What's New
The Opportunity Of Climate Change - Yes, Of Course We Can (3/01/10)
Eileen Barker I attended COP15 as a delegate from Mediators Beyond Borders (MBB), an international group of mediators from over 20 countries. We were there to advocate for the use of mediation and other collaborative processes in climate change negotiations and disputes.
Pluralism And Posterity: Extricating The Positives And Negatives Of Group Identity Through The Writing Of Amartya Sen And David Brooks (2/15/10)
Michael Cohen In a post-9/11 world in which the struggle against Islamic extremism represents the centerpiece of American foreign policy; in which the front-page news is bombarded with daily images of the skull-shattering destruction wrought by suicide bombings across the Middle East; in which the international community is scrambling to prevent nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of the Supreme Leader of Iran who has vowed to wipe entire countries off of the map
and who believes he was personally appointed by God (a troubling combination to say the least), much ink has been spilled over the question of whether Samuel P. Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” is here to stay.
Mestizaje As Strength: Articulating Plurality Within Group Identities (2/15/10)
Jeff Stoesz We are all involved in a variety of people groups that define our identity and relationships to people of other groups. Group identity can be an incredibly strong tie between people or it can be relatively weak. Certain groups - such as the KKK, minority student unions or the black population in the US - have historically expressed group identity in both positive and negative ways. The key to healthy group identity expression is found in an understanding of the plurality of our identities, particularly the concept of mestizaje and the mixing or blending of group allegiances.
Storytelling (2/15/10)
Caleb Paul Mechem A primary way that stories play a role in the formation of collective identity, whether national, familial, or religious, is myths. By “myth” I do not mean something inherently false, but rather a foundational story that is set in the distant past. The historical accuracy of myths is less important than the fact that they link the existence of a group to that past. The examples of the bonding power of myths are nigh endless and a nation, family, or religion without them is inconceivable.
Mediation In Romania (1/31/10)
Zeno Daniel Sustac, Elena Bustea Custom is a second human nature and the Romanian justiciable has inoculated itself for years the concept that any misunderstanding should be resolved in a court of law. However, the opinion of the Romanian justiciable is about to change, due to mediation.
Mediation: Staying Culturally Relevant In A Multicultural World (1/19/10)
Nina Meierding Many mediators have been trained solely in a Western-style model of mediation with Western-style tools in their “toolboxes.” Even the theoretical constructs of ADR often reflect a Western model that is not always respectful of culturally diverse concepts. While using Western techniques does not inherently mean that the interventions will not be successful, it does mean that they are less culturally sensitive. Internationally, it may also be seen as the United States bringing its process to another country that already has had its own conflict resolution processes in place for generations.
International: Why Further Development Of ADR In Latin America Makes Sense (1/18/10)
Victoria VanBuren We came across a very interesting article entitled “Why Further Development of ADR in Latin America Makes Sense: The Venezuelan Model,” by Jose Alberto Ramirez Leon, 2 Journal of Dispute Resolution 399 (2005). The article provides an overview of the problems with the Venezuelan system of justice, ADR developments in the country, obstacles for further development of ADR in Venezuela, and proposals to overcome those obstacles.
Copenhagen Deal Will Require More Than A Little Give And Take (12/21/09)
John Sturrock Last week, I found myself in the Bella Centre in Copenhagen, the location for the negotiations on climate change. It is a vast cavern, with scores of rooms serving as the location for talks, presentations, media activity and lobbying. I was struck by the sheer mass of people, with laptops, leaflets, cameras and TV screens, milling around in the hope of influencing discussions. That image has stayed with me as we hear daily of the difficulties facing negotiations.
Logic Overpowers Intuition: The Obama WAR!!! (12/14/09)
Luis Miguel Diaz President Obama decided to send 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in the next six months and then begin pulling them out a year after. He overlooked negotiation and mediation as effective options to end the war. He insists on what does not function to humanly end a war: war intensification.
Noble / Nobel (12/14/09)
Colin Rule I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations -- that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.
