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Welcome to the January issue of the Mesites Foundation Newsletter In this Issue
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This is the inaugural issue of the Mesites Foundation’s monthly online newsletter, which provides information about the activities of the Mesites Foundation and our sister organization, Mediators without Borders. We would like to wish our friends, supporters, and readers best wishes for a happy and peaceful New Year 2007. For those of you who are not familiar with our work, Mesites Foundation was formed on September 16, 2006 to promote the education and training of women in the constructive resolution of social problems in international and domestic societies. Our mission is to promote the teaching of best practices for engaging conflict through awareness of the influence of the relationship between culture and conflict as it affects the resolution of disputes, as well as the distinctive cultural approaches to participating in and resolving conflict. The purpose of this work is to provide women with the tools to negotiate and resolve conflict, as well as to cultivate their inner wisdom and maturity for application in conflict situations within any region of the global community. 2006: A Look Back to the Last Quarter October: On October 20, 2006, the Board of Directors of Mesites Foundation joined mediation and conflict resolution professionals to participate in the “’Beyond Yes’ Dialogue Series” conducted by Erica Ariel Fox, Esq., of the Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative (HNII), a division of the Law School’s Program on Negotiation. Ms. Fox led us through sessions that analyzed what experiences and personal qualities that we, working as negotiators, mediators, and academics, contribute on an individual level to the resolution of conflict. Sharing experiences, we examined questions such as: How do we train ourselves and others to be instruments for peace? How do we learn the skills that express the qualities of maturity and character that are required to intervene in conflicts today? Guided by Ms. Fox, we engaged these questions through presentations, exercises, partner and group work, silence, reflection, and instruction in age-old wisdom practices. The highlights of this retreat were an impromptu game of “Six Degrees of Separation” at the first night’s dinner, where we realized that everyone at the seminar was connected in some “degree” to one another; and following the last night’s dinner, a lesson in “holistic salsa dancing” by Cassandra Georges, Esq., a conflict resolution fellow in the offices of Robert A. Creo, Esq., a founding member of Mediators without Borders. November: In November, our sister organization, Mediators without Borders (MWOB), was incorporated. MWOB was formed as a non-profit provider of pro bono conflict resolution capacity-building within post-conflict communities. A key goal of MWOB is to develop indigenous skills for group facilitation, public dialogue, strategic planning, collaborative negotiation, and peer mediation. MWOB’s concept is for teams of volunteer mediators to conduct skill-building workshops consistent with the norms, values, and culture of the particular locale, with the intent of helping hostile communities to prevent, resolve, and recover from violent conflict. An array of conflict alternatives can be explored by strategic integration into the political, economic, and social institutions. The same team would volunteer annually for between one and three weeks over a number of years in the same country, to build sustainable initiatives and to develop roles for local peacemakers and peacekeepers. MWOB will partnerships with existing non-governmental organizations and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) entities to provide experienced mediators as trainers and consultants, who will complement and expand the conflict resolution capacity of already funded peace projects. For additional information or to obtain an application to become a member mediator, please contact Anjali Soi at: asoi@mesites.org December: Taking advantage of what has become the slowest week of the year in the business and legal communities, we completed the expansion and renovation of our building located at 1807 Jancey Street. Mesites Foundation shares these offices with Mediators without Borders. Our new space allows us to welcome interns who, initially, will assist with the research and compilation of country profiles for use by Mediators without Borders. The “Fourth Thursday” Series to launch at Chatham College (Pittsburgh) on January 25th The “Fourth Thursday” is a monthly lecture series featuring professionals in the areas of mediation and conflict transformation. The series consists of three lectures, held over the months of January through March, on the campus of Chatham College in Pittsburgh. The theme of the inaugural series is “Women in Mediation.” The January lecture will be given by Lynn Hamilton Cole, Esq. who will speak on “Challenges to the Establishment of Court Mediation Programs Abroad: Bulgaria and Jordan.” Ms. Cole is a dispute resolution professional with experience in all aspects of ADR, including mediation and arbitration. She was appointed by the American Bar Association (ABA), in conjunction with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to serve as an ADR Specialist in Jordan, where she assisted in the development and execution of a Court Mediation Pilot Program in Amman. Ms. Cole aided with drafting court mediation forms and procedures, a “Mediation Code of Conduct”, an Evaluation Survey, and the creation of confidentiality procedures. Ms. Cole has returned to Amman to provide seminars in basic and advanced mediation training, to help private sector businesses increase their ADR capacities, and to instruct at the Mediation Seminar for the Arab Women’s Legal Network. Additionally, Ms. Cole has served as the ABA and USAID Mediation Specialist to Bulgaria, where she developed Advanced Mediation Training courses. Dates and Place: January 25th; February 22nd; and March 22nd. All events held at Chatham College. Cost: A series subscription is $50; individual tickets are $20. The events are free to persons with identification from a PA Council of Higher Education member school. To register: Register online at www.chatham.edu 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 perspectives of women in mediation. We invite articles from women who are working or studying in the field of alternative dispute resolution, that relates to issues or challenges faced in mediation or conflict transformation. The guidelines for submissions are as follows: • Articles should be between 1,200 and 5,000 words • Articles must be written using Times New Roman 12-point font • All citations should follow MLA guidelines; citations to case law should follow the Blue Book • Submissions must be received electronically as Word documents to: asoi@mesites.org • Deadline for submissions for the first issue is April 30, 2007. Internships available with Mediators without Borders Mediators without Borders (MWOB) is pleased to announce its Internship Program. Interns will gain practical work experience in areas such as country research, development, and communications, as well as a basic introduction to the field of conflict resolution. All internships will take place in our Pittsburgh office. There are three internship terms each year:
Interested students should submit a resume together with a letter of interest. Candidates will be selected on the basis of merit. Internship applications are accepted on a rolling basis according to the recommended application submission dates above. Internships are unpaid. Students who desire work-study or course credit must secure approval from the appropriate individual or department at their school. A minimum time commitment of ten (10) hours per week is required for all internships. Application Instructions: Please submit resume with cover letter to: Mediators without Borders/Attn: Internship Program Alternatively, you may send your letter and resume by e-mail as a Word document attachment. Please indicate “Internship” and the term in which you are applying in the subject line of your e-mail to: asoi@mesites.org To the extent possible, MWOB will try to accommodate the interests of the intern; however, all interns will be assigned according to the needs of a particular committee within MWOB. Internships are available in the following areas: • Country Research • Fundraising • Conferences • Mediator Relations _____________________________________ |
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