training on a variety of subjects.

 Advanced Commercial Mediation Institute II – 2-day program for experienced commercial mediators.

 International Day – international conflict resolution issues and practices.

 Over 150 workshops – informative and thought provoking sessions.

 Keynote by William Ury – renowned authority on negotiation and dispute resolution, presenting “The Art of No: How to Say No and Still Get to Yes.” 

 Special workshop series on topics such as:

• Applying neurobiology research to ADR
• The arts and conflict resolution practice
• Taking our work overseas
• Southwestern dispute resolution practices
• Advanced workplace issues

 Presidential Luncheon – includes a presentation by Rebecca Tsosie, “Native Nations and the Spirit of Reconciliation: The Global Context of Indigenous Peacemaking.”

 Special events – enjoyable networking and social functions.

For program, event, and travel details see www.ACRnet.org/conferences/ac07

For conference registration see www.ACRnet.org/conferences/ac07/Registration.htm  

For hotel reservations use http://phoenix.hyatt.com/groupbooking/phxrpacr12007 to reach

the Hyatt Regency Phoenix conference hotel online reservation page OR call 800-233-1234.

Join the Fun!

Find unique items for yourself, necessities for your business, or a special gift for someone. The Great Pumpkin Silent Auction takes place on Thursday evening October 25. Proceeds help support ACR scholarships and programs. Join the Halloween fun at this popular event! 

Please consider donating an item to this year’s silent auction. Your contribution is appreciated.

Contact Fetneh Fleischmann by October 10, 2007  e-mail: fleischf@dcsc.gov  phone: 202-879-2887

Sponsored by

ACR Board of Directors and

Chapter and Section Leadership

Western Welcome

Hey pardners, get ready to put on your Wranglers and head on over to Heritage Square for a Western Welcome, Wednesday October 24, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. There’ll be party music playin’ and we’ll be servin’ up finger food (Western for hors d’ oeuvres) and plenty of margaritas. Let’s kick off the Annual Conference with some good ol’ fashioned Western hootin’ and hollerin’.

Historic Heritage Square, a short stroll from the Hyatt Regency hotel, will take you back into Phoenix’s Victorian past. It’s the home of museums, shops, restaurants, and houses from the original town site of Phoenix.  The Lath House Pavilion is the site of the Western Welcome Reception. The Pavilion is outdoors, but don’t worry - it never rains in Phoenix in October.

So, here you go . . . imagine yourself under the Arizona stars, music’s playing and your sipping your favorite beverage. It’s a cool 80 degrees and you’re talking with old friends and meeting new folks. Not much could be better. See you at the Western Welcome! 

Thanks to event sponsor

Exhibitors Reception

Interested in new developments in the field? Looking for services or products to support your practice? Thinking about going to school to study conflict resolution? Wish you knew more about resources available to you as a conflict resolution professional?

You'll find information in ACR's Annual Conference Exhibit Hall located in the Phoenix Convention Center. Meet in person with exhibitors to learn what they have to offer. On Thursday evening October 25, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. an Exhibitors Reception showcasing the 2007 conference exhibitors will be held. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres while taking the opportunity to speak with exhibitors.

Sections Fiesta

ACR's Sections are throwing a big party and you're the guest of honor.

You'll enjoy plenty of food, drink, and music on Friday, October 26, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Atrium of the Hyatt Regency Phoenix hotel. Come for the talent show, games, drawings, and much more. More than 50 prizes to win!  

This joint reception represents a "first" for ACR. All eighteen ACR practice and interest area Sections will be showcased. You'll have a chance to learn about Section activities as well as to celebrate the year's accomplishments. Connect with Section colleagues and become better acquainted with members of other Sections. Not a member of a Section? Well, here's an opportunity to explore them all!

Thanks to ACR Seventh Annual Conference Sponsors

Kennesaw State University

Gold Sponsor

            Antioch University McGregor                                              The Werner Institute

                         Silver Sponsor                                                               Silver Sponsor

Don’t pass up the chance to visit Phoenix

Phoenix, Arizona, known as The Valley of the Sun, is the perfect place to visit in October. It’s a vibrant city, providing experiences a large urban area has to offer and it also has the nation’s largest municipal park and preserve. The city is set against a backdrop of the Sonoran Desert. Low lying valleys and rugged mountain ranges make the Sonoran the most stunning desert in the world.

