BASICS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES.DOC

BASICS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION: RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This paper was prepared by RESOLVE, Inc., with Christine Pendzich as lead author It was part of a program of activities on conflict resolution strategies for participatory management, task managed by Betsy McGean under the overall supervision of Deepa Narayan Valuable guidance was provided by the Conflict Resolution Advisory Group consisting of Shelton Davis, Steve Holtzman, Miranda Munro, Warren van Wicklin, Charles di Leva, Voltaire Andres, Gordon Appleby, David Cassells, Valentina Okaru, Nat Colletta, Kreszentia M Duer, Alcyone Saliba, Ellen Schaengold, Eugen Finkel and Ayse Kudat A special thanks to all those who provided RESOLVE with feedback on the resource book, Shelton Davis, Betsy McGean, Miranda Munro and Deepa Narayan Thanks to Katrinka Ebbe and Anders Rudqvist for the final review and editing of the paper and to Cristina Tumale for the formatting Introduction Development interventions often change the power relationships between different groups in society They may also change these groups' relationship to the environment Some groups stand to lose while others gain from such interventions and as a result conflicts may emerge Conflicts or disputes are a normal part of social interaction, but when they become dysfunctional they have a negative impact on all who are involved Participatory development, involving different groups with different interests in common project undertakings, may also entail disputes and conflicts as part of the process Effective mechanisms and techniques for conflict prevention, management and resolution are thus necessary for resolving conflicts or keeping them within acceptable limits The field of conflict or dispute resolution rests on a few critical ideas about the nature of conflict and how it can be managed These ideas also have important practical implications Among diverse individuals or groups it is normal for differences to emerge Nations, regions and villages differ widely by class, ethnicity, religion and gender Government agencies may hold opposing views or represent different interests Factual information about issues and projects may differ across groups Perceptions of conflicts as well as conflict resolution procedures differ between cultures (e.g majority vote in Western societies and deliberation until consensus is reached in some traditional societies) Accepting differences as normal, identifying latent and emerging conflicts and the perspectives and interests that lay behind them, are requirements for constructive and culturally appropriate conflict management Conflict management efforts need to involve all key stakeholders in the process Transparency and information-sharing from the start of a development project can eliminate conflicts caused by incomplete or distorted knowledge Acceptance and ample space for criticism and non-violent expressions of different interests or viewpoints can prevent the development of more aggressive and destructive forms of conflict In some cultures it may be difficult to openly reveal existing conflicts and in such cases special sensitivity and analysis of the situation of marginalized groups are needed Project work in developing countries raises many complex and sensitive issues To what extent and how should a task team member intervene to bring poor and other marginalized groups actively into the design of a project? What kind of resources should be provided to facilitate indigenous groups' participation in a project negotiation? Can conflict resolution strategies be used to address conflicts that include corruption or violence? None of these questions have simple answers They can only be addressed in the course of the particular project in a particular cultural and political context Familiarity with conflict resolution strategies and techniques could facilitate appropriate responses Using the Document The purpose of this document is to: • provide World Bank Task Team staff with a practical introduction to the tools and techniques of conflict resolution and; • give Task Team staff a reference guide (including names, descriptions and contact numbers) to dispute resolution specialists in countries around the world The first chapter of the document lays out the basic framework of conflict resolution, provides an introduction to the premises, strategies and techniques of this problem solving approach It assumes little prior knowledge of conflict resolution on the part of its readers It also assumes that most document readers not plan to become specialists in conflict resolution themselves They may, however, wish to bring people who are highly skilled and knowledgeable in the field into their project design and implementation teams The heart of the document is its listing of highly skilled dispute resolution specialists and centers (Chapters 2-7) The listing covers a wide range of specializations including training, facilitation, and mediation services The specialists listed also come from a wide variety of backgrounds including law, planning, business, labor, natural resource management, social psychology and political science It should be added here, that at many of the World Bank Resident Missions there are now skilled social scientists (NGO and Civil Society specialists) who can give advice on appropriate conflict resolution experts and organizations existing in the respective countries Design of appropriate and successful dispute resolution processes requires close familiarity with the laws, social structure, cultural norms and politics of the country in which the dispute has arisen Therefore, the listings are grouped by region and where possible, by country The centers and individuals included in the document are divided into two sets: • The first set is made up of those whose work is known to the document editors These centers and individuals offer a wide a range of expertise from