Mapping The Borders Of Conflict: How Google Depicts Disputed Regions (12/07/09)
Diane J. Levin Maps enable us to picture the world we inhabit. They depict physical spaces, marking the borders between nations or nature’s own boundaries between plain and mountain, shore and coastline. To those who can read them, they tell stories of crops, climate, culture, and economies. Maps also speak of war and violence, of divided nations, of claims for territory, and of peoples locked in conflict, where even the names that places bear are in dispute. In depicting geopolitically sensitive locations, what can the mapmakers do in the face of competing claims of naming rights or ownership?
Guest Blogger 09- Jose Pascal da Rocha (11/23/09)
Jeff Thompson Please enjoy the following submission as the fifth installment of the 2009 Guest Blogger series.
Today's guest blogger is Jose Pascal da Rocha. Honestly, there is too much to say about Pascal I wouldn't know where to begin. For example, ask where he has been and I think the answer is, "Yes, twice." Like my other guest bloggers, I am happy to present his submission for everyone to enjoy. You can read more about him [here].
The Future Of Conflict Resolution: Preaching To The Choir Or Negotiating With Tea Partiers? (11/09/09)
Diane J. Levin I often find myself wishing I lived in California, if only to be able to regularly attend the magnificent events the Southern California Mediation Association plans and presents each year. These programs showcase the talents and intellectual achievements of some of the greatest thinkers and leaders that the field of conflict resolution can boast.
Good Job Ari! (11/09/09)
Jeff Thompson Honorable Mention was awarded to Ari Fontecchio of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law for his essay entitled “Naming, Framing and Taming: Why Timing and Emotional Intelligence Really Matter in Crisis Intervention. Ari interviewed me months ago on how I, along with the entire NYPD Community Affairs Bureau, used various conflict resolution skills during the emotionallly charged Tibetan Protests in New York City during the Spring of 2008.
Conflict Revolution: Mediating Evil, War, Injustice And Terrorism By Dr. Kenneth Cloke (11/09/09)
Victoria Pynchon I spent my day Saturday at the annual convention of the Southern California Mediation Association (kudos to attorney-mediator Phyllis Pollack for a fabulous conference!) Ken Cloke spoke eloquently on conflict systems and what mediators can do to "save the planet." I took his presentation (characteristically and densely verbal) and added images to break up the text hoping that Ken won't mind supplementing the English language with pictures).
Susan Collin Marks Of Search For Common Ground: Media & Peace (11/02/09)
John Folk-Williams Susan Collin Marks is the Senior Vice President of Search for Common Ground (SFCG). In this interview with the European Journalism Centre, she describes some of the goals of SFCG and specific projects involving popular media to reach millions of people in war-torn countries.
Guest Blogger 09- Noam Ebner On The Second Generation Negotiation Conference (10/26/09)
Jeff Thompson It’s not every day that you get to see a discipline in motion. Changes in the way that academics and professional practitioners grasp themselves and what they do are usually minor and incremental; by the time major change has evolved, many of the original instigators are no longer around to enjoy it.
Watching a field collectively consider itself and begin to move, therefore, is like observing a rare natural occurrence, Or, perhaps, like being on a glacier as it shifts. You feel very fortunate to have been there to see it, and you wonder where you are now and how you make your way home.
These were some of the thoughts I had while attending the Second Generation Negotiation conference which took place on October 14-17, 2009 in Istanbul. To understand just what this special conference was about, one needs to put it in the context of the project surrounding it.
Mediation And International Diplomacy (9/21/09)
Michael P. Carbone The Associated Press reported on Saturday that “The United States’ top Mideast envoy [former Senator George Mitchell] failed to bridge wide gaps between Israelis and Palestinians as he ended his most intensive attempt yet on Friday, raising questions about President Obama’s efforts to revive peacemaking.”
(9/08/09)
Keith Seat
The World Intellectual Property Organization is opening its first arbitration and mediation center outside its Geneva headquarters, with a new Singapore office opening in January to serve the Asia-Pacific region. WIPO administers mediations relating to patent, trademark and copyright issues, as well as telecommunications, engineering and domain name disputes. The Singapore WIPO office will also collaborate with Singapore’s Media Development Authority to address film related disputes, along with providing training and advice on mediation and arbitration.
Bernama.com (July 28, 2009)
Ambassador John McDonald Wins Peace Award (9/03/09)
ACR Ambassador John McDonald has won the ACR Peacemaker Award for his international peace advocacy and lifelong commitment to fostering conflict resolution.
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