text: Association for Conflict Resolution Twelfth Annual Conference Creating Connections: Conflict Resolution in Deeply Divided Times September 12 - 15, 2012 - New Orleans, Louisiana Monday 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM ACR Board Meeting Oak Alley Meeting Room Tuesday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM ACR Board Meeting Oak Alley Meeting Room Wednesday 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM FAA group meeting Evergreen Meeting Room 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM ACR Board Meeting Oak Alley Meeting Room 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Break 5th floor hallway Meeting Room 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM Youth Day Program Grand D&E, Grand Chenier Meeting Room On September 12th, New Orleans middle school students will be hosted by the Association for Conflict Resolution's Education Section at YOUTH DAY. The day begins with a welcome and a complimentary T Shirt and bag of goodies, followed by a warm up exercise in which students learn the difference between interests and positions in negotiation. In break-out sessions students engage with ACR Education Section facilitators in conflict resolution education activities around conflicts created by catastrophe (9-11, Hurricane Katrina & BP Oil Spill) and making the connections that are supportive of disputants resolving issues. The day also features a visit with Nobel Peace Prize winner, Leymah Gbowee, a delicious lunch with peer conversation and opportunities for reflection and expression on conflict resolution lessons learned in dance and video production. Youth Day is facilitated by ACR's Education members. Page 1 of 45 Wednesday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM International Day Grand Couteau Meeting Room ACR's International Day is the year's premier event for conflict resolution professionals with a global focus. Leaders in the field will offer interactive sessions and presentations on managing conflicts around international development, better practice in peace building and cross- cultural communication. 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM MORNING PRECONFERENCE INSTITUTES But Won't I Get Sued? Campus Student Conduct Practices that Integrate Restorative Justice and Conflict Resolution to Manage Student Sexual Violence and Harassment Southdown Meeting Room Nancy Giacomini, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania Tim Hicks, Eugene, Oregon Ryan Holmes, El Paso, Texas Jay Wilgus, Ann Arbor, Michigan Kaaren Williamsen, Northfield, Minnesota Colleges and universities are engaged in redefining student conduct practices to navigate the 2011 Office for Civil Rights guidance regarding Title IX and sexual misconduct. This session will explore challenges and opportunities of preventing and responding to student sexual violence and harassment and provide counter narratives to a dominant risk management perspective. Presenters will invite inclusive dialogue regarding integration of restorative justice and conflict resolution practices and introduce innovations that honor institutional stakeholders, missions, values and culture while balancing legal precedents, case law and mandates. This session is for anyone with a stake in how campus "justice" is modeled, taught and applied. Page 2 of 45 Wednesday Creating a Supportive Statewide Network of Restorative Justice Programs: Building Excellence in Community Conferencing Programs in Courts, Schools and Communities Gallier AB Meeting Room Eve Hanan, Baltimore, Maryland Vincent Taylor, Annapolis, Maryland Misty Fae, Parkville, Maryland Daniel Malec, Washington, DC Troi Bechet, New Orleans, Louisiana Implementing high-quality Restorative Justice programs is not an easy proposition--it involves both significant paradigm shifts and system reform as well as the meaningful engagement of citizens in resolving crimes/conflicts within their own communities. We have found that having a vibrant network of peer support and consultation--within and between programs--provides an effective way to build excellence in programs. In this institute, four coordinators from different conferencing programs will engage workshop participants in dialogue about the rewards, challenges, and visions for furthering community-based crime and conflict resolution that is cost- efficient and socially-effective. The Community Conferencing process will be described, and a short video will be shown, so participants can see conferencing "in action." Issues that frequently arise in starting and running programs, including, 1) how to adapt the program to fit local needs without sacrificing the integrity of the process, 2) identifying and training facilitators who have a high level of competency with diverse groups of people, 3) the different challenges of providing conferencing in urban, suburban and rural settings, 4) the importance of peer consultation and support, 5) working with schools, working with the criminal justice system, 6) working with neighborhoods on intractable conflicts, and 7) supporting each other's programs financially and programmatically will be discussed. Getting Engaged: Thinking with the Body in Conflict Resolution Bayside A Meeting Room Michelle LeBaron, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Carrie MacLeod, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Many conflict resolution training and intervention processes focus on mental, analytic abilities. Yet conflict lives in our bodies, settling in our sinews. When training and intervention processes befriend and include the body as the site of conflict, resolution and even transformation is more possible and durable. Body-based conflict resolution strategies literally loosen the grip of old enmities, resentments and perceptions of hopelessness. Because they tap into a human universal -physical experience -body-based strategies are also helpful in working across cultures. In this institute, we will explore how movement-based language and activities enhance effectiveness for practitioners, trainers and parties across cultures. Through the medium of the body, we will explore flexibility, third-party self-awareness, dynamics of strong emotions and safe boundaries. Internationally-acclaimed conflict resolution scholar/practitioners Michelle LeBaron and Carrie MacLeod will share their research and practice findings in experiential ways that facilitate application to participants' contexts. Page 3 of 45 Wednesday Moving Through Impasse: An Advanced Skills Based Training in Discovering Sources of Resistance and Using Customized Techniques to Create Durable Agreements Nottoway Meeting Room Nina Meierding, Bainbridge Island, Washington This interactive institute will move beyond the basic "ten techniques for breaking impasse" workshops and will explore what creates resistance to settlement. We will discuss many different concepts including boulewarism, high emotionality, externalities, mismanagement of expectations, principle, endowment effect, confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. Then we will focus on both proactive techniques such as "setting the stage" and assessment of client readiness for negotiation, as well as responsive techniques that are customized to the specific reason for resistance. Techniques will include anchoring, reframing, incubation, reality testing, use of timing, the art of engagement through sensory modality matching and mirroring. 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM FULL DAY PRECONFERENCE INSTITUTES Increasing the Mediator's Harmonic Range: Problem Solving Approaches and Systemic Questioning In Family Mediation Bayside C Meeting Room Larry Fong, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Nancy Flatters, Calgary, Alberta, Canada The focus of this advanced family training will be on increasing and adding to a mediator's range of approaches. Participants will learn to use Systemic Questioning as a catalyst to create change and enhance problem-solving with clients regardless of mediator practice orientation. Participants will be given the opportunity, through demonstration, video analysis, discussion and interactive exercises, to see and deconstruct how questions and strategic questioning approaches of a difference can move clients to future-focused problem solving and hope. It is an opportunity for mediators to improve their skills and"think about their thinking." This training is open to all; the videos and examples focus on family practice, but Systemic Questioning can be used equally well in all areas of mediation practice. Participants attending the entire training will receive a certificate of completion. 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM International Day Lunch Oakley Meeting Room 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM ACR Leadership Meeting Oak Alley, Edgewood A&B, Estherwood Meeting 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM AFTERNOON PRECONFERENCE INSTITUTES Page 4 of 45 Wednesday Elder Dispute Resolution - What Makes It So Difficult? Southdown Meeting Room Susan Butterwick, Ann Arbor, Michigan Karen Largent, Anchorage, Alaska Zena Zumeta, Ann Arbor, Michigan Mediating elder disputes requires that mediators deal with multiple parties, participants who are not physically present, family dynamics ranging over decades, and some knowledge of state law including adult guardianship, domestic violence, and Medicaid requirements. This institute will give participants an opportunity to discuss and try out methods of dealing with these challenging components of elder mediation. Getting Interpersonal Conflict Unstuck: Using the Power of Story to Transform Conflict in Personal and Professional Relationships Bayside A Meeting Room Tammy Lenski, Peterborough, New Hampshire Conflict is a story. It is a story we tell ourselves about what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. It is a story we tell others as a way to seek comfort, validation, or understanding. Such socially constructed narratives strongly influence how conflict unfolds and contribute to "stuck" conflict in personal and professional relationships. But as with any story, a conflict narrative can be rewritten. This session will explore the ways narrative influences interpersonal conflict, share successful approaches for shifting such narratives, and introduce a simple three-part framework for transforming conflict through the "rewriting" of conflict narratives. Impact of Culture and Gender on Communication and Negotiation: A Practical Skills Approach to Building Better Relationships Nottoway Meeting Room Nina Meierding, Bainbridge Island, Washington This interactive institute will focus on specific cultural and gender traits that may cause miscommunication. Different attitudes towards the allocation and use of time (monochronic and polychronic), direct or indirect speech (high and low context), relationships with others (individualist and collective), and views on uncertainty and power can create misunderstandings. Communication styles such as cross-talking, ritual opposition as well as the use of humor, validation and rapport/report speech can further create difficulties. We will explore these cultural and gender attributes, how they appear in negotiations and mediations, and discuss practical techniques for better understanding, stronger relationships, and more durable agreements. Skill Building Round Table for Active Key Bridge Foundation Mediators Gallier AB Meeting Room Donzell Robinson, Washington, DC Lewis Dabney, Washington, DC This Pre-Conference is an opportunity for Department of Justice ADA Mediation Program roster mediators active with the Key Bridge Foundation to examine trends, explore challenging issues, discuss best practices and share experiences in mediating ADA complaints. This will be combined with skill building around agreement writing, handling compensatory relief, and changes to barrier removal requirements resulting from the implementation of the 2010 ADA Regulations. Page 5 of 45 Wednesday 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM Exhibit Hall Open Grand ABC Meeting Room 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Orientation for First Time Conference Attendees Oak Alley Meeting Room 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Welcome Reception in Exhibit Hall Grand ABC Meeting Room 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Health Care Section Meeting Edgewood AB Meeting Room 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM Spirituality Section Gathering Southdown Meeting Room Thursday 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Yoga Bayside A Meeting Room 8:00 AM - 7:30 PM Exhibit Hall Open Grand ABC Meeting Room 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM Conference Plenary - Keynote Address Armstrong Ballroom Meeting Room Leymah Gbowee, Monrovia, Liberia 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Break Grand ABC Meeting Room 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM FAA group meeting Evergreen Meeting Room Page 6 of 45 Thursday 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MINI PLENARY SESSIONS Film and Conflict Transformation: the "Not In Our Town" Model of Intervention Nottoway Meeting Room Patrice O'Neill, Oakland, California Frank Dukes, Charlottesville, Virginia At a moment when our country is deeply divided, are there narratives that lead us away from hatred toward the better angels of our nature? Combining film and community organizing, Not In Our Town (NIOT) documents stories about people standing up for their neighbors. Whether an anti-immigration murder, school bullying, or natural resource and cultural conflict, NIOT supports the amazing force of people who stand up to hate and intolerance and work to create better, safer, more inclusive places. Filmmaker Patrice O'Neill will discuss the NIOT story and offer lessons for those working to transform their own communities. On the Cutting Edge: Tech Innovations for Working with Families and Other Clients Oak Alley Meeting Room Colin Rule, San Jose, California Susanne Terry, Danville, Vermont David Specht, Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts David Stein, JD, San Francisco, California This presentation is designed to address some of the needs of today's clients that call for new methods of communicating, managing data, exchanging documents, and supporting clients in self-determination. In the session, conflict resolution specialists working with families and other clients will: • look at circumstances that are demanding new and different ways of communicating • explore types of technical innovations that can help support communication and negotiation • address best practices for use of on-line and other tech resources The session will demonstrate a number of the newest tools and how you can use them in your practice. Page 7 of 45 Thursday Strengthening Democracy: Encouraging Civil Discourse During Contentious Times Grand Chenier Meeting Room Mary Jacksteit, Takoma Park, Maryland Le'Kedra Robinson, New