On April 5, 2016, The Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, in partnership with Accord 3.0 and the Public Policy Center, will host a half day skills workshop entitled “Communicating Complex Issues: Listening Before You Speak.” This workshop will focus on communication of scientific and technical information that affects communities. Often those types of issues involve public policy questions. How can you share your information with the community in a way that will lead to productive discussions? What is the best way to engage with the community? When you are talking to individuals, what techniques can you use to promote respectful and meaningful conversation? You will leave this workshop with answers. With presentations from Elizabeth Kent, Peter Adler, Dawn N.S. Chang and Keith Mattson from Accord3.0 Network (strategic public policy consultants); and Barbara Hastings, Barbra Pleadwell, and Ashley Kerkiewicz from Hastings & Pleadwell: A Communications Company, participants will develop tools to better engage communities, address culturally sensitive issues, engage in respectful and meaningful dialogue, and address issues management in the age of the digital. The skills workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 5 2016 at the UH Campus Center from 8am to 12:30pm. For more information, please visit http://tinyurl.com/MATSUNAGAWORKSHOP. To register, please visit https://www.uhbooks.hawaii.edu/conference/cci2016.asp
Category: News
New Voices – 2016 – Calling all Conflict Specialists newly entering the field Juried selection for featured presentation at the 2016 ACR Annual Conference Exciting New Feature of the Conference The 2016 conference to be held in October in Baltimore will feature seven “New Voices” to present in “prime time” on the conference schedule. This year’s conference organizers are reaching out across the globe to hear from students and new practitioners & researchers in the field. What we want to feature An area of research done by the presenter and which will engage our diverse membership in thinking in new ways or which would potentially inform the practice of our members. The presentation will feature highlights and illustration of what was learned. A unique project or area of practice in which the presenter was engaged. The presentation may either give the rationale and highlights of the project or it may demonstrate some aspect of the work that can make it “come to life” for the audience. The jury panel is looking for exciting practice or research that will enhance the knowledge and practice of our diverse membership. The panel will select the 12 minute presentations based on both substance and presentation. Additional opportunity The conference presentation will also be videoed and featured on the ACR website. Additionally, a select number of submissions that were not selected for presentation at the conference will be invited to submit a video for the website. Who is eligible to apply All current or recent students in programs specializing in conflict resolution or interdisciplinary programs in which conflict studies are an integral part may apply. Practitioners who may not have been students in certificate or degree programs but have done other forms of training and have entered the field in the last five years are…
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News from the Virtual Mediation Lab
Who in the world is interested in online mediation? The answer might just surprise you. According to Google, the mediators, mediation trainers, and ADR practitioners who visit our Virtual Mediation Lab website because they are interested to learn more about online mediation live in many different countries. Source: Google Analytics Virtual Mediation Lab is an online mediation project sponsored by the Association for Conflict Resolution Hawaii Chapter. For more information about the Virtual Mediation Lab, please visit here.
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Mediation Center of the Pacific News
The latest issue of The Mediation Center of the Pacific’s “The Center Letter” is out! Please click on this link to read the full January 2016 edition and learn more about MCP’s plans for the new year: JANUARY2016CENTERLETTER
The Mediation Center of the Pacific “The Center Letter” is out This year the MCP Volunteer Recognition and Holiday Gathering will take place Friday December 11, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The Hawaii Federal Credit Union
ACR Hawaii member Thomas DiGrazia’s new book Light On Peacemaking: Appropriate Dispute Resolution and Mediating Family Conflict has just been published, and is now available on Amazon.com and directly from the publisher Business Expert Press ~~~ Many books have been written about the practice of peacemaking, and few, if any, deal with the non-violent, spiritual side of this ancient science, discipline, practice and art form. This book will speak to that lack and explore the spiritual, non-violent element in peacemaking as it applies to mediating family law disputes. Universities will find the book helpful as a textbook in their peacemaking and mediation degree and certificate programs, most particularly, in those courses that stress a pragmatic, spiritual, eclectic and educated approach to non-adversarial, peaceful conflict resolution. The book is intended for the professional peacemaker, mediator, lawyer, law student, conciliator, and dispute neutral. Everyday people who wish to improve their own communication skills and strengthen their primary relationships will profit greatly from this book. These individuals, particularly those in the family law field, will find much benefit from the peacemaking processes, and family counseling psychology. Mental health family practitioners, who are often called upon to act as default, if not formal mediators and neutrals, will find useful the mediation and peacemaking experiences, techniques and literature related here. Light On Peacemaking also offers the Yoga practitioner a very practical avenue, through example in the legal field, for engaging in seva or service to humanity.
In honor of Conflict Resolution Day, an annual International celebration sponsored by ACR and held every third Thursday in October, ACR Hawaii and the Matsunaga Institute for Peace present a list of books on conflict resolution recommended by Hawaii’s top scholars and practitioners These books are available at: Barnes & Noble – Ala Moana Barnes & Noble online at Barnes & Noble The University of Hawaii System Libaries The Hawaii State Library (Downtown) University of Hawaii Manoa – Bookstore
In December 2014, the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) Education Section received a 2-year grant from the JAMS foundation for a project called Online Peer Mediation Platform (OPMP). Virtual Mediation Lab, an online mediation project sponsored by ACR Hawaii, is one of the four organizations who participate in this innovative project, whose 4 goals are: Show how children from ages 10 to 18 can learn online how to become peer mediators. This feature will be available in 2016. Show how children can practice their peer mediation skills online with the assistance of qualified mentors. This feature is available now. Show how children can offer online peer mediation services. This feature be available in 2016. Provide anyone who is interested in peer mediation extensive information on this topic; for example, standards, useful links, research on peer mediation effectiveness, policies and laws, resources (e.g. curricula and videos). This feature is available now. The OPMP website (with the two features already available) will be launched during the upcoming ACR Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada – October 7-10, 2015
As part of its “Fuel Up. Do Good.” community giving program — giving a portion of every gasoline sale to support a worthy cause or group each quarter — Ohana Fuels donated $4,902.92 to Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center in Hilo, Hawaii. Read more Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald
In January 2014 the Mediation Center of the Pacific (MCP) launched Adopt-a-Court, an innovative program for Hawaii businesses supporting mediation. Two companies – The Islander Group and Hawaiian Cement – agreed to participate in the Program by adopting the District Court located in their area and committing three to four members of their management team to serve as mediators for that court. The Islander Group adopted the Wahiawa Court and Hawaiian Cement adopted the Ewa Court. After a 2-day intensive training, the seven newly trained mediators started mediating Small Claims cases at those two courts, mentored by experienced MCP court mediators. View and print the Adopt-a-Court brochure For more information call the Mediation Center of the Pacific at (808) 521-6767