the training of NGOs and indigenous communities to the design of broad consultative approaches to structural conflicts such as water and land disputes and the resolution of public policy issues All have demonstrated experience in working with diverse groups, including private sector representatives and government officials as well as NGOs and community leaders Many have had experience working with multilateral development organizations To the extent possible, the sectoral expertise of the center’s staff has been noted • The second set of shorter listings presented at the end of each regional listing are those whose work is less familiar to the editors and those who may not be as oriented to the regions in which the Bank works Many of them have years of experience in the field, however, and can offer a range of expertise which may be useful in certain situations • In addition, we have included a limited number of resource groups whose offices are located in Canada, the United States or western Europe, but who have broad experience in developing countries and should also be considered as significant resources for helping Bank Many of the dispute resolution specialists and centers listed in the Annex also provide training, for readers interested in strengthening their individual dispute resolution skills All of the individuals and organizations listed in this set reviewed and commented on a draft version of this document They were asked to provide the description of their organizational capabilities or individual experience, within a general framework The descriptions provided therefore reflect their own sense of their abilities and capacity, rather than a judgement on the part of the review authors Task Teams • For those who wish to learn more about the use of conflict resolution strategies in the context of developing nations, we have included a short bibliography of recent publications in this area • Finally, we have included a listing of websites on the Internet What are the Premises of Conflict Resolution? The field of conflict resolution rests on a few critical ideas about the nature of conflict and how it can be managed These basic ideas in turn have important practical implications Let us look at the major basic ideas and what each one implies The first premise on which work in the field rests is that, in open discussions among diverse individuals or groups, it is normal for differences to emerge Very few (if any) large, complex societies have high degrees of social homogeneity In virtually every country and indeed, even within single #1: villages people differ widely by class, tribal identity, caste, DIFFERENCES religion, ethnic group, gender and age Within any single ARE NORMAL country’s government, different agencies hold sometime opposing views and often represent competing interests • Do not avoid Differing groups also may hold widely varying sets of factual it information about a particular social issue for which a project is • Plan for it being considered or designed Viewing differences about • Allow time to projects as normal and acceptable opens the possibility of get through seeing conflict as an important force for positive change when it handled constructively Underlying conflicts should not be avoided, because without understanding and accepting their differences people can't jointly solve problems in more than a superficial way Worse still, avoiding conflicts may mean that parties who are key to the project’s implementation may not feel their needs are met by it and may not contribute to carrying it out or may actively block it Instead, it is wise to fully expect that some conflicts will occur, plan for them and learn how to manage them in a culturally appropriate manner Accepting conflict as normal gives all groups, including frequently marginalized ones such as lower castes and women, what one Colombian specialist has called the “right to conflict.”3 This basically means that all groups have the right to peacefully (albeit sometimes strongly!) express their views about what they see wrong or would like to change in a project, without being called troublemakers or being labeled as the problem itself As anyone working in development knows, general acceptance of just this much in a development setting can mark a radical departure from prior norms The practical consequence for Bank Task Team members is that it may mean they need to involve a wider range of groups in already complex situations This can be a challenge, but worth the additional effort in the long run Of course not all expressions of differences are constructive or desirable How people express their differing interests and opinions is critical Dispute resolution frameworks recognize violent conflict or open aggression as one of the strategies that people often use to get what they want These strategies, however, often carry a very high price One of the benefits of being open to expressions of non-violent conflict in project design and implementation is that if strong but nonviolent expression is allowed, the parties involved may not feel that they need to resort to violence or open aggression As mentioned earlier, prevention is one of the most effective forms of conflict management In some cultures, of course, it can be very difficult to bring conflicts to the fore This may be especially although not only true in Asian societies, which place Mr Gustavo Wilches, a Colombia educator and development administrator, has organized a series of conferences and talks around the ideas of the “right to conflict.” a very high value on cohesion and team work In many regions, lower status groups may be reluctant to even say that they hold an opinion different from the views of the more powerful groups to whom they are linked through a project Even if a safe situation is provided, they may have internalized a value of not confronting differences and may therefore still not say anything In such situations, the Task Team may wish to hold separate meetings with the less powerful groups to elicit