Orleans, Louisiana Alberto Olivas, Tempe, Arizona Shari Capra, Phoenix, Arizona Conflict resolution and its sibling practice field, Dialogue and Deliberation, are about supporting constructive conversations be they mediations, interest-based negotiations, policy consensus-building, or dialogues about divisive issues. Mostly the impact of these conversations is on the particular parties engaged in the process with and resolution of a specific conflict is the intended goal. Even so, many practitioners have an awareness of the "culture shift" implications of their work –the ripple, cumulative societal effect of using non- adversarial means to address differences. But some process work has an explicit goal of strengthening our democratic system, local, state and national. We need more of this, and more people doing it. Our country needs the skills of dispute resolvers to support constructive conversations that both produce ideas for solving knotty problems and demonstrate that people with different beliefs, backgrounds and identities can talk and work together. This Mini-Plenary will feature several different examples of such work. We hope to not only inform but also inspire a spirited discussion about the needs and opportunities presented by the challenges to governance and politics that we're experiencing in the US today. The Obama Effect: How talking about Race Has Gotten Harder and Easier in Recent Years Bayside C Meeting Room David Campt, Pasadena, California While most fair-mined observers have long dismissed the idea of a post-racial nation, people have differences of opinion about whether the ascendency of the President Obama has made it more or less difficult for mediators and facilitators to address issues of race. Using audience polling systems and facilitated small group dialogue to make the session highly interactive, this mini-plenary will tap into participants' concerns, triumphs, and difficult experiences about addressing issues related to race and diversity. By conclusion, participants will have generated a prioritized list of lessons learned about how to steer diversity discussions and conversational potholes toward the path of greater connectedness. EXPERIENTIAL SESSION Dancing at the Crossroads: Body-Based Ways of Transforming Conflict Across Cultures Bayside A Meeting Room Michelle LeBaron, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Carrie MacLeod, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Many conflict resolution training and intervention processes focus on mental, analytic abilities. Yet conflict lives in our bodies, settling in our sinews. When training and intervention processes befriend and include the body as the site of conflict, resolution and even transformation is more possible and durable. Body-based conflict resolution strategies literally loosen the grip of old enmities, resentments and perceptions of hopelessness. Because they tap into a human universal -physical experience -body-based strategies are also helpful in working across cultures. In this session, we will explore how movement-based language and activities enhance effectiveness for practitioners, trainers and parties across cultures. Through the medium of the body, we will explore flexibility, third-party self-awareness, dynamics of strong emotions and safe boundaries. Internationally-acclaimed conflict resolution scholar/practitioners Michelle LeBaron and Carrie MacLeod will share their research and practice findings in experiential ways that facilitate application to participants' contexts. Page 8 of 45 Thursday 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Networking Lunch (Sponsored by Kennesaw State University) Grand ABC Meeting Room Authors' Corner in the Exhibit Hall Grand ABC Meeting Room Higher Education Meeting (Designated table at Networking Lunch) Grand ABC Meeting Room Spirituality Section Meeting Bayside A Meeting Room 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Family Section Meeting Bayside C Meeting Room 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Bridging the Barriers of Defensiveness Evergreen Meeting Room Donna Soules, Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada As a behavioral response to a perceived threat or attack, defensiveness can be a gift – exploring the sources of defensiveness provides opportunities for breakthroughs. Most conflicts involve defensive behaviors. When people feel judged, attacked, or falsely accused, barriers quickly arise. When people defend their self-image (face-saving), constructive listening and understanding become confused, and these barriers can derail communication. Mutually-accepted outcomes are sacrificed if these behaviors are not addressed. Listening becomes more difficult and positions can become cemented. Left unaddressed, defensiveness can hijack the real issues. Building Bridges Locally and Globally: Crossing Community Divides in the US, Nigeria, Israel, and the Great Lakes Region of Africa Grand Chenier Meeting Room Rezarta Bilali, Boston, Massachusetts Eben Weitzman, Boston, Massachusetts Darren Kew, Boston, Massachusetts David Matz, Boston, Massachusetts UMass Boston Conflict Resolution faculty members will engage the audience with their most recent initiatives to bridge divides between communities in conflict across the globe. The presenters will discuss a wide range of approaches (e.g., intergroup dialogues, open space technology, media interventions, education programs) they have employed in contexts as diverse as conflicts in the US, Nigeria, Israel, and Great Lakes Region of Africa. The strength and success of these programs rests on their ability to incorporate appropriate conflict intervention models that match the particular characteristics of each conflict, cultural context, as well as the needs of the targeted communities. Page 9 of 45 Thursday Coaching in Mediation: Appropriate or Not? Oakley Meeting Room Rebecca Magruder, St. Charles, Missouri While there are differences between coaching and mediation, there are also similarities, particularly the professional's philosophy of practice and the skills needed for both roles. Mediators who embrace client self-determination, who think of mediation as problem-solving conversations, who are open to any direction the clients may wish to venture, and who think of themselves as balanced instead of neutral, may find themselves in situations in which clients are asking for help beyond what a mediator in the traditional role may provide. This workshop will explore the overlap between coaching and mediation and the strategies that a mediator might use to remain balanced. Conflict Resolution Higher Education: The State of the Field Grand D Meeting Room Tamra Pearson d'Estree, Denver, Colorado Sherrill Hayes, Kennesaw, Georgia Brian Polkinghorn, Salisbury, Maryland Neil Katz, Jupiter, Florida Jannie Botes, Baltimore, Maryland The number of colleges and universities offering conflict resolution-related degrees and certificate programs has grown rapidly. This workshop explores the state of the field of higher education in conflict resolution. The speakers will review the history of the field's development, the curricular content of undergraduate degree programs in the United States and Canada, and current programmatic developments and curricular trends in both the English speaking world and in Latin America. Also examined will be trends in establishing Peace and Conflict programs in war-torn countries. Finally, this review will be connected to ACR's initiative to develop model guidelines for higher education programs, and how the challenges of defining and mapping the field have impacted the attempt to develop model guidelines for programs in this field. Cyberbullying and Homophobia in Schools and Workplaces: Prevention and Response Strategies Southdown Meeting Room Priscilla Prutzman, Nyack, New York Bill Warters, Detroit, Michigan This interactive session will begin with a discussion of types of bullying, cyberbullying and homophobia and then will explore ways of preventing and interrupting bullying and cyberbullying. Participants will role play interrupting cyberbullying and examine ways of increasing empathy and making environments safer and more welcoming for everyone. New tools and web apps will be presented as additional ways to respond to bullying, cyberbullying and homophobia. La Gestión de Conflictos en Relactiones Familiares con Desequilibrio de Poder Causado por Adicciones, Enfermedad Mental y Violencia / Management of Conflicts in Family Relationships with Disequilibrium Caused by Addictions, Mental Illness and Violence Grand Couteau Meeting Room Ramón Alzate, San Sebastian, Guipuzkoa, Spain Cristina Merino, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain Page 10 of 45 Thursday Mandatory Mediation in the People's Court: Las Vegas Justice Court Pilot Program Grand E Meeting Room Barbara Strahl, Las Vegas, Nevada Malcolm White, Las Vegas, Nevada DelShanna Moore, Las Vegas, Nevada In 2011, Las Vegas Justice Court Chief Judge Karen-Bennett Haron encouraged the implementation of a Mandatory Mediation of Small Claims cases pilot, and rules authorizing the program were approved by the Supreme Court of the State of Nevada. The Neighborhood Justice Center (NJC), which is a part of Las Vegas Justice Court, implemented the program. As a community mediation center celebrating its 20th year, the NJC had traditionally mediated only cases where parties entered into mediation voluntarily. The new mandatory program brought a number of challenges, and required changes to the infrastructure and mediator selection and presence. On the whole, the program has been very successful. Statistics from the first year of the pilot will be discussed in terms of client satisfaction, impact on the court, agreement rates and mediator qualifications and preparation. Information and recommendations from an evaluation of the program will be presented. ODR Tools for Bringing Parties Together Nottoway Meeting Room Daniel Rainey, Washington, DC Andrew Nordgren, Washington, DC Denise Hedges, Washington, DC LoValerie Mullins, Washington, DC Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) is, generally, the use of technology to assist in dispute resolution. With ODR, parties can use web-based conferencing to prepare for bargaining sessions, to hold bargaining sessions, or to prepare contract language without having to meet face to face. Parties can use online brainstorming to discuss ideas and prepare for the development of solutions to mutually identified problems. ODR technology can also be used in face to face sessions to manage information and make the sessions more efficient. With ODR, parties can initiate online workspaces that can be configured to offer secure document sharing and joint editing of documents. Join us in an interactive session exploring the benefits of ODR technology. During the session we will: Overview ADR practices, share in an online brainstorming activity, share in an online consensus building activity, edit and exchange a document in a secure online environment, and respond to questions and feedback from the participants. Laptop recommended. The Psychology of Conflict from Theory to Practice Estherwood Meeting Room Bernie Behrend, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Selina Shultz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Parties in conflict need to decide what to do next. This workshop will explore the psychology of conflict and the decision making process and how it influences the behavior of the participants and the mediator during the mediation session. An understanding of the psychology of conflict and decision-making can be integrated into a comprehensive approach to the mediation process that propels effective mediator intervention. The session will concentrate on psychological traps that impact decision making by the parties and the mediator. Page 11 of 45 Thursday The State of Community Mediation Bayside B Meeting Room Justin Corbett, Mesa, Arizona Wendy Corbett, Mesa, Arizona Community mediation is a diverse network of programs helping address all manner of conflicts within their local communities. Comprised of 400 local programs, 1,300 professional staff members, 25,000 volunteer mediators, and serving nearly one million citizens each year, the community mediation network is a vast, active component of the ADR landscape. This session will examine some of the key findings from NAFCM's recent comprehensive survey of community mediation. Participants will learn about the breadth of services (30+) and mediation contexts (100+) offered through local programs; the major and emerging trends; and the challenges confronting its continued growth and embedded sustainability. Transformative Discipline: A Restorative Justice Paradigm Edgewood AB Meeting Room Jolene Schillinger-Erikson, Henniker, New Hampshire Ken Erikson, Henniker, New Hampshire Transformative Discipline® brings Restorative Justice to the home, classroom and school to create an environment of connections based on the Three R's of Respect, Responsibility and Relationships. When problems occur, five levels of intervention are used. In levels four and five, which are reserved for the more serious concerns, a conference with a structured process, that is similar to mediation, is used. In addition to repairing the harm to the victim, the goals at each level are to help the offender understand the victim's perspective, take responsibility for his or her actions and develop a consequence-based decision process. Transforming Distressed Neighborhoods through Restorative Practices: A Partnership between a Community Mediation Center and Public Housing Developments Gallier AB Meeting Room Susan Norwood, New Orleans, LA Carolyn Carter, New Orleans, Louisiana Lou Furman, New Orleans, Louisiana Community Mediation Services has partnered with two new neighborhood centers created as part of the transformation and revitalization of public housing neighborhoods following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Both neighborhoods had historically experienced intense levels of violent crime as well dense populations of poverty. Our goal is to use restorative practices to create sustainable programs to cultivate resiliency and to develop positive cultural norms. Mixed-use development on these sites offers the opportunity to preserve their history and simultaneously foster a new kind of community, one where mediation and other restorative practices are integrated into the fabric of the residents' daily interactions and the policies of the administrative authority. Page 12 of 45 Thursday Transforming Marital High Conflict using a Relational Approach: New Learnings on Emotions and Neuroscience Oak Alley Meeting Room Louise Phipps Senft, Baltimore, Maryland Nan Waller Burnett, Lakewood, Colorado Transformative mediation proposes the resolution of conflicts through acknowledgement and learning to deal with high emotions and sensitive issues. The transformative approach creates an open, transparent and neutral setting that fosters empowerment and informed