Arizona, known as The Grand Canyon State, is geographically diverse – from its lush desert landscapes, to the red rocks of Sedona, to the magnificent Grand Canyon itself. Arizona is also culturally diverse – home to 22 unique Native American tribes, Hispanic influences felt throughout the state, and in many communities the Old West lives on.    

Explore Phoenix and the amazing Arizona sights. Articles about the city and the region, written by Arizona ACR Chapter members, are found on the conference web site at www.ACRnet.org/conferences/ac07. For additional information, visit the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at www.phoenixcvb.com or Arizona Office of Tourism at www.arizonaguide.com.

In collaboration with Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and the American Arbitration Association, the Commercial Section of ACR presents two days of advanced programs for commercial mediators:

October 24 and 25, 2007, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Phoenix, Arizona 

The Advanced Commercial Mediation Institute (ACMI) is an educational forum designed to further develop advanced skills of professionals experienced in mediating complex commercial and business disputes. The program features an interactive environment facilitated by leading practitioners and educators in the dispute resolution and related fields.

This two day program is limited to 60 participants experienced in mediating complex commercial disputes so as to facilitate extensive interaction among participants and faculty.

Members of the American Arbitration Association’s National Roster of Neutrals attending this program will receive A.C.E. credit for both 2007 and 2008.

To view the entire program schedule, please visit http://acrnet.org/conferences/ac07/mediation.htm.

ACR’s Sections will be busy at this year’s conference! Below are examples of some of the many section programs occurring in Phoenix. For a full listing of the conference program, please visit http://acrnet.org/conferences/ac07/Conf_schedule.htm.

Consumer Section

The Consumer Section will be presenting two workshops at this year’s Conference in Phoenix.  The first, titled, “Taking Consumer Disputes to the Next Level” will be presented on Friday, Oct 26 at 9 A.M. and is Session 4.05. This presentation is a basic cursory overview of the processes of ADR with a more comprehensive detailed program to be presented in Part Two, titled “Innovative and Unique Consumer Dispute Resolution."  The second presentation will begin at 2:00 pm and is session 5.05.  In between the two sessions at 12:30 P.M., the Section will hold its annual meeting. Lunch will be provided.  Please check the Conference schedule for time and location.

Research Section

The Research Section invites anyone interested in neurobiology to attend the kickoff workshop in the special Neurobiology Series. In the first session of the series, "Applying Neurobiology Research to ADR," Doug Yarn and Greg Jones will share fascinating research findings.  Other sessions in the Neurobiology Series include "Applications of Neurobiology and Evolutionary Biology in Practice," "Mind Over Matter: What's the Matter? Never Mind," "The Brain Science behind Mediation: Unlocking the Magic," "Beyond Lie Detection: Introduction to the Science of Detecting Emotions and Mental Effort," and "Science, Ethics, and Spirit in a High Conflict Practice."  The final session will be a facilitated discussion of what we heard and what we still want to know.

Spirituality Section

You will not want to miss the “Spirit in Action” Full-Day (9-5) Pre-Conference Institute featuring Kenneth Cloke of Santa Monica, CA and Erica Fox of the Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative.  The Spirituality Section will also sponsor Morning Meditation, a Quiet Room, and Massage.

Education

The Education Section is introducing the first annual Education Section award honoring William Kreidler, who made significant contributions to the field of conflict resolution.  There will also be a “youth day” with young people from all over the Southwest sharing their skills.

Workplace

To increase visibility of program content and to enhance benefits for membership to the Workplace Section, the Workplace Section Leadership is continuing two popular programs, the Ambassador program to help orient new members, and Roving Reporters.  Because none of us can be in more than one place at one time, the concept behind the Roving Reporter Program is to secure willing members to transform their workshop experiences into articles for the purpose of sharing their learning experiences with the broader membership.