their views If even separate meetings not encourage the groups to voice their opinions, the Task Team members can consider asking appropriate authorities to give the silent groups permission to speak up In any case, the Task Team must be sensitive to the marginalized groups need for not upsetting social order and needs to be prepared to not be able to move ahead as far or as quickly as s/he might at first like A second idea basic to conflict resolution is that it relies on the participation of all #2: legitimate stakeholders in a dispute No conflict ALL PARTIES NEED TO BE can be considered resolved if any group whose INVOLVED FROM THE interests are affected by a dispute have been left BEGINNING out of the process of deciding how to resolve the problem This consideration arises, on the one • get many points of view hand, from an ethical commitment to giving people the chance to take part in making • consult with stakeholders early on about how a decisions that will affect their lives It also project design process derives from a practical consideration: should be organized experience has shown that when important groups are excluded from a conflict resolution or decision-making process, any decision taken is much harder to carry out It is also important for key actors to be involved in all aspects of a conflict resolution process A striking example from Peru brings this point home: Dispute Resolution in a Forest-Dependent Community in Peru A community in northern Peru is located near a forest, on which they relied for wood and other products that supplemented their diet and incomes The forest is extensive and contains a number of commercially valuable species The community does not have clear legal title to it In the late 1980's, a lumber company based in Lima, the Peruvian capital, began to survey the forest for commercial exploitation Company representatives claimed that the firm had purchased rights to cut in the forest Lacking written title, the community found it difficult to defend its rights to the forest This was all the more difficult given that the son of a general, a minister and a wealthy businessman were all on the company's board Despite its concerns, the community began to organize to defend its traditional rights to use the forest They organized protests and blocked the entry of company equipment into the forest All too quickly, the protest escalated Company representatives accused community leaders of being "subversives" a very serious charge, punishable by jail, in Peru of the 1980's The protests led to a violent encounter, at which one of the company's representatives was hurt The company blamed a community leader and had him arrested In response, and with the support of local Church authorities, the community organized protests of the arrest With the situation growing ever more serious, the national government in Lima decided to name a commission of environmental experts to examine the situation and recommend a solution The responsible ministry selected a group of environmental lawyers, biologists and other experts to travel to the region and prepare a report The commission traveled to the community and met with a variety of groups Shortly after their return to Lima, they issued a report recommending that a management plan be developed for the forest and that the community take part in both the preparation of the report and its execution In sum, the recommendation was quite favorable to the community's interests Just the same, the community immediately repudiated the commission's findings Their main reason for rejecting it was that they had not been involved in the process of developing the report They alleged that the Commission had been blocked from meeting with them, so community views were not adequately reflected in the final product In short, they wanted a voice in all stages of the decision-making process that would affect a resource on which they relied Third, in order to achieve the promise of a successfully implemented #3: SOLUTIONS ARE EASIER TO FIND WITH ACCURATE AND AMPLE INFORMATION AND TRAINING • ask parties what information they feel should be considered • identify sources of factual agreement, disagreement and uncertainty • consider joint fact-finding resolution to a conflict, conflict resolution processes rely on accurate and ample information That is, they depend not only on improved communication between parties but also on good analysis of technical, scientific, social/cultural, legal and economic information Resolving a dispute also may involve providing parties with information about innovative new options for solving the problem or about the technical feasibility of options being discussed It can and should involve providing settings in which the local knowledge of resources that many different groups hold can be brought out, considered and taken into account Above all else, it needs to be information that is not only analytically correct, but that motivates changes in behavior on the part of the project participants, if such changes are needed for the project to succeed In general, conflict resolution strategies are processes and the details of how they are organized are important, because the structure of a process affects people’s real interests and therefore their willingness to freely participate in it If they are to be willing to work to carry out change, they need to decide to take part in a conflict resolution process because they believe it is the best way to satisfy the greatest number of their interests The process has the greatest chance of satisfying their interests if the parties are involved in the process design from the start Training can play a crucial role in setting the stage for appropriate, informed and therefore more successful use of conflict resolution strategies Often enough, the stakeholders in a project design may have a basic commitment to using participatory, non-adversarial means to chose project priorities, resolve their differences and decide on a plan of action to implement