decision- making. This session will describe the use of the transformative approach with parties engaged in high conflict in which core matters that enable the communication process, such as trust, have been previously compromised. An effective and responsible transformative process can have profound effects on the resolution of conflicts in marriages, family and workplace relationships and on high conflict resolution theory and practice. What Mediators Can & Cannot do to Facilitate Forgiveness Bayside A Meeting Room Myra Warren Isenhart, Littleton, Colorado Michael Spangle, Arvada, Colorado Forgiveness is a critical boundary between agreements that merely manage a conflict and those that result in lasting changes. This workshop will consider the willingness of those in conflict to extend forgiveness to those who have harmed them and asked for forgiveness. The role of mediators in enhancing such willingness will be addressed. We will explore what is known about willingness to forgive by drawing on literature from communication, psychology, and religion, as well as our own recent study. We will cover sources of and remedies for divisions within families and organizational units. Applications for conflict management practitioners will be highlighted. Workplace Mediation Challenges: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly from EEOC ADR Practitioners Bayside C Meeting Room Jennifer Ortiz Prather, Houston, Texas Katherine Perez, San Antonio, Texas Ever wonder how your Federal Government serves the public and how you can get involved? This is a skills based workshop on ADR and mediation challenges, including workplace and employment discrimination disputes, presented by EEOC personnel who interact on a daily basis with the private sector. This session will explain how EEOC gets involved and how they address challenging scenarios such as workplace bullying/retaliation and generational conflicts. This lively presentation on the EEOC and hot topic scenarios for workplace disputes will focus on knowledge sharing and the development of skills for working with difficult situations. Experienced practitioners will provide insights on how private sector ADR professionals can increase their involvement and discuss both the skills-needed and ADR opportunities for participants. 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Authors' Corner in the Exhibit Hall Grand ABC Meeting Room Break Grand ABC Meeting Room Page 13 of 45 Thursday 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM A BOLD Initiative for Change: Transforming Our Response to Conflict Nottoway Meeting Room Marvin Johnson, Silver Spring, Maryland Rachel Wohl, Annapolis, Maryland Nick White, Annapolis, Maryland Heather Fogg, Annapolis, Maryland What do you do when you have worked to develop a statewide conflict resolution infrastructure in the courts, community mediation, state government, schools, and the private sector; yet there has not been a fundamental change in how the public responds to conflict? You get BOLD! The Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO) is collaborating with other conflict resolution groups, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland to develop a statewide behavior change initiative focused on changing how people respond to conflict. Think anti-smoking, HIV, and drunk driving campaigns. Now learn how we are applying behavior change models to conflict. Conflict Consultant's Road Map Grand E Meeting Room Karmit Bulman, Minneapolis, Minnesota Mariah Levison, Minneapolis, Minnesota This highly interactive workshop, derived from recent research, will provide a roadmap for mediators who wish to offer clients a new and innovative conflict resolution service designed for one party. Conflict consultants offer clients a neutral, confidential and empowering process designed to transform conflict. Through emotional expression, teaching of conflict resolution skills, and creation of a conflict action plan, clients can move from feeling stuck, to a place of hopefulness. This workshop, through group and individual exercises, role plays and group exploration, will help participants form a foundation for working as conflict consultants. Participants will learn about the stages of conflict consulting and key skills that can be taught to clients. The sources and types of conflict, resolution styles and the physiology of conflict will also be discussed. Creating Community Within Diverse Groups: Strategies for Transforming Risk to Resilience Oakley Meeting Room Roberta Heydenberk, Richlandtown, Pennsylvania Warren Heydenberk, Richlandtown, Pennsylvania This session will provide a research based model for creating community within groups, which harnesses the power of diverse talents and perspectives while maintaining a strong sense of group belonging and mutual respect. Strategies from the model will be provided. These strategies have been shown to enhance a sense of community connectedness, understanding, and respect within schools and in the workplace. Foundational principles will be elucidated and resources will be provided for customizing strategies to meet participants' needs. Page 14 of 45 Thursday El Medio Ambiente: Un Conflicto Mediable del Siglo XXI / The Environment: A Mediatable Conflict of the 21st Century (Bilingual Session) Grand Couteau Meeting Room Walter Wright, San Marcos, Texas Mario de Almeida, Buenos Aires, Argentina Antonio Feregotto, Buenos Aires, Argentina Alicia Garayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina La Conferencia se centrará sobre los conflictos que se han originado en las ciudades de Trelew, provincia de Chubut y Famatina, provincia de La Rioja. En las que dos empresas mineras pretenden explotar sendas minas de oro y la población ha opuesto una resis-tencia que les impide llevar adelante el proyecto. El conflicto en la primera ciudad lleva varios años y en la segunda en la actualidad se está viviendo un momento de mucha tensión. Creemos que la medición o los diálogos participativos son métodos adecuados para superar la conflictividad que viven dichas poblaciones. Fits and Sputters of Getting an Elder Mediation Program off the Ground Southdown Meeting Room Joy Rosenthal, New York, New York Priscilla Prutzman, Nyack, New York Rod Wells, Cornwall, New York Creative Decision Making for Elders is a project of Creative Response to Conflict (CRC), which is based in Nyack, New York. This session will provide an overview of the steps our cross- disciplinary team took to establish our elder mediation program. We will share information about challenges and opportunities we have faced in marketing, dealing with the press, outreach to the community, pricing, and co-mediation. Participants and presenters will brainstorm ways elder mediators can use technology to continue to support each other as we return to our own communities. Growing Use of Collaborative Processes Leading to Diversified Topics, Clients and Expectations Bayside A Meeting Room Kristy Buckley, British Columbia, , Canada Robyn Paulekas, Dillon, Colorado The past three decades have seen a dramatic paradigm shift towards decision making with an increased focus on collaboration, inclusive approaches, and multi-stakeholder processes. This has lead to an increased need for ADR skill sets across a much broader and more diverse set of issues and challenges. This session will describe Meridian Institute's experience working on international climate and land use processes and how ADR methods can be adapted to these unique policy contexts, clients and stakeholder groups. We will also share some lessons learned in linking more flexible and less traditional approaches to reporting on outcomes, given the often indirect connection between good processes and observable, measurable results. Page 15 of 45 Thursday Intersection of Language and Dialogue Evergreen Meeting Room Leila Peterson, Alexandria, Virginia Michael Smith, Fairfax, Virginia In a global society, creating understanding across differences in language and culture is increasingly important. Participants will learn about new research into cross-cultural dialogue between native and non-native English speakers. This research builds on an innovative partnership between the English Language Institute and the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, which allows students to simultaneously learn English, dialogue skills and theory. We will explore research evaluating the course, including the use of art and drama to enhance learning, and discuss the implications for better understanding the intersection of language, dialogue and culture. Mediating Trauma: Peace and Reconciliation in Rwanda Post Genocide Oak Alley Meeting Room Wendy Lucas Wood, Berkeley, California Emily Gould, Montpelier, Vermont Caryn Espo, Los Angeles, California Mark Baril, Oakland, California Seventeen years post-genocide, Rwanda is a stunning example of post-conflict recovery. The government has waged a unity and reconciliation campaign that has made possible the unimaginable – former aggressors and the families of their victims living side by side. In addition to the innumerable necessities of rebuilding, the country has grappled with the issue of trauma recovery and the mechanism of forgiveness. Through photos, lecture, narrative, and experiential exercises, the presenters from Mediators Beyond Borders International and The Karuna Project will present their work in Rwanda and offer a deeper understanding of the effects of trauma and violence and how peace and healing can be supported. Obama vs Romney: Constructive Conflict or Political Charade (or both) A Conflict Interveners Perspective on the Presidential Election Edgewood AB Meeting Room Bernie Mayer, Kingsville, Ontario, Canada In less than eight weeks, we will be experience the denouement of our quadrennial foray into national self-definition and democratic decision making. Of course, a big element of this is a political and media circus, but hopefully something more important is going on as well. At its best, presidential elections are opportunities to grapple with the most important issue of our time, to look to the lessons learned from the past, to struggle with the challenges of the day, and to contend with competing visions of the future. Unfortunately, elections can also breed cynicism, polarization, and recourse to simplistic answers to difficult problems. As conflict professionals, we deal with the challenge of helping people engage in a constructive conflict process every day of our working lives. Many of us have also worked on creating forums to engender genuine, passionate, and respectful dialogue among people who have profoundly different points of view. In this forum, which will be a facilitated discussion among those participating, we look at this election through the lens of conflict specialists. We will consider how we can frame the most important issues in a constructive way, how we can delve underneath the political rhetoric to look at the values, concerns, and narratives of the key players and the constituencies they represent and are appealing to. We will also consider how to promote interactions among citizens who support opposing candidates that will build on the opportunity an election provides to bring us together—and not simply exacerbate our differences. Page 16 of 45 Thursday Parenting Coordination and Arbitration: Innovation and Family Dispute Resolution Gallier AB Meeting Room Nancy Flatters, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Larry Fong, Alberta, Calgary, Canada Arnie Shienvold, Harrisburg, Pennsylvnia When family disputes remain unresolved, "What next?" "How long?" "What cost?" become the questions. With children, "How long?" takes on an added dimension of importance. One answer is parenting coordination, a relatively new, hybrid process that may include an arbitration component. Very few family professionals understand this efficient process. Resolution by arbitration, for conflicts affecting children, has the potential for an expeditious process resulting in a final decision. This session will address the principles and requirements for arbitration and decision generation. It will also explore practice differences for third party decision-makers as compared to their usual professional orientation. Separation Agreements: Navigating the Risks for the Mediator Grand D Meeting Room Bob O'Connor, Asheville, North Carolina Mediators assisting divorcing parties face many challenges not found in other types of mediations. Never do emotions run higher than when children are involved. Who gets primary custody? How will visitation be determined or divided? How will support amounts be decided? There are also marital assets that need to be divided, tax consequences to be considered, and a long list of other items to be negotiated and then memorialized in a separation agreement. Non-lawyer mediators need to know what they can and cannot do to assist clients with these agreements and avoid being charged with the unauthorized practice of law. This session will help mediators assess the risks and navigate more safely as they practice their craft. Straight Thinking: Common Logical Fallacies Conflict Resolvers Experience Estherwood Meeting Room Brian Bloch, Potomac, Maryland We often succumb to unclear thinking in our day-to-day lives. How much more so do those we work with when faced with a situation causing them angst. Fallacies often seem reasonable, but when looked at carefully, they muddy our thinking and often lead to choosing decisions later regretted. In this quick paced presentation, we will cover the most common fallacies I have found in my Ombuds/facilitation/mediation work and how to remedy them. This presentation draws from "Straight and Crooked Thinking" by Thouless, and "How to Win An Argument" by Gilbert. The Art and Science of Accessing the Mind: Brain Based Strategies for Effective Decision Making, Conflict Resolution, and Creative Sustainable Agreements Grand Chenier Meeting Room Jennifer Kresge, Saint Helena, California This workshop will explore the importance of an organic understanding of cause and effect and its influence on our minds. We will address the working of the brain, how power imbalances, environment, and motivation organically affect our ability to negotiate, and how to create the optimal climate for a neurologically sound agreement. We will learn about true decision making, conflict resolution and what sustainability really means. You will leave this interactive skill building workshop with practical strategies for effective use of the mind. Page 17 of 45 Thursday Use of Mediation to Forge Strategic Alliance Bayside C Meeting Room Lisa Pomerantz, Bohemia, New York In today's economy, success often depends on identifying and partnering with other market participants, including suppliers and resellers, vendors of complementary products and services, and other companies with similar target markets. Strategic alliance participants must identify and pursue synergistic opportunities, while minimizing collaboration transaction costs. In the adversarial negotiation model, each party's interest in structuring an effective combination may be overshadowed by concerns about protecting its own interests. Thus, the parties or their attorneys may avoid raising or confronting some difficult but essential issues in structuring the alliance. Similarly, they may hesitate to propose compromise arrangements that may enhance productive aspects of the alliance. This workshop will show how mediators can assist strategic partners in recognizing and overcoming these obstacles. Where's the Catchy Slogan? Bayside B Meeting Room Donzell Robinson, Washington, DC ACR's Public Education Committee is responsible for developing plans for, and leading the implementation of, programs to raise the awareness and understanding of the options available for resolving conflicts, and when and how to access high quality conflict resolution services. In this program, the leaders of this Committee will provide members of ACR information about how to see what's going on with the rest of ACR as well as ways to promote the ACR "Brand". 