Conflict Resolution Alliance (CRA)Aloha everyone, We have a new event calendar! We would love to post as many of the peacebuilding / conflict resolution related events in our new Events page. Please e-mail your event information to acrhawaiichapter@gmail.com so we can post it in our event page to spread the words about your awesome event. Mahalo!
Sharing a nice article published in May 2019 issue of Lana’i Today contributed by one of our Board members, Tricia Morris: Even in the Land of Aloha and Rainbows, conflicts and disputes arise in our daily lives. Hawaii has a long and beautiful tradition of resolution and facilitation of disputes. In each community, there was an elder or wise-one who was respected by others. They were neutral witnesses who helped the disputing parties resolve their conflicts in a peaceful way. This tradition has inspired the current facilitators / peacemakers such as Dr. Peter Adler, who was the Founder and Executive Director of The Neighborhood Justice Center in Honolulu in 1979. This later became the Mediation Center of the Pacific. More recently, I, the writer of this article, became similarly inspired. The courtroom is a relatively modern method of settling conflict. Mediation and facilitation of resolutions compares very favorably with similar matters that have been taken thru the Courts. Courtrooms often exacerbate the hostility between people, while mediation restores harmony. Courts have limited time and the “arguments” are directed to the legal advantage and intellectual perspective. Relationships are usually damaged further in court proceedings where in mediation they are generally preserved or enhanced. Mediation allows parties a chance to be heard, to express their grievances or defenses at an emotional level and be heard within a safe environment. The meetings are facilitated by an impartial trained mediator, often called a Neutral. This leads to a productive dialogue and negotiation with intent toward a mutual solution that is acceptable to both parties. Life happens. Conflicts are valuable in that they allow people to express the hurts, upsets, and differences that occur with living and relating. Too often “sweeping under the rug” leads to unexpressed feelings and resentments that lead to more of…
Conflict Resolvers: Considering “Signature Moves” Reflect on your own and maybe learn some new ones by Elizabeth Kent Do you have tried and true processes and techniques that you use in your work? Certain phrases, stories, or metaphors? This interactive presentation will explore these “signature moves” and challenge attendees to think about the most effective ways to address challenges. When: June 6, 2019 12 – 1pm Where: Hawai`i State Judiciary MPR 101 417 S King St Honolulu, HI 96813 Click here for the event flyer. Click here to reserve your seat!
Aloha, ACR Hawaii Chapter Board of Directors met in two strategic sessions to define the direction we are moving forward together to serve our members and community in the most impactful way. Dr. Peter Adler facilitated the discussions to help us take a deep look into ACR Hawaii Chapter to articulate what we are all about to help us continue thriving forward. We are very energized can’t wait to finalize the ideas discussed to share with everyone and implement! Since the strategic sessions Dr. Adler facilitated were very effective, we wanted to share the types of services he offers in the brochure below: Peter Adler – BROCHURE Mahalo, Dr. Adler!
Greetings Fellow Association Members, May this message find each one of you in good health. Attached are the results of the recent member and lapsed membership surveys. Mahalo for your time and effort in responding to the surveys. The responses will aid the board when it makes its recommendations for future courses of action. Mahalo also to our board members for their stellar work in administering the surveys and preparing the Final Report. 2019 ACR Hawaii Survey Results We hope to see many of you at Lou Chang’s “My Grand Brand Workplan” on April 9th. There is also an option to participate remotely. Click here to register. Aloha, Owen
From Message from ACR 3.5.19… ACR Webinar March 13, 2019 How Ombuds Foster Ethical Organizations by Liz Hill Description: Interested in an ethical culture? Build an ombuds program. Ombuds serve as an impartial third party to help facilitate informal and confidential communications up and down the chain of command. Independent from leadership, legal, compliance, human resources, and other reporting functions, ombuds serve to promote fairness, equity and accountability and have no vested interest in the outcome of issues of which they are made aware…. link here to continue reading and REGISTER March 13, 2019 at 3:00 pm Eastern.
President’s Message Greetings fellow ACR-Hawai‘i members, Lou Chang’s workshop represents an important step toward developing the next generation(s) of neutrals. We humbly and respectfully ask that you do all you can to support it. Do you know persons who may be interested in being a mediator, arbitrator, facilitator, or other neutral? If so, please forward the flyer to them and do all you can to encourage them. Let’s leave behind a legacy of doing everything in our power to help our younger generations to succeed! Aloha, Owen Register for the event at https://bit.ly/2GUK6nA Click here for the event flyer Lou Event Flyer – 2 Option to call in or participate online is available. Please e-mail us (acrhawaiichapter@gmail.com) if would like to remote in for the event!
