INTERNATIONAL FOCUS
International News Highlights
Conflict Resolution Day
Cynthia Alm, Coordinator
Cynthia Alm, Coordinator
2010
Conflict Resolution Day, an annual international celebration, will be on October 21, 2010. Now is the time to start planning events and activities to increase awareness of the benefits of using conflict resolution, and to recognize significant contributions of conflict resolvers.
Conferences, tele-seminars, workshops, bookfairs, awards programs, and proclamations by government officials are a few of the ways to commemorate Conflict Resolution Day.
In addition, ACR will again be sponsoring a poetry contest as a celebratory event for Conflict Resolution Day. Students in grades 3 to 12 are invited to submit a poem on “Peace in My Community.” Poems must be in English and contain no more than 20 lines. Contest rules will be available through the ACR website. The third Thursday of October was designated in 2005 by the Association for Conflict Resolution as Conflict Resolution Day.
Contact Commercial Section Advisory Board member Cindy Alm, cynthiaalm@hawaii.rr.com for more information or to share your ideas or plans for Conflict Resolution Day.
2009 Conflict Resolution Day Activities
Conflict Resolution Day was a success again this year with more than 50 events held in the United States, Canada and abroad. New this year was a poetry contest held for elementary, middle and high school students. Over 100 entries were received from students in the U.S. and abroad. Next year, this celebration will be held on October 21, 2010. Conflict Resolution Day posters are available on-line in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Hebrew and Arabic. For more information go to www.acrnet.org/crday/.
Conflict Resolution Day History
The goals of Conflict Resolution Day are to:
- Promote awareness of mediation, arbitration, conciliation and other creative, peaceful means of resolving conflict;
- Promote the use of conflict resolution in schools, families, businesses, communities, governments and the legal system;
- Recognize the significant contributions of (peaceful) conflict resolvers; and
- Obtain national synergy by having celebrations happen across the country and around the world on the same day.
Conferences, tele-seminars, workshops, book fairs, receptions, art contests for students, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, awards programs, proclamations by mayors, governors and university presidents, are just a few of the ways in which Conflict Resolution Day has been celebrated. Groups have partnered with book stores, courts, community mediation centers, religious organizations, government agencies, and others on previous Conflict Resolution Day events.
And supporters in Canada, France, Moldova, Portugal, Jamaica, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Israel have organized Conflict Resolution Day events over the years.