5:45 PM - 7:30 PM Exhibitors Reception and Silent Auction Grand ABC Meeting Room 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Education Section Meeting Grand E Meeting Room Friday 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Yoga Bayside A Meeting Room 7:30 AM - 8:45 AM ACR Membership Meeting and Breakfast Armstrong Ballroom Meeting Room Commercial Section Meeting Grand E Meeting Room 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Exhibit Hall Open Grand ABC Meeting Room Page 18 of 45 Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Advanced Commercial Mediation Institute (Day 1) Grand Chenier Meeting Room The Advanced Commercial Mediation Institute ("ACMI") is an educational forum designed to further develop advanced skills of professionals experienced in mediating 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 full A.C.E. credit for the year 2012. 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM ACR InPublic: Promoting Legislative & Public Policies that Protect and Advance Alternatives for Dispute Resolution - Part I: Public Policy Positions to Believe In Southdown Meeting Room Frances Mossman, Honolulu, Hawaii Jeffrey Cohen, Albany, New York Lewis Dabney, Washington, DC Nancy Flatters, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Russell Gerrard, Holladay, Utah James Rosenstein, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania This workshop is presented by the ACR Legislative & Public Policy Committee and will describe ACR's National Program including: (1) objectives, structure and process; (2) policies and guidelines; (3) issues; (4) policy initiatives; (5) action plan; (6) section programs; and (7) chapter programs. Ideas and issues highlighted in the Spring 2012 edition of the ACResolution magazine, entitled "Commercial Mediators+ in the Public Eye," will be discussed.Certificates of Completion will be issued to individuals attending both Parts I and II of the ACRInPublic Workshops. They are a pre-requisite to more advanced and special topic public policy programs to be offered in the future. At Last - Advanced Practitioner Membership Status for all Practitioners Oakley Meeting Room Susanne Terry, Danville, Vermont Kim Bunker, Alpharetta, Georgia Jonathan Rosenthal, Annapolis, Maryland This informational and interactive session is a significant step in the establishing of the new Academy of Advanced Practitioners of ACR (AAP ACR). Jonathan Rosenthal, our Section Director, Kim Bunker, Chapters Director 2009 - 2012, and Susanne Terry, Board Member will present the fundamental thinking and practicalities which are the basis of this exciting new innovation in ACR. For the first time in our history, mediators other than Family or Workplace, and practitioners other than mediators will be able to achieve Advanced Practitioner status. This membership status has been designed so that practitioners using a variety of skill sets (facilitation, coaching, system design, etc.) or who are mediators in an area other than family may be able to receive the full benefits of Advanced Practitioner status as well as use this in their promotional material. The session will feature a discussion directed toward helping shaping the guidelines and process for being designated an AAP ACR member. Page 19 of 45 Friday Bringing the Reality of the Aging Process into Elder Mediation Training Edgewood AB Meeting Room Catherine Tornbom, Tuscon, Arizona Beverly Heasley, Tucson, Arizona Aging brings physical, emotional, psychological, and social changes to individuals that may lead to conflict between elders and their family members and impact the mediation process. This innovative approach to elder mediation training introduces specially designed empathic exercises in which participants experience the sensory, physical, and emotional losses associated with aging. Participants will increase their understanding of the physical and emotional changes that accompany aging and their impact on elder and family dynamics and on the mediator. Challenges for Mediation and the Occupy Movement Oak Alley Meeting Room Alan Gross, New York, New York Bathabile Mthombeni, New York, New York Dorit Cypis, Los Angeles, California Prabha Sankaranarayan, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvnia The Occupy movement has developed into a powerful global channel for civic dissent. Activists have embraced Occupy as a means for expressing frustration especially about increasing economic disparity. However, some movement ideals, especially horizontal democracy, create challenges for effective organization and often lead to internal conflict. Mediators have attempted to intervene to facilitate meetings, resolve conflicts, and introduce processes with only limited success. This session will explore how conflict resolvers are dealing with these challenges, how Occupy has adapted tools such as non-verbal signals and rotating facilitation that conform to its ideals, and how these techniques have applications in more standard settings. Diversity of Practice -- Mapping Our Field -- Finding Our Way Grand D Meeting Room Lou Gieszl, Annapolis, Maryland Cheryl Jamison, Annapolis, Maryland Marvin Johnson, Silver Spring, Maryland Howard Gadlin, Bethesda, Maryland This engaging session is designed to help people identify new directions for their practice. By taking a broad look at the field of dispute resolution and its underlying principles, and by working on clear descriptions of all the processes that fit under the ADR umbrella, participants in this workshop will develop a clearer vision of the field and their future roles in it. The session builds on ACR's diversity of practice initiative and original research conducted to support it. Page 20 of 45 Friday Higher Education's Growing Divide Gallier AB Meeting Room Nancy Giacomini, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania Ryan Holmes, El Paso, Texas Jay Wilgus, Ann Arbor, Michigan Student Judicial Affairs has incorporated recent national trends and recommendations by moving away from the criminal justice language of the past. "Judicial Affairs" has been replaced with "Student Conduct", both on campuses and in the foremost national association serving conduct practitioners. Mediation has been incorporated to supplement formal hearing processes, and evidentiary standards have been changed to mimic civil rather than criminal venues. Yet moving the field from a dominant right's and risk management perspective towards one that embraces the values, principles and practices found in conflict resolution, restorative justice and social justice has been hindered by everything from budgets to backlashes. Join higher education thought leaders to take stock of the present status of student conduct practice and consider the significance of supporting campus communities in a shift towards conduct and conflict management practices that integrate conflict resolution, restorative and social justice. Including Juveniles in Conflict Resolution Processes: Facts, Myths and Speculations Estherwood Meeting Room Randy Fisher, Columbus, Ohio LaTanya Moss, Blacklick, Ohio The session is designed to enable conflict resolvers to work more effectively with youth, or adults and youth, within a controlled conflict management setting. The session will describe specific techniques, strategies and tools to engage youth in the conflict resolution process. The participants will be exposed to proven strategies and techniques to obtain more effective, youth-driven and longer lasting agreements. Mediación Preventiva: Método de Resolución de Conflictos a Medida Socioeducativa / Preventive Mediation: A Socioeducative Means for Resolving Conflicts (Bilingual Session) Grand Couteau Meeting Room Mario de Almeida, Buenos Aires, Argentina Susana Galusso Peña, Montevideo, Uruguay En la sesión analizará los métodos adecuados para que se conozcan los procesos de mediación que posibiliten a los individuos generar soluciones propias frente a los conflictos declarados. Cambiando el foco del proceso a una etapa anterior al naci-miento del conflicto, estaremos aplicando mediación preventiva. Se insistirá en el diseño de estructuras que faciliten la comunicación interpersonal dentro de los ámbitos normales donde se mueven los sistemas y sub-sistemas fami-liares, vecinales, laborales, organizacionales, educativos y todos aquellos en los que se permita trabajar en la prevención. Page 21 of 45 Friday Reaching Across the Fence: Learning with and from Others Grand E Meeting Room Mara Schoeny, Arlington, Virginia Gloria Rhodes, Harrisonburg, Virginia Alma Abdul Hadi Jadallah , Washington, DC Frank Dukes, Charlottesville, Virginia As much as we would like to reach out and help, at times we forget that others may need us to listen and learn before we can find mutually beneficial ways to partner. This workshop is for conflict resolution practitioners interested in examining the challenges and opportunities that come with working with new audiences, across inter-group, professional and organizational fences. Three examples of cooperative learning will be shared: an inter-professional conflict resolution education course for nurses, an open space methodology for discussing emerging Arab issues called "Salam to Kalam," and an initiative titled "University and Community Action for Racial Equity." Service Learning as a Reflective Practice Model: Cultivating Ethical Connections in Communities Engaged in Conflict Bayside B Meeting Room Gina Cerasani, Fairfax, Virginia Lori-Ann Stephensen, Oakton, Virginia The School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution's Undergraduate Experiential Learning Project (UELP) is developing pedagogy for Service Learning Intensives (currently in Liberia, Colombia, and West Virginia) as a way of engaging students in a practice of conflict resolution while developing a reciprocal relationship with partner organizations in a community. The presentation will draw examples from Service Learning Intensives (SLIs), and will focus on the ways in which facilitators help students develop a reflective practice, as well as the development, benefits and challenges of this model. Sexual Orientation and Communities of Faith: Shifting Relationships Through Reflective, Structured Dialogue Evergreen Meeting Room Robert Stains, Watertown, Massachusetts The Public Conversations Project has worked with international, national and local organizations for 13 years to create constructive conversations about sexual orientation and religious faith that enhance understanding and shift relationships. In this experiential workshop, participants will work with case vignettes to learn about the process of Reflective Structured Dialogue and how its components can be adapted to local organizational needs. Preparing dialogue participants for their most constructive engagement will be a special focus. Taming the Abrasive Manager: How to End Unnecessary Roughness in the Workplace Bayside C Meeting Room Patricia Porter, San Antonio, Texas Workplace bullying and harassment are hot topics for discussion. There are a number of programs, strategies, and resources for the targets of workplace bullying behaviors, but few that address how to intervene and change the abrasive boss' behaviors. This session discusses and defines the behaviors, assumptions, and research findings surrounding abrasive leaders and why they do what they do. We will discuss management's typical response to their abrasive leaders and what they need to do to intervene. Participants will be given an overview of the Boss Whispering coaching method. Page 22 of 45 Friday Training for Trainers Bayside A Meeting Room Sue Bronson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Power point presentations are over used! This in-depth, participatory workshop will present adult education theory and methodology as well as skill building techniques for both new and experienced trainers. Together we will tackle your toughest concerns. Learn to develop effective experiential learning activities. Get tips on facilitating troubling behaviors of group members. Address attitudes and values central to your training and reflect on how you can help people to be more successful. Working with Multiple Parties and Issues in Family Business Mediation Nottoway Meeting Room Richard Lutringer, New York, New York Erica Garay, New York, New York The closely-held partnership, LLC or corporation, creates challenges for its owners in good times and bad. Unresolved disputes among the owners over such things as the fairness of executive compensation, owner dividends/distributions, the expansion of the business, or the sale of the business to third parties can cause deadlocks, expensive and uncertain litigation and devastating effects on the business. Learn how mediation can help the parties resolve the issues in practical ways the courts cannot, saving the business, the owners' financial future and, perhaps, their relationships. 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Authors' Corner in the Exhibit Hall Grand ABC Meeting Room Break Grand ABC Meeting Room 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM ACR InPublic: Promoting Legislative & Public Policies that Protect and Advance Alternatives for Dispute Resolution - Part II: How to Play the Game to Win Southdown Meeting Room Frances Mossman, Honolulu, Hawaii Jeffrey Cohen, Albany, New York Lewis Dabney, Washington, DC Nancy Flatters, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Russell Gerrard, Holladay, Utah James Rosenstein, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania This workshop, which is presented by the ACR Legislative & Public Policy Committee, focuses on four key topics to help ACR members get involved and be effective at the Community, State and National Levels in public policy issues. Resources and online capabilities available to ACR members will be featured, along with instructions on how to access and use these member benefits. The topics are: (1) how to develop and promote local public policy positions, (2) how to research and track legislation, (3) how to prepare and deliver effective testimony at legislative hearings and public meetings, and (4) how to increase public awareness about alternative dispute resolution. Certificates of Completion will be issued to individuals attending both Parts I and II of the ACRInPublic Workshops. They are a pre- requisite to more advanced and special topic public policy programs to be offered in the future. Page 23 of 45 Friday Advancing Diversity and Equity in ACR and the Field Grand D Meeting Room Cynthia Alm, Honolulu, Hawaii Maria Volpe, New York, New York Tajae Gaynor, Bronx, New York Marvin Johnson, Silver Spring, Maryland Angela Tolbert, Little Rock, Arkansas This session will cover ACR's Diversity and Equity Policy, obstacles to advancing diversity and equity in the field and within ACR, and ideas and innovations for overcoming those barriers. The program will cover diversity and equity from a broad perspective and also as it relates to the commercial area. