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Welcome to the March issue of the Mesites Foundation Newsletter In this Issue
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By: Sandi DiMola March is a month of anomalies. The month that is named for the Roman god of war is also celebrated as the gateway to the season of renewal and growth. The green beer revelries associated with St. Patrick’s Day happen in the month which anchors the Lenten season of fast and contemplation. So it was with the March issue of the Harvard Business Review, which contained articles such as “The Ethical Mind” and “Realizing What You’re Made Of” and almost no mention of “FX differentials in PE ratio calculations” (translation: foreign exchange differentials in calculating price to earnings ratios). This led to the question: What can “without borders” NGOs learn from the Harvard Business Review? In their essay, “What It Means to Work Here” (HBR Vol. 85: 104-112), authors Tamara J. Erikson and Lynda Gratton focus on what they identify as the “signature experience,” a set of qualitative practices that foster an organization’s culture and mission among its members. According to the authors, institutions that develop a “signature experience” have higher member retention rates and are more effective service providers. While Erikson’s and Gratton’s research considered for-profit ventures, the “signature experience” model is equally applicable to the NGO. The impetus to do good for the world is inspiring. As of this writing, there are at least eighteen, and perhaps more, “without borders” organizations. While they all share the same global momentum, the success with which they can translate philosophies into actions will depend upon their ability to attract and retain members and amass dollars. Otherwise stated: to provide a “signature experience.” The seed of a “signature experience” exists in every venture; it is often what brings people together at the outset. A “without borders” NGO can nurture and grow this experience by following these recommendations from the authors:
People will become deeply engaged if their experience within the organization is what they expect it to be and the organization’s values and attributes meet theirs. Commitment within the organization will translate to effective service in the world. In the month of anomalies, advice found in the journal of the bastion of capitalism was most applicable to “without borders” NGOs. Spotlight On: Cassandra Georges 
By Kathy Hawkins, Director of Writing Services, Hawkins Multimedia, LLC When Cassandra J. Georges passed the bar exam after three grueling years of law school at the University of Pennsylvania, she was ready to celebrate — her way. So rather than throwing a party or going on a pub crawl, the Philadelphia native bought a ticket for a round the world cruise. She ate paella in Spain and sushi in Japan, drank mojitos in Cuba, and danced the tango in Argentina. And when she returned home, she was ready to do it all over again. “I don’t like to be a tourist,” Georges says. “I think of myself as an international traveler.” For the last six months, Georges has stayed in one place — but it doesn’t bother her at all. As the first inaugural Impartial Dispute Resolution Services (IDRS) Dispute Resolution Fellow, she works closely with attorney and established mediator Robert A. Creo in Pittsburgh, where she learns “the art and craft of being a neutral” — attending hearings, drafting briefs, and working on a myriad of other tasks, such as moderating February’s “Fourth Thursday” panel discussion. “I was drawn to mediation,” says Georges, “because I like to bring people together, rather than tear them apart.” Unlike most of her colleagues, she wasn’t enticed by the corporate law lifestyle. “Grinding away 24 hours a day didn’t appeal to me,” she says. Instead, she searched for a position where she would have the chance to collaborate with others and to make a real difference in her clients’ lives. When she met Creo, a mediation expert, at a conference and discovered that he had an opening at his firm, “all the stars aligned,” she says. Just a few days into her new job at Creo’s office, Georges was part of a medical malpractice case in which a doctor had misdiagnosed a terminal illness. At the meeting, the patient “was counting off the weeks he had left,” she says. In this case, the stakes were far greater than money, and she knew how quickly the situation could have turned hostile. However, throughout the course of the day, the tension evaporated; the two sides simply conversed, reached a settlement agreement, and shook hands. The patient “had a sense of peace” by the end of the day, says Georges. “He thanked all of the participants, including the doctor.” This anecdote illustrates what she loves about mediation — it enables people to talk to one another around a table, rather than shouting across a courtroom. In a mediation session, “it’s not about winning or losing,” she says. “No matter how bad the situation is, people work through it and move forward.” As a young African-American woman, Georges knows that she is a unique presence in the mediation world. She believes that her achievements in the field are due to the support and guidance of those who came before her — her family, and “an immense universe of mentors.” “The door is open because other people turned the knob,” she claims. “I want to open the door even wider.” The Fourth Thursday Lecture Series presents: 
Ashley Kushner Ashley Kushner is a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Department of State’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Ms. Kushner will speak about her peacekeeping experiences in Afghanistan and Sudan in a lecture entitled, “From the Rule of the Gun to the Rule of Law: Rebuilding Judicial Systems in the Post-Conflict Environment.” The lecture and reception will take place on March 22nd from 4:30-6:00 pm in Beckwith Hall (located in the Buhl Hall of Science) at Chatham College. This is a free event. For directions and parking information contact: twarner@chatham.edu Advanced Mediator Training Call for submissions: Journal of Conflict Transformation The Journal of Conflict Transformation is an online periodical created to encourage writing in the area of conflict resolution and conflict transformation. The Journal encourages submissions from academics, practitioners, and students in these areas. The Journal is published twice yearly, in July and in February. The first issue, scheduled for release in July 2007, will focus on the perspectives of women in mediation. We invite articles relating to issues or challenges faced in mediation or conflict transformation from women who are working or studying in the field of alternative dispute resolution. The guidelines for submissions are as follows:
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