reform However, they may not be very familiar with the full range of concepts or with some specific skills that could help them design a process that will work and overcome impasses Training can help the parties gain confidence, knowledge and stronger skills that will make them all the more willing and able to work together well Training can also be a more specifically targeted strategy for helping opposed parties establish a more effective dialogue (see box below on training for negotiation) Many of the specialists and centers listed in Chapters 2-7 of this document have had experience in using training workshops to bring together representatives of key stakeholder groups involved a conflict Training workshops used for this purpose should be explicitly designed to not address the conflict that the participants are involved in Instead, it should be organized as a series of exercises, small group discussions and role plays on conflicts that participants may be familiar with but are not involved in directly Participants afterwards return to their discussions with more common language for discussing the problem they face The training also gives them a chance to work with each other in a neutral setting and thereby build better working relations As the above discussion makes clear, conflict resolution shares many of the premises of other participatory methodologies The commitment to broad participation of stakeholders, open expression of differences and the focus on process is common to all participatory methodologies Conflict resolution enhances these methodologies by providing ideas and tools for how to manage the differences that almost inevitably emerge during an open discussion among diverse groups about problematic issues Conflict resolution strategies also have a specific commitment to consensus building i.e., bringing participatory decision-making to closure or agreement in a way that all sides can live with reach a consensus about a participatory means of resolution The overall objective was to create building blocks towards sustainable development of the Guayas estuary by means of conflict management and benefit sharing The success of the dialogue consisted in that all of the actors, conscious of the economic, social, and environmental implications, committed to form part of an institutionalized participatory process to manage the conflict The participants agreed upon a final declaration stating that the contamination of the Guayaquil Gulf was to be considered a national priority, and, thus, be regulated and managed by a nationally established program based on the guidelines they set forth Among the concrete results of the dialogue was the drafting of a decree, later approved by the President of the Republic, which established a Program for Sustainable Development in the Gulf of Guayaquil, and a joint commission for its management More importantly, a collective plan of action was elaborated which would implement a participatory mechanism in the Guayas region to ensure continued care of the Gulf by all of the parties involved in the dialogue An important implicit accomplishmen t was the building of a positive, constructive relationship which enable a dynamic of understanding and cooperation among the parties for the future RESOLVE, Inc rd 1255 23 Street, N.W – Suite 275 Washington, D.C 20037 Tel: 202-9442300 FAX: 202-3381264 e-mail: gbingham@reso lv.org Primary contacts: Gail Bingham, President; Suzanne Orenstein, Vice President Organizationa l Overview RESOLVE is a neutral, non-profit environmental dispute resolution organization founded in 1977 to mediate controversial environmental issues and to promote the effective use of conflict resolution processes in public decision making through research and education RESOLVE’s international program seeks to build capacity, through training, technical assistance and outreach, in all regions of the world for the appropriate use of conflict resolution strategies to address environment and development controversies • Main Areas of Dispute Resolution Expertise RESOLVE’s consensusbuilding services include: • media tion of multiparty enviro nment al policy issues includ ing policy dialog ues, litigati on • settle ments and sitespecifi c contro versie s; facilit ation of round tables , works hops, strate gic planni ng meeti ngs and public privat e collab orativ es; confli ct asses sment s for conve ning negoti ations and/or for assisti ng partie s to evalu ate wheth er and how negoti • • ation might be a constr uctive tool; desig n of disput e mana geme nt syste ms for recurri ng enviro nment and devel opme nt contro versie s; traini ng of partie s involv ed in enviro nment al issues to broad en their aware ness of conse nsusbuildi ng strate gies and to streng then their indivi dual negoti ation and conse nsusbuildi ng skills Main Areas of Thematic Expertise Social, environmental and natural resources disputes, with particular expertise in: alternative fuels policy developmen t • pollution prevention • dioxin forums • drinking water • endangered species • environment al impact assessment • fisheries • forestry (esp forest mgmt.) • hazardous waste disposal • irrigation • protected areas • river managemen t • waste • • • managemen t water allocation water policy wetlands Multilateral Project Examples United Nations Development Program (UNDP) training for Sustainable Development Advisors from forty countries, as part of their orientation briefing on joining UNDP United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (Forest, Trees and People Program) -development of a series of case studies on conflict resolution and community forestry; organization of Latin America regional seminar and preparation of concept paper on use of conflict resolution strategies to address community forestry disputes Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC) -consensusbuilding training for government officials and NGO representatives from fourteen countries of Asia and Africa Government of the Netherlands facilitation of