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their perspectives and make recommendations for advancing diversity and equity in ACR. Bridging Divides: Israeli and US Community Mediation Centers' Cross-Cultural Collaboration Nottoway Meeting Room Rachel Wohl, Annapolis, Maryland Mark Kleiman, Jamaica, New York Ran Kuttner, Omaha, Nebraska Join Israeli Community Mediation leaders (via Skype) discussing their joint project with Mediators Beyond Borders, pairing Community Mediation Centers (CMC) in Israeli "mixed cities" (with high Arab and immigrant populations), and Jerusalem, with CMCs in the USA. .Learn about the Israeli CMCs community building work bridging divides to defuse dangerous tensions and promote cross-cultural relationships in deeply divided communities. Gishurim (an Israeli organization that provides support for CMCs) will also be paired with its US counterpart. Through immersive relationships, these centers and programs will strengthen and expand each other's work for peace in troubled US and Israeli communities. Circles for Families: Giving Children a Voice Oakley Meeting Room Elizabeth Vastine, Chicago, Illinois Martha Mills, Chicago, Illinois Peter Newman, Chicago, Illinois Restorative processes, particularly the circle process, may provide an alternative to traditional family court proceedings for amenable families. It can break down barriers, change communication patterns and start to build relationships within families. It can enable them to address and resolve ongoing issues related to custody, support and visitation without court intervention. This workshop will examine a restorative pilot project for non-married parents within the Parentage & Child Support Court of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois that focuses on the participation of children in the circle process. Children with the capacity and maturity to participate are invited to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences simultaneously with both parents to assist in the problem solving and decision making process. Page 24 of 45 Friday Conflict Resolution Challenges and Solutions in the Healthcare Setting Evergreen Meeting Room Elaine Dickhoner, Cincinnati, Ohio The healthcare setting, whether it be a hospital, clinic or office, is one in which good communication, effective relationships and strong teamwork coupled with a dynamic strategy for early conflict resolution can be of immense benefit to both direct caregivers and involved others. This setting is, by nature, highly charged emotionally due to the stress, the imminent decisions and the diverse range of personalities, values and priorities that must be addressed. This workshop will assist the conflict resolution practitioner in determining how to address the various constituencies and challenges in order to affect real solutions for the conflicts that occur. Conflict, Space and Movement Bayside A Meeting Room Julia Morelli, Alexandria, Virginia Conflict usually involves getting stuck – often on a position and in our thinking. Disputes cannot be resolved or addressed effectively without movement, and movement requires space. Come explore new ways to think about conflict using movement and space. Learn how to incorporate different techniques into your practice. As practitioners, we may believe that we are immune from the impact of someone else's conflict. However, we can all benefit from effective stress management techniques. Using mind-body practices such as yoga, qigong, and conscious breathing; you will learn how to take care of yourself so you can work with others more effectively. Creating Connections Through Coaching Bayside C Meeting Room Cinnie Noble, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Conflict management coaching, also known as conflict coaching, has steadily emerged as an ADR technique over the past 10 years. The applications are proliferating within organizations and many other contexts. Cinnie Noble is a pioneer of this one-on-one process for helping people find their way through their interpersonal disputes and for building conflict competence. In this session, Cinnie will describe the CINERGY® model of conflict management coaching and its three platforms – coaching, conflict management and neuroscience. On this foundation, she will discuss the various applications of interest to ADR practitioners and the way coaching creates connections within our field. Grow Your Conflict Resolution Business Through Virtual Collaboration and Innovation Estherwood Meeting Room Ben Ziegler, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada The world is complex, and accelerated change is the norm. To maximize our value as conflict resolution professionals, we need to collaborate and innovate. Today's digital landscape offers us unique opportunities to connect, work together, and create outcomes that are greater than our individual capacities. This workshop will show how small, diverse teams, working virtually, are ideal for generating innovative solutions to complex challenges. Participants will come away with a continuum of ideas for developing their conflict resolution business, virtually. Page 25 of 45 Friday Learning from Peace Processes in Deeply Divided Societies: The Role of Faith-Based Peacebuilders Grand E Meeting Room David Brubaker, Harrisonburg, Virginia Mozambique and Angola both gained their independence from Portugal in 1975, and each experienced violent civil conflict after independence. In 1992, both countries negotiated a peace accord, but while the agreement held in Mozambique, it failed in Angola. This workshop will present the results of research conducted this year on the role of civil society groups in both countries, particularly religious leaders, and the contributions that they made to sustainable peace. Learnings from this research can inform citizen groups in other countries who are working to reduce hostility and violence. Planes, Trains, Boats and Cars: Mediation and Child Abduction Gallier AB Meeting Room Mary Damianakis, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada Planes, trains, boats and cars can used to run away with children, or they can be used to connect and build relationships keeping the best interests of the children in the forefront. This session will provide a brief introduction to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. It will illustrate some of the potential challenges for using mediation prior to, during and after a child abduction. We will consider, "When is mediation appropriate?" and "Why and how can mediation fit?" The importance of jurisdictional issues in mediated custody and comprehensive agreements will also be explored. We will discuss how mediators can improve their mediated agreements, the types of questions and interventions that may be useful in these mediations and how they can help prevent or reduce parental abductions. Regulación Ambiental Mexicana: ¿Cuentan las leyes Ambientales Mexicanas con Incentivos para la Conciliación y la Resolución de Conflictos? / Mexican Regulatory Environment: Do Mexican Laws have Incentives for the Conciliation and Resolution of Conflicts? Grand Couteau Meeting Room Ignacio Lozano, México, D.F., Del. Álvaro Obregón, México a) Presentación de los aspectos relevantes de la legislación ambiental mexicana. b) Presentación de los espacios que pueden dar lugar a conflictos. c) Presentación de los incentivos para la conciliación. d) Discusión en equipos de trabajo (bajo el método propuesto por el ponente). e) Conclusiones grupales. Rethinking Negotiation Teaching: Theory to Practice Edgewood AB Meeting Room Sharon Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota Ken Fox, Saint Paul, Minnesota Chris Honeyman, Washington, DC The multi-year, International Rethinking Negotiation Teaching project led by the Dispute Resolution Institute at Hamline University School of Law (along with Convenor, ADR Institute Italy and with support from the JAMS Foundation) held its last conference in Beijing in 2011 and the final two volumes in the Rethinking Series have just been published. Join in an interactive discussion about the project and its practical lessons for teachers and trainers of negotiation. Page 26 of 45 Friday The Psychological Bias Against Creativity: Understanding Fear of Change, Status Quo Bias, and High Uncertainty Avoidance Oak Alley Meeting Room Nina Meierding, Bainbridge Island, Washington Why do people espouse creativity, but often reject creative ideas? We will explore how a person's fear of risk, failure, and social rejection can create tensions that may overpower the urge to try something new and different. We will look at how both status quo bias and the cultural concept of high uncertainty avoidance and situational distrust can inhibit creativity. Join us as we learn how our understanding of the above concepts (and many others) enhances our abilities as conflict resolvers to work more productively and effectively with our clients in both negotiations and mediations. 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Community Section Meeting Oakley Meeting Room CRQ Editorial Board Meeting Edgewood AB Meeting Room Susan Raines, Education Section Meeting Bayside C Meeting Room Elder Section Meeting Oak Alley Meeting Room International Section Meeting Grand Couteau Meeting Room 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Section Meetings and Lunch on Own Authors' Corner in the Exhibit Hall Grand ABC Meeting Room Workplace Section Meeting Grand E Meeting Room 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Environment and Public Policy Section Meeting Estherwood Meeting Room Page 27 of 45 Friday 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Building the Plane as You Fly: Rapidly Creating a Large Scale Civic Engagement Project Edgewood AB Meeting Room David Campt, Pasadena, California Avis Ridley-Thomas, Los Angeles, California On Leap Day 2012, several hundred residents of Los Angeles County gathered in dozens of venues to participate in a Day of Dialogue about the Economic Crisis and Community Health. This small group based civic engagement project was created in less than two months with minimal organizational infrastructure and a very small staff. The workshop will review the key lessons that other civic engagement practitioners can learn from this effort including, but not limited to, process design, the use of technology to accelerate civic engagement, outreach and communications, participant mobilization, evaluation and the relationship between dialogue and action. Cloud Collaboration: Benefiting from the Cloud while Maintaining Privacy and Security of Client Information Grand D Meeting Room Phil Robertson, Henderson, Nevada Technology changes daily allowing us to communicate further and faster than ever before. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube give us a platform to exchange ideas and information on any topic at any time. With the use of these services there has been a migration to the CLOUD. Everyone from individuals and small businesses to government agencies are increasing their interaction and reliance on the cloud. This session will provide you with an understanding of what cloud computing is, how it is used by collaborative professionals and the benefits of cloud collaboration along with how to implement a cloud computing solution and more importantly how to protect both the privacy and security of client information that resides there. Complexity Science-Increasing Intuition and Co-Created Decision Making Estherwood Meeting Room Timothy Germany, Sands Point, New York This highly interactive workshop will introduce participants to the world of Complexity Science. Complexity Science researchers study large and small natural phenomena and how nature works. Metaphorically, ADR work at every scale is very similar to nature. The three pillars of Complexity Science are chaos theory, complex adaptive systems, and dissipative structures. The user friendly ideas in these pillars will be defined, learned, and experienced though lecturettes, exercises, and small and large group discussions. Connection During Conflict: Exploring Empowerment and Recognition Oakley Meeting Room Sarah Prom, Grand Forks, North Dakota Kristine Paranica, Grand Forks, North Dakota In this session, the Transformative Mediation elements of Empowerment and Recognition will be examined in-depth to provide an understanding of their importance in supporting constructive party-interaction in mediation. Empowerment and Recognition are vital components in the development of durable agreements and successful mediation outcomes. Understanding how a mediator can support shifts in Empowerment and Recognition, and interfere with the same, will be demonstrated. Page 28 of 45 Friday Creating Connections with CRETE (Conflict Resolution Education in Teacher Education) Nottoway Meeting Room Pamela Lane-Garon, Fresno, California Tricia Jones, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Lynnette Mawhinney, Ewing, New Jersey Margaret Leeds, San Antonio, Texas This workshop focuses on higher education conflict resolution education for K-12 school- based professionals (teachers, administrators, psychologists, social workers, etc). How the CRETE curriculum is embedded in the preparation of professionals at the university varies among the 20 institutions across the country where CRETE Partners are busy nurturing school leaders who can teach and mentor effective conflict resolution practices in youth. In this session, participants will experience some CRETE learning activities, explore curricular implementation models in higher education, and learn how to create their own connections to CRETE by accessing nearby programs or starting their own. Ethical Challenges in Elder Mediation and Strategies to Manage Them Bayside C Meeting Room Arline Kardasis, Norwood, Massachusetts With a combined 15 years of experience in elder mediation, Arline Kardasis and Carolyn Rodis will discuss what they have learned about balancing the principles of mediation with the realities of the practice. Join them for a rich discussion of the ethical dilemmas and professional challenges that elder mediators confront in this work. Arline and Carolyn will discuss several case studies from their practices in Massachusetts and Maryland and from their work with family members from California to Maine to Florida. Workshop participants are invited to bring their own cases for peer review. Facilitating Deep Reflection on Mediation Practice Bayside A Meeting Room Samantha Hardy, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Both mediation students and experienced practitioners need to engage in regular and effective reflection to develop artistry. This session provides some practical tools that mediation trainers can use to assist their students to reflect on their learning and mediation practice, with a particular emphasis on the role of the teacher as a facilitator of reflective learning. The tools are also useful for experienced mediators to reflect on their own practice. Participants will have an opportunity to engage in structured and deep reflection on their mediation practice. From Collaboration to War Oak Alley Meeting Room Richard McGuigan, Yellow Springs, Ohio Bernie Mayer, Kingsville, Ontario, Canada The conflict resolution field generally thinks of itself as a provider of alternative processes – most often characterized as non-violent and peaceful alternatives to society's "traditional" approach. Does this self-image get in our way when we consider the most dangerous conflicts in our world? Come and explore these questions with us: 1) In analyzing and engaging in international conflicts, should the conflict resolution field exclusively focus on non-violent, peaceful intervention? 