Georgia

ACR Georgia (in partnership with Kennesaw State University's Master of Science in Conflict Management Program) will host a "Teaching Tolerance" Peace Cafe. During this public event a "Teaching Tolerance" film will be shown, followed by an interactive, facilitated discussion about how conflict resolution strategies can be beneficial to individuals, schools and communities. The goal of this event is to increase public awareness and understanding conflict resolution. To see the rest of ACR Georgia’s Conflict Resolution Day plans, visit http://www.mediate.com/acrgeorgia/.

Houston

Save the dates for monthly meetings:

September 20^th, at 6:PM, at 21 Briar Hollow Lane, Houston 77027. 

You are cordially invited to a presentation on Thursday night and to participate in a workshop on Friday evening and Saturday with New York’s Dr. Neil Katz, conflict resolution theorist and author of many books and articles on interest-based negotiations.

October 11,^th at 6:30 PM, venue to be announced

October 12^th from 6 to 9 PM and on the 13^th from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM. 

CLE pending.

For those who took the transformative mediation training with Dr. Folger, your CLE credits were 22 hours of participation and 3 ethics credits.

Los Angeles

Join the Los Angeles Chapter’s celebration of Conflict Resolution Day: “Recent Legal Developments Affecting Conflict Resolution and Related Issues.” This innovative interactive discussion will be based on the principles of conflict resolution. Consider formidable challenges to strict confidentiality by attorney malpractice and other wrongdoing. Explore crucial differences between mediations and settlement conferences: what are the legal ramifications?

To learn more about this event, please visit http://www.thomasresolutions.com/acrla/images/Conflict Resolution.pdf.  

Michigan

On October 18, the Michigan Southeast Chapter will be celebrating Conflict Resolution Day with a presentation by Dennis Archer, Chairman of Dickinson Wright, PLLC. “ADR Saves the Game—An Outstanding Success Story,” will be presented in partnership with Wayne State University. To learn more, please visit http://www.mediate.com/acrmichigan/pg2.cfm.

Virginia

Attention: ACR Virginia Members (and peacemaking friends):

The Association for Conflict Resolution Virginia Chapter Board is challenging all dispute resolution professionals to perform an act of some sort that celebrates the concept of Conflict Resolution Day. We challenge ourselves and you as members or friends of this organization to commit some act of conflict resolution or peacemaking on or about October 18, 2007, International Conflict Resolution Day. Think of the synergy that could be created when we all do just one small thing across the globe.

Additionally, you can't hide your light under a bushel, so tell us what you have done. To help you jump start your creative juices, we have listed some ideas below that might assist you in meeting the challenge.

First, announcing a slogan contest. Create a slogan for the Virginia Chapter that would be suitable for bumper stickers, business cards, buttons, etc. Send your entries by November 1, 2007 to John Settle. To be eligible to be the winner, you must be a paid 2007/2008 member of ACR VA. Prize is next year's dues free!!

And now, the Top Ten Things You Can Do to Honor Conflict Resolution Day!

10) Write a letter to the editor of any newspaper in Virginia that promotes the concepts of conflict resolution processes and peacemaking.

9) Schedule a visit or lecture to any civic organization, youth organization, church group, etc. about the promise of mediation or individual, family, and group conflicts.

8) Offer a pro-bono mediation or other process to any group that may have a need (keep an eye out for stories in your local paper about groups and their conflicts).

7) Post a comment on an ADR blog. Google ADR blogs to get a list of what is out there.

6) Volunteer to serve on the ACR Virginia Chapter Board (At Large positions available).

5) Offer mediation training at any group.

4) Recruit a new member for ACR Virginia (particularly law schools or colleges which have ADR societies or academic programs).

3) Take your talent to your local Police Department as a resource for youth/gang intervention.

2) Be an army of one or a one-person committee as you take your talent to the street. As Margaret Mead said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

1) And last but certainly not least, renew your ACR Virginia membership and join ADR professionals statewide in promoting an understanding of collaborative dispute resolution processes.

ACR MEMBERS: Take advantage of your valuable members-only benefits today! Access to the full Membership Directory Reduced Rates on Professional Liability Insurance 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... Log in to the Online Member Center today and get started!

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