international conference on water and sanitation issues identified as key during Rio Conference of 1994 Salzburg Seminars (1987 and 1990) -two week trainings in international environmental negotiations for private sector, non-profit and government leaders from Africa and Central and Western Europe Illustrative List of Client Organizations • American Water Works • • • • • • • • • • • Association Rockefeller Foundation State of Alaska The Nature Conservancy United States Agency for International Developmen t United States Department of Commerce -National Oceanograp hic and Atmospheric Administrati on United States Department of the Interior Water Environment Federation World Wildlife Fund Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC), Kasetsart University, Bangkok United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization United Nations Developmen • • t Program Nongovernment organization s in fifteen countries of Latin America, six countries of Central Europe and fourteen countries of Asia Federal and regional level government agencies in Asia, Central Europe, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean Sample Project In coordination with the FTPP, RESOLVE organized and facilitated a sixday regional workshop on “Dispute Management and Community Forestry” for 41 participants at the University of Peace in Costa Rica in 1993 The workshop had three main objectives: • to • revie w the mech anism s and strate gies that Latin Ameri can comm unitie s use to addre ss and to resolv e conflic ts arisin g in conju nction with their efforts to imple ment sustai nable use of forest resour ces; to provid e oppor tunitie s to excha nge inform ation about proble msolvin • g, decisi onmakin g and conflic t mana geme nt appro aches in comm unity forest ry settin gs; to devel op prelim inary ideas for ways in which the FTPP, throu gh trainin g and techni cal assist ance, can build upon lesson s learne d at the works hop and enhan ce comm unitie s’ efforts to emplo y altern ative enviro nment al disput e resolu tion tools and techni ques Workshop participants included social scientists, technical forestry advisors, representatives of governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and regional facilitators of FTPP While the majority of the participants came from Latin America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico), two participants came from Africa (Mali and Uganda) and two from Asia (Thailand) The workshop combined presentations and discussions of actual community forestry cases with negotiation and problemsolving simulations that focused on analyzing how conflicts arise and what skills can be used to address them The workshop provided a major impetus to work and research on environmental conflict resolution in Latin America With FTPP support, workshop participants have organized three subregional Working Groups on community forestry and dispute resolution The Working Groups have developed case studies and participated in developing course materials for dispute resolution training In addition, RESOLVE and FTPP prepared a working paper called “The Role of Alternative Conflict Management in Community Forestry,” which assesses the potential for using dispute resolution approaches to address community forestry conflicts in the region The paper includes three case studies on community forestry conflicts in Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador Bureau of the Governor of Antioquia (Despacho del Gobernador de Antioquia) Centro Administrativo Departmental La Alpujarra Piso 12 Medellin Colombia, South America phone: (574) 385 9638 or 266 7330 fax: (574) 381 1342 sceballo@medellin.cetcol.net.co Organizational Overview The bureau of the Governor of Antioquia, in an effort to foster a spirit of tolerance that facilitates peaceful conflict resolution and coexistence among Colombian citizens, has devised and implemented a strategy called Teaching Tolerance This strategy, a component of a broader plan of his government, the Program for Peaceful Citizen Coexistence, seeks through the use of dialogue and concertacion to re-educate a Colombian culture often sadly predisposed to violence and fanaticism The strategy thus also seeks to sow the seeds of success for future peace negotiations One of the program’s principal goals is to instruct forty thousand Antioquian leaders (Antioquia being the biggest and most prosperous state in Colombia, with a population of six million), in conflict resolution methodology To achieve this, the Conflict Management Group, associated with the Harvard Negotiation Project, and its head, Roger Fisher, were hired as consultants for the initial design of the program During the last fifteen months, 18,000 people including private businessmen; guerrilla members, drug dealers and paramilitary group members who are prisoners of a maximum security prison in Medellin; students of major universities in Antioquia; members of the National Secretariat of Education, and many others, have taken part in the program It is hoped that by fomenting tolerance and making people aware of the inevitability of conflict but also of ways in which it can be dealt with peacefully better and more peaceful responses to conflict can be developed Main Areas of Dispute Resolution Expertise The program’s cornerstone is intensive training about the basics of conflict resolution and negotiation, with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of the issue and its usefulness Then we prepare pilot groups to be trained as trainers so that they work as multipliers of the methodology all over the state The University of Antioquia has been supporting this work The Secretariat for Community Development focuses on efforts to design new applications of the methodology in exercises that are relevant and understandable to community level groups The Secretariats of Education, Government, Health, for Women and most of the Governor’s Bureau offices each also have a target public and adapt the methodology for use by the groups they