2) If the conflict resolution field is to successfully advance beyond its current limits, should the next evolution in the conflict resolution field acknowledge the legitimate role of violent intervention? Page 29 of 45 Friday Innovative Approach to Cost-Benefit and Effectiveness Analysis: An Evaluation of ADR in Maryland Courts Gallier AB Meeting Room Lorig Charkoudian, Glen Burnie, Maryland Haleigh LaChance, Salisbury, Maryland Toby Guerin, Baltimore, Maryland Brian Polkinghorn, Salisbury, Maryland Presenting in ways that will be accessible and useful for practitioners, this panel of researchers will describe the current status of the research of ADR in Maryland, including short and long term cost-benefit analysis, efficiency and effectiveness of various approaches, and questions about ADR's role in access to justice. The efficiency and effectiveness component of this research includes behavior coding methodology in small claims, criminal, and family court mediations. This technique, which is rarely used in mediation research, will allow researchers to understand the impact of various mediator strategies on short and long term outcomes to the process. Learning from Wholesale Organizational Change in a Wholesale Electricity Organization Bayside B Meeting Room Patrick Field, Cambridge, Massachusetts PJM, the largest regional electric transmission organization in the world, engaged in a wholesale systems change to improve the decision making process among its 700 plus members. With billions of dollars at stake in electricity planning and market design, small and large member companies in PJM were finding inefficiencies, redundancies, and heightened conflict in their complex committee and decision making practices. The new process was designed to improve decision making through the use of assessment, facilitation, joint fact finding, and an open stakeholder process. Learn the lessons and limitations of using collaboration to move a complex organization to more consensus based decision making. Marriage and Divorce from Sikh and Hindu Perspectives Evergreen Meeting Room Sukhsimranjit Singh, Salem, Oregon Baldeep Basraon, Salem, Oregon Family and relationships are perceived differently across cultures. Eastern traditions place a high personal value on collectivism promoted joint decision making, which allows for the parents to arrange marriages for their children. In the West, the influence of individualism promotes an independent lifestyle and a different set of values that govern self-arranged relationships. This presentation will explore the concept of marriage from the Eastern tradition with emphasis on Hindu and Sikh religious doctrines. We will also consider the relationship between religious identity and cultural identity and how the disputant's perspectives toward marital disputes can impact the process. Page 30 of 45 Friday Mediating Cross-Border Parental Child Abduction Cases – A European Perspective Grand Couteau Meeting Room Jamie Walker, Berlin, , Germany Globalization and a drastic increase in mobility have led to a growing number of families living abroad and bi-national families. This is a great enrichment for the couples involved and for their children but can become a seemingly insurmountable challenge when the relationship ends. Using a case study as a starting point we will explore the legal and personal challenges faced by couples in this situation and ask how mediation can help them deal with the concrete issues at hand in spite of the intense dynamics involved. When, how and what exactly do we mediate? Which issues do the parties face and what kind of special skills and training do mediators need? Information will be given on models of cross-border family mediation in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands and on the EU-funded project Training in International Family Mediation as well as the new European network of cross-border family mediators. Powerful Mediator Openings: How to Settle Commercial Cases in the First 10 Minutes Grand E Meeting Room Lee Jay Berman, Los Angeles, California These days, commercial mediators have all but abandoned the mediator's introduction. Perhaps this is because the market discourages them, or perhaps it is because mediators themselves are conflict averse. Mediators have an amazing opportunity to shape the entire mediation by how they introduce the process. Join us to inject your mediator's opening with adrenaline, capture the attention of those at your table, and shift their paradigm about what is going to happen. Dare to tell them that today will be the last day in their case and then lay the groundwork for them to follow you down the yellow brick road into a journey that will lead them to a settlement that they never imagined. Yes, I said in commercial cases. The mediator's introduction is a lost art in the commercial world, but when done artfully, it will bring lawyers and repeat clients back time and time again. If you're expected to work miracles, you may as well start at the beginning! This session is open to the open minded and the closed minded alike. Come, and we will shift you, too. Setting the Stage for Success in Child Protection Mediation Southdown Meeting Room Zena Zumeta, Ann Arbor, Michigan Susan Butterwick, Ann Arbor, Michigan Karen Largent, Anchorage, Alaska From program development and engaging stakeholders to mediator selection, participant preparation, and other components of quality practice when mediating child protection issues …. This workshop will deal with lessons learned from established programs in Michigan and Alaska – and from your state as well! Come and learn what has worked and what challenges still remain! 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Authors' Corner in the Exhibit Hall Grand ABC Meeting Room Break Page 31 of 45 Friday 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Beyond Neuroscience: Faith and Innate Human Goodness as Conflict Resolution Paradigms Bayside A Meeting Room Paula Langguth Ryan, Boulder, Colorado People are assumed to be greedy, self-interested and manipulative in their actions. Our approaches as mediators often make this assumption and these assumptions have been reinforced by "scientific-proof" in the form of recent neuroscience studies. Rather than hiding behind our biology, what happens if we make room for a new perspective – one based on nurture rather than nature; one that unveils the innate goodness of man as seen through the eyes of Anne Frank and others. This session will outline how our fears about lack/limitation, abandonment, powerlessness, valueless/unworthiness, guilt and death (loss of self) have created a subtext for built-in conflict beliefs about others and their motivations. The session will then explore how the use of the dual activities of faith and our innate goodness can actually move us beyond these original assumptions, and in doing so, open up a whole new realm of peaceful solutions in any conflicted situation. Conflict Coaching for Ombuds and Embedded ADR Providers Grand D Meeting Room Cindy Mazur, Washington, DC Linda Baron, Washington, DC Loretta Vardy, Washington, DC Conflict Coaching has become part of the tool kit of many conflict resolution practitioners and has been used successfully in the workplace. How can mediators work in the organizations they serve – as organizational ombuds or as embedded providers - and most effectively use this tool to facilitate employee success, resolve workplace conflicts, and support their organization's missions? This session will offer a model of coaching suitable for use by internal providers. Participants will have an opportunity to practice the model and to discuss considerations such as confidentiality, neutrality, advocacy, trust, and pre-existing relationships, and how they impact the practice of coaching by internal providers in the workplace. Don't Let Debts Derail Their Divorce Mediation Bayside C Meeting Room Laury Adams, Houston, Texas Don't let debts derail divorce mediations! Debts incurred by parties during the years of a chaotic economy have added new challenges to mediators. Properly handling debts during divorce mediation will lead to successfully negotiating property settlements and preventing devastating future consequences for parties. All debts are not equal! In this workshop, participants will learn to: 1) Identify the various types of debts, 2) understand the legal aspects of debts, 3) determine contractual liability, 4) recognize clients' perceptions of debts 5) know the "red flags" for bankruptcy and 6) create options for handing and negotiating debt. Page 32 of 45 Friday Ethics Gumbo Oak Alley Meeting Room Terry Wheeler, Columbus, Ohio Sharon Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota Larry Fong, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Arnie Shienvold, Harrisburg, Pennsylvnia Many people believe that mediation ethics, like gumbos, come in many different flavors and varieties depending on the context or culture in which the mediation takes place. However, the base ingredients in every mediation ethics scenario must be the standards of conduct adopted by ACR. This workshop will use a variety of mediation scenarios to engage participants in an interactive discussion of how to best prevent and/or address ethical issues when they arise. From Conflict to Creative Collaboration in Business Oakley Meeting Room John Turley, Plymouth, Michigan Ed Sketch, Ann Arbor, Michigan The presenters, who mediate corporate disputes, will describe how to move from conflict to creative collaboration with your client as a partner, how to increase the demand for mediation and other forms of ADR through a collaborative process, how t0 quantify the amount of money a business saves by using mediation rather than litigation, and how to help clients avoid conflict in the first place by using a seven step process for creative collaboration in business. Participants will discuss these strategies and how they can apply them in their business mediations. Gaming Collaborative Governance: Innovation to Increase Civic Engagement Bayside B Meeting Room Chari-Lynn Koppel, Denver, Colorado The presidential election is less than two months away. Polls demonstrate that significant voter fatigue began at least four months ago. Are you tired of passively listening to all the divisive rhetoric, the endless barrage of scathing commercials as well as the campaign solicitations from candidates who have raised and spent billions of dollars while the rest of nation suffers the impact of the recession? If so, this seminar is for you! Collaborative governance engages citizens, businesses, universities, governments and others to develop collective and effective long-term solutions to problems which no entity could achieve on its own. For example, consider the counterproductive process our nation has faced with the recent passage of healthcare legislation. These healthcare laws have been met with substantial threats of repeal and multiple attacks of long, arduous litigation. Instead, Collaborative Governance offers a new approach. It includes sharing and exploring differing perspectives throughout the process while empowering the participants to decide on long- term consensus solutions. This gives stakeholders and participants a direct voice in developing legislation instead of leaving that task to the politicians who are constrained by elections and special interests. Finally, we will discuss innovative gaming applications to the field of Collaborative Governance. Beginning in the 1970s, the United Stated used games as an effective tool to train military personnel. Similarly, gaming is being applied to collaborative problem solving. For instance, recently, in San Jose, California, they used innovative games to solve important and controversial budget decisions. This gaming approach may very well become the new tool in which people, communities and nations tackle thorny problems. Page 33 of 45 Friday Greensboro Landlord Tenant Dispute Program Edgewood AB Meeting Room Sherrill Hayes, Kennesaw, Georgia Jessica Roberts, Greensboro, North Carolina This presentation examines a program co-developed by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the City of Greensboro that uses trained graduate students and volunteers as conciliators and mediators for landlord-tenant disputes. Housing conflicts are some of the most contentious disputes professionals face since they involve basic human needs like shelter and safety and are typically complicated by economic and educational divisions. Through integrating a range of simple and free technology into the program design, we have been successful in resolving disputes, retaining ethical best practices, keeping costs minimal, and conducting extensive evaluation research. Introduction to New Child Protection Mediation Guidelines Southdown Meeting Room Gregory Firestone, Tampa, Florida The Child Protection Mediation Guidelines were developed by the Child Welfare Collaborative Decision Making Network with the support and guidance of a number of organizations including the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), the American Humane Association (AHA), and other contributing organizations such as The National Center for State Courts, The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National Association of Counsel for Children. This interactive workshop is lead