Dear ACR Members, I hope 2019 is going well for all of you! ACR has faced lots of challenges in 2019 so far, but we are well equipped to handle them with a hardworking Board and Cheryl Jamison’s gracious assistance. The Financial Committee with Kelly Riley at the helm has streamlined the ACR financial reporting, payments, and income. The Board, by unanimous vote, has agreed to hire an outside bookkeeper to handle the daily operations of ACR’s financial matters. The Website Committee is focusing on fine tuning the ACR website and maximizing its use by members potential members, and ACR. ACR continues to open the lines of communication to Sections and Chapters through the fine efforts of Katrina Nobles and Victoria McClain, respectively. The process for expanding efficient use of webinars by chapters, sections and committees is moving forward rapidly through the efforts of Bryan Hanson (a past ACR President) and Katrina Nobles. In the meantime, the ACR Board members and ACR Committees will continue the smooth operation of ACR pending the hire of a new executive director. The search for a new Executive Director is in full swing. The deadline for applications was January 31, 2019, and we received inquiries and resumes from twenty-four applicants. The next step is for the members of the Board Hiring Committee, (Victoria McClain, Chair, Fernaundra Ferguson, Jacqueline Bleak, Ron Williams, and Barbara Melamed) to read the resumes we received, and forward five or six resumes to the Executive Council. The Hiring Committee and Executive Council will work together to narrow the list to three candidates. The five or six chosen by the Hiring Committee will be asked to submit letters of recommendation and will be interviewed by the Executive Council. Finally, the Executive Council will recommend three candidates to the full Board. The…
Happy Holidays fellow ACR-Hawai‘i members! On behalf of the Board of Directors, a hearty mahalo nui loa to all who joined us at the Annual Meeting on November 30th. We enjoyed connecting with you and trust you all enjoyed your time as well. The meeting gave each one of us a chance to “stand on the shoulders” of our local conflict resolving giant, Peter Adler, as he shared his thoughts on the future of alternative conflict resolution in Hawai‘i. Remember his Ten Ideas for moving into areas outside our usual “narrow and now mainstreamed world of ADR”? The Ten Ideas: Prepare a 10-year strategic “vision” statement that describes as precisely as possible where you want to be in 2029. Write a “Getting To Yes” field manual on cooperation strategies for leaders who have no choice but to be in charge. Create a short, impeccably well-done executive training workshop on cooperation strategies for local leaders. Identify specific research needs and send your list to UH and HPU. Assemble and publish a list of free and low cost cooperation resources around the State and counties. Write and run a very challenging simulation for cooperative leaders who want to learn and organize it as a “Leadership Lab”. Create a quarterly public lecture series and find sponsors who will help bring in the best national and international thinkers on cooperation to us, people like Daniel Kahneman, Franz de Waal, and Robert Mnookin. Provide annual awards to the best local “Beacons” around: one for usable research, one for organizational leadership, and one for innovative new practices. Organize 1-day “Devising Seminars” for stubborn problems: energy independence; climate resilience; Hawaiian/non-Hawaiian relationships. Make podcasts, TED talks, and short movies on how leaders can work together. There you have it, ten great ideas. What shall be the 2029 BIHAGs…
Aloha, We just learned that one of our members, past chairman of the board of ACR Hawaii Chapter, and a great friend, Frances Mossman, passed away in July. Frances made significant contributions to our country and dispute resolution community as you can see in the obituary that appeared in Honolulu Star Advertiser and her biography shared by ACR, which is attached below. Despite her numerous achievements, she was always down to earth and passionate about solving various community issues, including homelessness in recent years, as shared in her brief profile that was posted on ACR Hawaii member page. We hope to be able to continue building on the legacy she left in the dispute resolution community to help solve community issues. Frances I. Mossman, JD, AICP – Sustainable Systems Dynamics Areas of Practice: I have experience mediating a wide variety of types of disputes. Particularly concentrate on land planning, development, international, military, and public policy issues. Personal: I served in the USAF and retired as a Brig. General. I was appointed by the Veterans Administration to the Homeless Veterans Task Force for Hawai’i and to Chair the Housing Committee. I enjoy travel and have visited all 50 US States, Canada and many countries in Europe, South America, Asia and the Pacific Islands. This is the last biographer Frances provided to ACR. Frances I. Mossman, Esq., AICP, is President of the Hawaii International Dispute Resolution Group LLC. Ms. Mossman is a Planning and Policy Consultant, who has over forty-five years of combined experience in national security and defense, international relations and domestic programs at the federal, state, regional and local levels of government. She specializes in urban development, infrastructure, land use planning, legislation and policies and procedures. She is a Mediator and Facilitator, with experience in a wide range…