serve Private enterprises, universities, family support organizations and NGO’s also are starting new groups of facilitators and trainers In Uraba, a local group of facilitators has been trained to follow-up not only in training but also in mediation of conflicts in the zone, which is one of the most violent areas in the state of Antioquia Main Areas of Thematic Expertise University students have designed a manual for high education level, in which they develop different tools to be used at their level Some of the deans and professors of the main universities in Antioquia, that participated in the first forum for tolerance and peace, are working to integrate dispute resolution approaches into the curricula at their universities The program has trained representatives of employer groups, employee associations and government who take part in the Comision Tripartita Laboral (Tripartite Labor Commission) These groups are following up on the development of a new negotiation culture to address labor disputes and conflicts, as well as yearly negotiations within their organizations The Teaching Tolerance program also is making a great effort to train school teachers, so that they in turn can train students, their parents and other teachers In June a simultaneous training for 4,100 school teachers was carried out towards this goal The trained groups now are working to include conflict resolution tools in school curricula Finally, the program has provided several environmental NGO’s with basic training on conflict resolution At the moment they are developing processes to address environmental conflicts between communities and local governments Illustrative List of Client Organizations This strategy receives a great deal of support from the Commission for the Facilitation of Peace and Citizen Coexistence of Antioquia Its members have participated very actively in the peace process since April 1995 We are also in permanent contact with the National Conciliation Commission, and the private and public universities of the country that are working now in conflict prevention and resolution Sample Project Recently, the First University Crusade for Peace and Tolerance was held in Medellin Eighty selected students, deans and professors attended the event, which trained a small group of leaders who can communicate the methodology to young people Crusade participants organized themselves in committees according to their interests and by October 1996 they plan to reach out to deans, professors and student leaders from more than 80 universities from all over the country They already are working in initiatives such as training, mediation, school children training, media strategies, prison assistance in training for conflict prevention and resolution and curricula in conflict resolution for universities and schools Uraba, Antioquia’s main port region and the leading banana plantation region in Colombia, has been the site of bloodshed, extortion, and violence In light of the urgent need for peace there, and given the tensions among different groups in the region, the first local, independent and autonomous Group of Facilitators in the Program of Teaching Tolerance has been established there Economists, entrepreneurs, teachers, social workers, nurses, religious people, lawyers, and members of nongovernmental organizations, offer volunteer services to run a program they have designed and consider crucial for their society A thousand people from the region have received training through the program; four hundred of these are directly involved with the school system, giving the project the possibility of spreading rapidly through their institutions Enrique Ogliastri & Asociados P.O Box 4976 Calle 55 #1-05 (602) Bogota 2, Colombia phone: 57-1-345-2356 fax: 57-1-284-1890 Main Contact: Professor Enrique Ogliastri Organizational Overview The purpose of the organization is to conduct research, develop teaching materials and offer training on negotiations and mediation The partners have special interests in organizational and intercultural negotiations, as well as in environmental conflicts Main Areas of Dispute Resolution Expertise • training • developing teaching materials • research Main Areas of Thematic Expertise • Intercultural • Environmental • Organizational Multilateral Projects Institute of Developing Economies (Tokyo) Interamerican Development Bank Illustrative List of Client Organizations • British Petroleum • Coca Cola • Unysis • Bristol Myers Squibb • ATT • Microsoft • General Motors • Shell Sample Project So far we have chosen to not offer mediation or negotiation services We are consultants, and training and research The most recent research (resulting in case teaching material), concerns a dispute between the flower growers’ association and municipal government The dispute focused on environmental and economic growth issues The event took place three years ago and involved the mediation by a priest, as well as divergent interests among political parties involved University for Peace (UPEACE), Universidad para la Paz (UPAZ) Apartado 138 6100 Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica El Rodeo, Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica phone: 00506 249 15 12 fax: 00506 249 19 29 Training: UPEACE regularly organizes 2-3 week international courses for specialists involved in natural management projects who wish to strengthen their conflict management skills It also operates a regional training program in Central America to strengthen the culture of human rights The latter program includes several conflict management components rborel@sol.racsa.co.cr Organizational Overview As an international institution, UPEACE is dedicated to the search for peace by means of education and research in such fields as human rights, resolution of conflicts, communication, and natural resources management The Natural Resources Management Programs (NRMP) is one of the University’s priority areas The premises of the NRMP is that development of sustainable land use systems, within