by one of the Guideline drafters and will be of interest to both practicing mediators as well as mediation program administrators. Issue Resolution Teams: Union and Management Working Together - Model or Mistake? Gallier AB Meeting Room Rita Callahan, New York, New York Jill Sarah Moscowitz, Jersey City, New Jersey Hear how a New York energy company's conflict resolution section is working with union and management to form Issues Resolution Teams (IRT) to address issues earlier and more productively. Participate in a discussion about the impact and risks of this innovative, collaborative approach. Is the union's role being compromised? What is the role of management? What, if any, is the role of the neutral? Identify the steps to form an IRT, hear about results, and discuss the potential impact on bargaining, grievances, and ADR in the workplace. Explore how this team model can be used in other organizations or environments. La Nueva Habilidad de Desaprender para poder ver de Otro Modo y Crear Conexión en Contextos de Incertidumbre / The New Ability to Unlearn in Order to See in a Different Way and to Create Connection in Uncertain Contexts (Bilingual Session) Grand Couteau Meeting Room Walter Wright, San Marcos, Texas María Cristina Camelino, La Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina Ser un mediador para crear conexiones en tiempos de profundas divisiones significa primero el compromiso personal que implica el desarrollo de la actividad; asumir la posibilidad de cambio; ser concientemente innovativo. El mediador deberá ver de otro modo. Introspección reflexiva--la habilidad para manejar contextos de incertidumbre con un fundamento optimista y de tolerancia a la frustración. Además, construir para la conexión a un medidador multifacético que conozca y maneje la técnica sin renunciar a la creatividad. Ser creador de un contexto de seguridad y ser conciente del crecimiento que cada conflicto otorga al mediador y a las partes. Page 34 of 45 Friday Marketing Your Conflict Resolution Practice to the Healthcare Community Estherwood Meeting Room Barbara Sunderland Manousso, Houston, Texas Creating Connections: Conflict Resolution in Deeply Divided Times applies not only in world events, but also in local and national industries, such as healthcare. Cultural differences, meager budgets, and an array of interpersonal conflicts among staff and staff, staff and patients, and department to department can create an alarming misstep in the practice of medicine. This seminar offers a marketing strategy to approach the health care community, so that as a practitioner you can have a profitable practice. It also provides information on a survey tool, the CDP, to use to engage your audience and introduces a new conflict theory, SOS Semantics of Self in Conflict TM. Page 35 of 45 Friday Research Colloquium: What Practitioners Need to Know and Apply Nottoway Meeting Room Judith McKay, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Amy Thieme, Richmond, Kentucky Lisa Wallace, Chillicothe, Ohio Courtenay Parlee, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada Michelle Cromwell, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Joy Meeker, Oakhurst, California In this fast-paced session moderated by Judith McKay, seven researchers will present the highlights of their recent research studies and discuss how conflict resolution practitioners can apply the findings in their work. Electronic handouts will provide more detailed information about the studies and findings. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the studies. The studies and researchers are described below. Conflict Coaching: Learning from the Masters Judith McKay, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Recent years have seen the growing use of conflict coaching as a conflict intervention process. Different models have been introduced with their related theoretical foundations. In this qualitative study, experienced conflict coaches were interviewed about their experiences including their use of models, their understanding of the roles of gender, culture, and employment contexts both in the coaching sessions and in their outcomes. Suggestions for training, mentoring, and practice tips will be shared. Transacting Trust in Toxic Organizations Michelle Cromwell, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida It is impossible to account for the structure and function of social organizations in the midst of turbulence unless one recognizes how trust impacts all social activity and the social functioning of organizations. Trust is a primary attribute of social capital, and when absent, the surpluses such as reciprocity, interaction, and cognitive relationships are lost. This study explores how trust facilitates the productive actions of its actors. Incivility in Academia: Is Civil Engagement Possible? Amy Thieme, Richmond, Kentucky Lisa Wallace, Chillicothe, Ohio Incidences of academic bullying, or faculty incivility, have risen to the point where scholars have taken note and determined to identify origins and create possible solutions. The Chronicle of Higher Education (April 14, 2006) supported the belief that institutions of higher education are among the worst offenders of workplace bullying. This study examines current practices used by institutions of higher education to decrease incivility in the workplace and the effectiveness of these practices. Engaging Conflict and Emotions while Teaching Conflict Resolution Joy Meeker, Oakhurst, California This study explores core dilemmas involved in teaching conflict resolution in higher education and training contexts. Qualitative research findings from interviews of seasoned conflict resolution educators will be presented. The research will be applied to core dilemmas emerging from the research, including; how to avoid teaching towards privilege, how to support the loss students face as they complicate their common sense approaches to conflict, and how to respond to emotions that accompany the engagement of conflict in learning Page 36 of 45 Friday contexts. Human Trafficking: The Healing and Restoration of the Victims Michelle McCrory, Greensboro, North Carolina This literature based study explores 1) the intersection of gender and economics 2) the issues human trafficking victims deal with after they are rescued; 3) the services needed to help the victims recover; and 4) the healing process towards a road to psychological recovery. Role for Restorative Justice in Disaster Management Grand E Meeting Room Duane Ruth-Heffelbower, Fresno, California Despite considerable efforts aimed at mitigation, disaster response professionals recognize that their work commonly creates conflict and feelings of re-victimization. This impedes disaster response and creates new problems. Restorative justice processes offer new ways to alleviate these negative outcomes and increase both efficiency and victim satisfaction. What Works: Capturing the Collective Wisdom about Conflict Resolution Materials and Sources Evergreen Meeting Room Maria Simpson, Los Angeles, California Finding new materials and understanding their effectiveness can be time consuming and unproductive because there is too much material for any one person to evaluate. This session draws on the collective wisdom of the group to fill this information need. Working in small groups, participants will share names and sources of materials such as assessments, simulations, texts, and websites used successfully in their practice areas and suggest ways these materials can be used in other areas as well. The presenter will distribute the collected information after the conference. Participants should come prepared to share information or ask questions. 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM Dinner Jazz Cruise (must purchase ticket) and Dine Around Town Saturday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM FULL DAY PROGRAMS Advanced Commercial Mediation Institute (Day 2) Grand Chenier Meeting Room The Advanced Commercial Mediation Institute ("ACMI") is an educational forum designed to further develop advanced skills of professionals experienced in mediating 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 full A.C.E. credit for the year 2012. Page 37 of 45 Saturday 8:15 AM - 4:00 PM Making School Safe for Your Child Grand D Meeting Room Jeffrey Daniels, Morgantown, West Virginia Gregory Vecchi, FBI, Rapid City, South Dakota Adam Volungis, Worcester, Massachusetts Lynne Kinnucan, Huntington, New York Full day participation is encouraged; however, conference attendees are welcome to participate in individual sessions. Since Columbine we have learned much about school shooters and preventing acts of lethal school violence. We know that when students feel connected to at least one adult they are less likely to act out aggressively at school. Psychologists and crisis negotiators have fine-tuned active listening as an effective means of building such trusting relationships. In this workshop we will review the research pertinent to preventing lethal school violence, and will highlight the importance of active listening in creating safer schools. 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM Part I: Overview of the Literature on Lethal School Violence Jeffrey Daniels 10:15 AM – 11:45 AM Part II: School Communities Model and its Links to School Safety Adam Volungis 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Brown bag lunch with presenters 12:45 PM – 4:00 PM Part III: A Strategy for Preventing School Shootings and Behavioral Change Staircase, Strategies for Parents and Educators Gregory Vecchi, FBI 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM Are They Getting It? Creating an Assessment Plan for Skills Learning in Conflict Resolution Training and Education Bayside B Meeting Room Gloria Rhodes, Harrisonburg, Virginia Mara Schoeny, Arlington, Virginia This workshop is for teachers and trainers who are developing assessment plans for training and education courses and programs. Given the time demands on trainers, practitioners, and educators, it is sometimes difficult to systematically evaluate the outcomes of skills training sessions. This workshop will provide the basics for creating an assessment plan including writing measurable learning objectives, selecting appropriate measurement strategies, and ensuring continuous monitoring. Participants will compare and contrast various tools for assessment including rubrics, video, observation, peer assessment and portfolios. Participants will be invited to share frustrations and insights. Page 38 of 45 Saturday Bridging the Online Gap with Social Media Networks Nottoway Meeting Room Jason Dykstra, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada Patricia Porter, San Antonio, Texas The world is constantly changing. People from different geographical areas with different cultural backgrounds, values, religious beliefs and economic means are flocking to the Internet and signing up for social media sites in masses. We have the ability to communicate without barriers. What does this mean for the conflict resolution field and the general community? How can we leverage social media networks to be co-creative, establish connections, and educate the community about conflict resolution? Come and learn how two professionals are using social media to educate the community about the conflict resolution field. Build a Better Board: Strengthen Your Community Mediation Center or Other Non-Profit Gallier AB Meeting Room James Rosenstein, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cheryl Cutrona, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The strength of a community mediation center is directly related to the quality of its volunteer board members and professional staff and how effectively they work together. Their success can usually be traced to how they recruit, nurture and retain a high-quality and diverse Board members and whether there is clarity and consensus about the respective roles and responsibilities of the board members and professional staff. In discussing these issues and best practices in addressing them, the panelists will draw on their practical and legal experience as long-time ADR practitioners and professional and volunteer leaders of, and counsel to, a variety of nonprofit organizations. Building Partnerships: Preserving Core Values - No Need to Sell Your Soul Oakley Meeting Room Jonathan Rosenthal, Annapolis, Maryland Michele Ennis, Salisbury, Maryland In this high energy, interactive, and informative session, participants will learn from the successes of leaders in the field how to build partnerships between ADR service providers and the courts. Attendees will experience the process of identifying partnership opportunities, resources and strategies to design, implement and enhance existing programs, and the steps to take to create the service provider - government entity partnership. After this session, attendees will have a road map to build successful partnerships. All they have to supply is the hard work that follows. Business Building for Divorce Mediators in the New Normal: Timely Marketing and Practice Strategies to Attract Pro-Se Pre-Suit Southdown Meeting Room Elinor Robin, Boca Raton, Florida David Spofford, Boca Raton, Florida The public's eagerness to move away from the traditional divorce process is currently amplified by new economic pressures and technological advances. There is no one-size-fits- all answer for divorcing couples, but ProSe/PreSuit mediation is one option often embraced. Many mediators find the process of creating the marketing plans and operating systems necessary for successful practice overwhelming. In this workshop David and Elinor, the co- founders of A Friendly Divorce®, will provide timely marketing and practice strategies you can use to launch and build your own one-stop-divorce service. If you are ready to take your divorce practice to the next level, this is the workshop to attend. Page 39 of 45 Saturday Creativity Through Neural Rewiring Grand E Meeting Room Nan Waller Burnett, Lakewood, Colorado Jennifer Kresge, Saint Helena, California When Nature has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it. Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Method of Nature" Seeing the genius within is not an easy task. Why is it so difficult for us to honor the genius that flows in every one of us? Is it because embracing our genius seems unattainable? Have we been socialized to believe it is not acceptable to recognize our own efforts of creativity although, when in review of our professional practice, we find that we spend the day helping our clients find creative solutions out of conflict? Stop to think about it: conflict and peace building professions are filled with individuals demonstrating creative genius every day. Why not honor your own genius today? Learn how the brain reacts in creative minds and how creativity can be developed and enhanced through exercises that enhance our ability to use our current neural wiring and rewire it for increased creative activity. This workshop will interactively explore ways to maximize imagination and innovation at the table. Crossing the Great Divide: Cooperative Parenting using Parenting Coordinators or Parent Facilitators Estherwood Meeting Room Shawn Edwards, Pearland, Texas Toni Jo Lindstron, Texas City, Texas Parenting Coordination and Parent Facilitation are ADR processes designed to help families in cases affecting parent-child relationships (divorce, custody, support or visitation rights). This session uses Texas state statues as the framework for discussing parenting coordination and parent facilitation, including the required qualifications, appointment process, and duties, of both parenting coordinators and parent facilitators. Considerations in selecting the appropriate process for a family; practical methods in guiding parents in conflict resolution; co-parent communication skill building; and child focused cooperative parenting methods and approaches to help parents cross the great divide in split families, will be discussed. How to Get Your ACR Training Approved Evergreen Meeting Room Duane Ruth Heffelbower, Fresno, California Are you, or would you like to be, a trainer for a 40 hour Family and Divorce Mediation training? Learn about the required content for these trainings and the process to have them approved by the ACR Family Section. Intergenerational Communication in the Workplace Bayside C Meeting Room Elizabeth Gambel, New Orleans, Louisiana Casey Versailles, New Orleans, Louisiana This workshop focuses on the facilitation and development of intergenerational communication in the workplace. Every generation brings varied perspectives, beliefs, needs, and expectations into the workplace. In order to survive in today's world of constantly evolving technology and ever-shifting organizational structures, we must learn to combine our diversity into a dynamic team. You will learn how to define Intergenerational Communication-- what it is, and what it is not, increase your understanding of different generations' communication styles, values, and motivational styles, and gain skills to enhance intergenerational communication in the workplace. You will walk away from this workshop with the tools and insight needed to address the challenges of intergenerational communication in the workplace. Page 40 of 45 Saturday Overcoming Entrenched Positions Bayside A Meeting Room Susan Raines, Kennesaw, Georgia Jean Poitras, Montreal, Quebec, Canada More than 200 expert mediators from around the world shared their analysis of the most perplexing challenges that arise during the mediation process, their strategies for overcoming those challenges, and the risks and benefits associated with the use of those strategies. Jean Poitras (HEC-Montreal) and Susan Raines (Kennesaw State University) have analyzed the data gathered from these mediators in their book, Benchmarking Mediation. This session will convey the myriad of strategies used to overcome the biggest challenge faced in mediation: overcoming entrenched positions. The Ombudsman, a Jack of All Trades Edgewood AB Meeting Room Anamaris Cousins Price, Houston, Texas Melinda Miner, Houston, Texas Ombuds programs are an invaluable resource for organizations interested in managing conflict at the lowest possible levels. Throughout this presentation, participants will learn how to harness the influence of their office and how to implement various ADR techniques in their practice including mediation, coaching, counseling and more. Trusting from the Inside Out Oak Alley Meeting Room Ruth Rinehart, Golden, Colorado Trust is often misunderstood and viewed as a feature of life over which the individual has no control, as if trust exists when it is "deserved." The focus on trust is often about getting others to trust us more, or on business and government leaders trying to get people to trust an organization more. This workshop will offer the benefits of proactively choosing to trust (sometimes even in spite of evidence to the contrary). An experiential, guided reflection will assist conflict practitioners in recognizing her/his own challenges around trust, better equipping them to recognize trust issues and help clients move forward. 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM Break Page 41 of 45 Saturday 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM ACR Model Guidelines for Higher Education Programs Bayside A Meeting Room Tamra Pearson d'Estree, Denver, Colorado John Windmueller, Baltimore, Maryland As programs offering higher education in conflict resolution have proliferated, calls have been made for discussions to produce a consensus around what best practices and guidelines could be offered to new and to established programs as they strive for model practices. Building on the presentation of initial discussions at last year's ACR conference, the ACR Higher Education Model Standards Task Force will distribute and discuss the final Model Guidelines report. Central among these guidelines will be a discussion of competencies. What competencies do we look for in established and successful practitioners that can be trained for in graduate degree programs? How can programs progress in their ability to offer, train, and assess such competencies? John Windmueller will present new research on assessing competencies in conflict resolution degree and certificate programs. The Task Force's process for distilling competencies will be reviewed, as well as implications of a competencies focus for specialization training and for assessment of student learning. The Task Force's final model guidelines in other areas will also be discussed, including guidelines on pedagogy, field experiences, program assessment, and specialized training. Changing the Old Ways of Doing Business via the Transportation Ombudsman's Office Oakley Meeting Room Marcell Walker, Saint Paul, Minnesota The presentation will demonstrate how a non-traditional ombudsman office uses conflict resolution and mediation techniques to resolve technical matters revolved around transportation. The Minnesota Department of Transportation is responsible for following industry engineering standards and state and federal laws regarding how it manages, develops, and maintains the State's transportation infrastructure. When the Transportation Ombudsman's Office is called to resolve claims against the State, it must find innovative methods to connect both non-technical and technical individuals, elected official, and the public together to find a process for addressing concerns. Cross Cultural Mediation and Negotiation Estherwood Meeting Room Mark Ameli, Beverly Hills, California Guity Javid, Beverly Hills, California As globalization continues to transform our world, cultural differences may cause or contribute to more conflicts. Failure to recognize cultural differences can cause missed opportunities for resolving disputes. Culture is a complex phenomenon that transcends the differences in language and social customs. In order to effectively resolve cross cultural disputes, it is imperative that the parties, their attorneys, and the mediator be sensitive to cross cultural issues and be familiar with the process of cross cultural negotiation and mediation. Page 42 of 45 Saturday Diversity and Inclusion within Community Mediation Edgewood AB Meeting Room Justin Corbett, Mesa, Arizona Community mediation programs have a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. Operating within and responding to communities' unique compositions and needs, these programs engage issues of diversity and inclusion in a variety of contexts and through a rich portfolio of informed, tailored practices. Drawing from a 2012 field-wide discussion series and a first-of-its-kind survey, participants will learn how community mediation programs envision, embrace, and execute diversity and inclusion-related practices. The ensuing dialogue will inform the community's next steps toward actualizing our shared vision of representative, responsive centers readily accessible to all those who may benefit. Dynamics of Elder Conflict Gallier AB Meeting Room Rachel Monaco-Wilcox, Richfield, Wisconsin Paula Langguth Ryan, Boulder, Colorado Elder mediation is often mistakenly assumed to be limited to caregiving or guardianship issues. In this session, the presenters will focus on the complex and often overlooked aspects of financial issues in mediation for elders. Trusts, financial powers of attorney, financial arrangements in remarried families, financial abuse of elders, and other money matters that may arise in elder mediation will be explored. This presentation will be peppered with real- life examples of how the mediation process helped families work through these emotionally charged problems. God in the Process: Learning How to Engage Faith Safely Bayside C Meeting Room Rachel Goldberg, Greencastle, Indiana Brian Blancke, Boston, Massachusetts The presenters will briefly summarize the debate and recent research about the theoretical pros and cons of actively incorporating faith into conflict resolution practices. They will then introduce a way to incorporate faith into our processes safely: integrating cognitive, emotional, somatic, and spiritual intelligences while protecting party self-determination. The workshop will introduce participants to tools already being successfully used in psychology, including tools for: assessing spiritual needs and interests of clients, assessing the impact of spirituality on a case, spiritual interventions and techniques, and self-awareness tools for practitioners. The workshop will include a role-play/case-study that participants can use to explore what they think can and cannot be used in the process. Mobilizing Nonviolence: Holy Land Trust Bayside B Meeting Room Erin Dyer, Plymouth, Massachusetts Life under occupation is hard. Holy Land Trust aims to counter these hardships through active engagement with the local community and trusted partnerships with individuals and organizations in the occupied territory, in Israel, and internationally. Through the leadership of director Sami Award, Holy Land Trust works to create a culture of nonviolence, train leaders of the community, publish reliable news, and reach out to 'the other' through encounters with Israelis and internationals. Holy Land Trust reminds us that there is always hope when there is a commitment to nonviolence and a blend of courage, community, faith and steadfastness. Page 43 of 45 Saturday Opportunities and Barriers to the Mass Adoption of On-Line Dispute Resolution Technologies by both Business and the Legal Communities Evergreen Meeting Room David Puckett, Treasure Island, Florida Ted Becker, Auburn, Alabama The presentation is based on key findings and emerging trends related to an on-going research project that is headed by the two presenters. Both are veterans of the ADR industry and pioneers in the emerging technologies of On-Line Dispute Resolution (ODR). For more than two-years they have been researching and studying the entry and process barriers of using ODR and building an opportunities business case for its use both commercially within Fortune 500 companies and within our legal industry. The research is an on-going effort by multiple entities in this ODR industry. It is intended to be an annually updated research repository on this topic that will be open to all participants and can be analyzed across multiple years and hopefully capture trends in adoption. Status Games: Understanding Status Differences Grand E Meeting Room Cynthia Cohen, Tampa, Florida Kari Goetz, Tampa, Florida In this session, participants will engage in a discussion of status, participate in improvisational exercises relating to status and develop strategies for handling status differences in conflict resolution. The session will feature interactive participation in several "status games". The Limits of Rationality: Effective Conversations with Difficult Individuals Nottoway Meeting Room Jonathan Kaufmann, Fairfax, Virginia This workshop examines the "limits of rationality," by challenging the assumption that reasoned dialogue necessarily follows when communication begins. This often is not the case when dealing with "challenging" personality types such as individuals who are distracted, highly emotional and/or confrontational. This workshop examines how combining emotional intelligence theories with indirect mediation techniques offers an organized approach for mediators, managers, HR and EEO professionals to interact with or manage these difficult individuals and create positive outcomes from negative circumstances. When Talk Turns Toxic: Using Communication Tools To Connect People In Conflict Southdown Meeting Room Denise Patterson McKenney, Washington, DC Nicole Davis, Washington, DC Ramona Buck, Washington, DC Have you ever been misunderstood? Has anyone ever misinterpreted the meaning of what you have said? Communicating effectively is one of the most difficult things that we as humans will ever have to learn. This workshop will enable participants to explore the delicate balance between ambiguous communication and communication that matches the implicit meaning of what the "sender" means. Clear communication maybe overlooked in the heat of verbal fisticuffs leading to workplace division, community unrest and family feuds. This workshop will enable participants to help people in conflict to connect with one another using the tools of consensus building, active listening, and verbal/nonverbal communication techniques. This workshop will give the supervisor, mediator, family member or community leader specialized tools for his or her conflict resolution toolkit. Page 44 of 45 Saturday 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Presidential Luncheon Armstrong Ballroom Meeting Room 2:00 PM - New Orleans Excursions (must purchase ticket) 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM Post-conference Higher Education Programs Workshop Tulane University Law School Meeting Room Tim Hicks, University of Oregon, Phyllis Hildreth, Lipscomb University, ACR's initiative to develop Guidelines for Higher Education Programs has spawned the desire for increased networking and sharing among programs offering higher education degrees and certificates in conflict resolution and related areas. The Higher Education Task Force would like to provide an opportunity for programs to serve as reflective resources for each other in the creation, administration, and growth of their programs. Join us for a reception, followed by a workshop, in order to gain an understanding of the diversity of program identities, reflect on strengths and weaknesses, gain ideas for improving programs, discuss obstacles in program development, share strategies for overcoming obstacles, gain perspective both on your own program's identity and also ideas for developments to which you may aspire. For details and packet contact firstname.lastname@example.com, or visit the Univ. of Denver table at the conference exhibition hall or go to http://bit.ly/TWhNCg Page 45 of 45