the context of natural resources management, is crucial to achieving political stability and the promotion of peace, since it can help reduce conflicts between individuals, groups or even countries, while directly or indirectly contributing to the quality of life of large population groups Over the last eight years, the University for Peace has trained over 300 participants in 16 courses, in such areas as: management of buffer zones, agroforestry, non-timber products from natural forests, ecotourism, and environmental conflict resolution In 1993 UPEACE, together with the FAO’s Forest, Trees and People Program and with RESOLVE, hosted a major international seminar on “Conflict Management and Community Forestry, Main Areas of Dispute Resolution Expertise Main Areas of Thematic Expertise At present, environmental issues and human rights A communication center (Gandhi Center) has also extensively documented the peace processes in Central America and maintains a significant film data base on that subject Multilateral projects UPEACE was created by the United Nations’ General Assembly and is therefore part of the United Nations system It maintains regular contacts with many other institutions of the UN system UPEACE has received grants from the European Economic Commission and has frequently trained personnel from multilateral organizations Illustrative List of Client Organizations RESOLVE FAO’s Forest, Trees and People Program Reconciliation Commissions in Central America during peace promotion processes WWF UNESCO USAID USDA Cornell Environmental Conflict Management Program the Organization for Tropical Studies The Environmental and Natural Resources Law Center (CEDARENA) in San Jose, Costa Rica Sample Project Together with FAO-FTPP, UPEACE is carrying out a project that promotes the documentation of conflict management experiences by community level organizations working in the field of natural resource management Representatives from such organizations receive support for preparation of case studies that will contribute to the development of a provisional conflict management proposal The proposal, once completed, should relate closely to the experience and needs of communitylevel organizations Alejandro Ponieman Avenida Córdoba 1233, Piso (1055) Buenos Aires, Argentina phone: 00 54 816-0485 or 816-0532 fax: 00 54 804-9387 or 816-0077 alvear@satlink.com Organizational Overview With a multidisciplinary background (law and sociology), Mr Ponieman began his study of alternatives to litigation and its impact on society in 1970 as a professor of the Sociology of Law In 1983 he began practicing mediation and facilitation in multiparty conflicts Since 1993 he has served as the president of the Asociación Interamericana de Mediación (the InterAmerican Mediation Association), and as director of its educational programs in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay Mr Ponieman has also been appointed to the Conflict Resolution Section of the American Bar Association, the International Subcommittee for the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization As a founder of a non-profit organization, he has put into practice the mission of changing cultural patterns of litigation to negotiated, collaborative and communicative ways of resolving disputes in Argentina and neighboring countries Main Areas of Dispute Resolution Expertise • Training • Mediation • Facilitation Main Areas of Thematic Expertise • Education • Environment • Commercial • Intercultural Multilateral projects Mr Ponieman has developed projects with bilateral and local chambers of commerce for education and private dispute resolution and has presented these to the Organization of American States and the Interamerican Development Bank Illustrative List of Client Organizations • Universidad del Salvador • Universidad de Palermo • Universidad Blas Pascal (Argentina) • FARN (Argentina) • CARI (Argentina) • Confederación General Económica • Unión Argentina de la Construcción • Armada Argentina (Argentine Navy) • Instituto de Medicao (Brazil) • Negotiation Institute (New York, USA) • Tech Law (Washington, DC, USA) • Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá (Colombia) • Cámara de Comercio de Buenos Aires • Cámara de Comercio de Montevideo (Uruguay) • Cámara de Comercio de Brasileira Argentina de Industria y Comercio (Porto Alegre, Brazil) • Cámara de Comercio de ArgentinaUruguay • Interamerican Bar Association • American Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section) • City of Buenos Aires (Environment Section) • CONEA (National Commission for Atomic Energy) Asociación Interamericana de Mediación • (Interamerican Mediation Association) Avenida Córdoba 1233, Piso (1055) Capital Federal Buenos Aires, Argentina phone: 00 54 816-0043 or 816-3784 fax: 00 54 816-0077 or 816-9387 alvear@satlink.com Organizational Overview The Interamerican Mediation Association is a non profit organization, with contacts throughout Latin America and in various provinces of Argentina Since the increase of litigation in Argentina is a symptom of broader social problems, that increasingly generate both direct and indirect costs such as overloading the judicial system, the Center proposes to join similar international entities to jointly develop the following objectives: • promote and disseminate the existence of alternative means to resolve conflicts; • implement educational campaigns to reverse the litigating mentality and foster mediation practice; • promote the teaching of negotiation and mediation techniques directed at resolving conflicts by consensus and not through imposition of solutions; • identify and train mediators from among various professions; • make available a roster of previously trained mediators and establish agreements of collaboration and cooperation with other institutions and organizations which share the same objectives • and requirements for competent, objective and neutral action; associate with foundations, official and private agencies, enterprises and professionals with the goal of sharing, disseminating and systematizing the use of alternative dispute resolution strategies; promote improved and increasing scientific, commercial and cultural exchange at national and international levels, in order to develop alternatives for the solution of conflicts Main Areas of Dispute Resolution Expertise • Training • Mediation • Facilitation • Research Main Areas of Thematic Expertise • Commercial • Environmental • International Disputes Illustrative List of Client Organizations • Universidad del Salvador • Universidad de Palermo • Universidad Blas Pascal (Argentina) • FARN (Argentina) • CARI (Argentina) • Confederación General Económica • Unión Argentina de la Construcción • Armada Argentina (Argentine Navy) • Instituto de Medicao (Brazil) • Negotiation Institute (New York, USA) • Tech Law (Washington, DC, USA) • Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá (Colombia) • Cámara de Comercio de Buenos Aires • Cámara de Comercio de Montevideo (Uruguay) • • • Cámara de Comercio de Brasileira Argentina de Industria y Comercio (Porto Alegre, Brazil) Cámara de Comercio de ArgentinaUruguay Interamerican Bar Association • • • American Bar Association (Dispute Resolution Section) City of Buenos Aires (Environment Section) CONEA (National Commission for Atomic Energy) Jerome Delli Priscoli, Ph D 1714 North Bryan Street Arlington, VA 22201 phone: 703/524-6632 fax: 703/524-6920 priscoli@erols.com Organizational Overview Dr Delli Priscoli’s expert services include consulting, training, meeting design and systems design on participatory development, conflict resolution, consensus building, mediation and facilitation Main Areas of Dispute Resolution Expertise Training, program and system design, facilitation, mediation, consensus building, meeting design, participatory processes Main Areas of Thematic Expertise Water resources, natural resources, environment, construction, infrastructure Multilateral projects Dr Delli Priscoli has served as an advisor to EBRD on participatory guidelines for environmental projects; assisted World Bank with its participatory learning process; designed and implemented training in participatory development for World Bank TMs; UNDP training in participation and mediation; UN-DDMS consensus building and facilitation; WHO consensus building; World Collaborative Council on Water-facilitation (WCC) - consensus building; designed consensus building for the Global Water Partnership (GWP); facilitation of NGO consultations for World Bank; consensus building for the Dublin (pre Rio) world water meeting; facilitation for world environmental ministers at Noordvijk; FAO consensus building on women and development; and other multilateral consensus building efforts Dr Delli Priscoli also serves as the president of the International Association for Public Participation Practitioners (IAP3) Illustrative List of Client Organizations Please see above Sample Project Dr Delli Priscoli runs the training program for TMs in World Bank on participatory development Please see the Bank workbook for a description of the course Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy 1819 H Street, NW Suite 1200 Washington, DC 20006 phone: 202/466-4605 fax: 202/466-4607 imtd@igc.apc.org Organizational Overview The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy’s (IMTD’s) mission is to promote a systems approach to peacebuilding and to facilitate the transformation of deep rooted social conflict IMTD is a nonprofit organization which seeks to support and enhance peacebuilding infrastructures IMTD’s role is that of a catalyst — bringing tools of training, consulting, and convening to situations where its activities will spark peacebuilding or conflict transformation processes Main Areas of Dispute Resolution Expertise Conflict resolution training; community building Main Areas of Thematic Expertise International ethnic conflict resolution Illustrative List of Client Organizations • Amideast • Conflict Management Group • Meridian International Center • CDR Associates • USAID • USIA • Carter Center • CARE • World Vision • • NTL American Arbitration Association Sample Project IMTD is working in Palestine, Liberia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Cuba, and proposals pending final approval for work in Haiti and Sudan Since July 1991, IMTD has been working in partnership with NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science to co-sponsor an initiative in Cyprus The goal of the initiative is to create a human infrastructure of change agents among the Turkish- and Greek-Cypriot communities who can manage a citizen-based, internal, bicommunal process of trust-building, peacebuilding, and reconciliation between two peoples who have been in conflict for decades Laying the groundwork for this project took nearly two years and included eight trips to Cyprus by IMTD and NTL staff members Each of these trips included some form of training related to conflict resolution IMTD fostered a network of interested and active Greek and Turkish Cypriots who consistently participate in these events This group is coordinated by a Bicommunal Steering Committee, which came into existence in November 1992 IMTD created this Committee for the purpose of advising IMTD on this project, but it has also taken on a life of its own, coordinating other peacebuilding activities on the island in addition to being involved with the IMTD project ... videotapes and other resources and has been widely regarded as one of the primary sources of innovative teaching materials and training that address issues of peacemaking and conflict resolution. .. areas: environmental and public policy dispute resolution, international conflicts, evaluation of dispute resolution practices, and application of computers to conflict resolution Their archive... represents a recently-assembled body of knowledge on the origins and life cycle of conflicts, an array of tools for conflict prevention and mitigation, and a set of strategies for applying those