ACR Spirituality Section

Calls for Submissions

Call for Submissions for the fourth issue of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, which will be guest edited by Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. Entitled "In the Face of Conflict: Multi-Religious Cooperation for Peace," I thought it might be of interest to members of the ACR Spirituality Section. Information regarding the Call is available online (http://www.irdialogue.org/submissions) or by way of the attached PDF. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.for the fourth issue of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue, which will be guest edited by Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. Entitled "In the Face of Conflict: Multi-Religious Cooperation for Peace," I thought it might be of interest to members of the ACR Spirituality Section. Information regarding the Call is available online (http://www.irdialogue.org/submissions) or by way of the attached PDF. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.

click here to download more information

The theme of ACR’s spring 2010 issue of ACResolution magazine is Preparing for Practice with Heart. The issue will focus on the notion of bringing our hearts, not just our heads to our work as conflict resolvers. It will go into the mindfulness, reflection and presence needed for practice. Articles could cover holistic approaches to practice, personal meditation, teaching meditation to clients, dealing with the emotional aspects of conflict, and resolving deeply rooted conflicts. The editors seek proposals from people who would like to write articles on any aspect of this topic. They seek diversity in authors and subject matter; authors do not have to be ACR members. Proposals are due no later than Tuesday, December 8, 2009. For more information about ACResolution, please visithttp://www.ACRnet.org/publications/acresolution.htm.

In 2010, ACR will celebrate its 10th Annual Conference. Our 2010 Conference is an excellent time to celebrate the essence of ACR, an organization that embraces and acknowledges the full spectrum of peaceful conflict reso lution and recognizes the value of cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural connections to enhance conflict resolution choices universally. ACR em bodies "Many Paths: One Destination," this year’s conference theme. Click here to submit your proposal.

Please join us for the 5th Annual ACR Rocky Mountain Retreat Integration of the Conflict Practitioner: Open Heart, Calm Mind, Friday - Sunday, February 5 - 7 with an optional Retreat Day on Thursday, February 4. In light of the economy, we are offering a weekend format at the amazing bargain of only $395 inclusive of all but transportation costs (double occupancy), with an optional Retreat Day on Thursday for an additional $99.

We have a fabulous program this year featuring Keynote Addresses by Bernard Mayer, author of numerous books including his most recent “Staying with Conflict” and Dianne Musho Hamilton who presents the “Integral Spirituality of Ken Wilber”, workshops and presentations, a much revered vibrational healing gong bath, mindful meditation, movement and yoga and social events creating great opportunities to mingle in a pristine mountain setting with others who are bringing spiritual practice into their work and their lives.

The Retreat Day on Thursday is designed to give you time to relax, acclimate, and practice in community prior to the formal retreat beginning. To lay the ground work for the Rocky Mountain Retreat: The Integrated Practitioner, there will be offerings of movement and meditative practices, time to acclimate and relax, mindful meals and opportunities to meet with one another in small groupings to learn and share the richness of our spiritual lives.

Members may find this article of Reflections for past Rocky Mountain Retreat of interest

Spirituality Section Election Results

The Spirituality Section is pleased to announce that Dai Kato has been elected to serve as tri-chair of the section with Emily Gould and Lili Zohar. Dai will begin his term officially at the ACR Annual Conference in Atlanta in October where he will be leading several section events including morning meditation and a silent meal on Thursday lunch. Please plan to stop by the section table at the conference and introduce yourself to Dai.

On behalf of the section, Lili and Emily send deep thanks to both Erricka Bridgeford and Dai Kato for running and contributing to the vitality of the section through their service. We look forward to working with Dai, Erricka, and all of YOU this year and in the years to come.

Spirituality Section Telemeeting/Teleseminar News!

Please join us for our monthly telemeetings, where we discuss the business of the Spirituality Section and connect with each other! These meetings are open to all Spirituality Section members. Our meetings are held the first Monday morning of every month at 7:30 AM Mountain Time. The meetings are one hour in length and can be accessed by calling 1-712-432-1630. The code is: 962913#. Please note that in the event of a holiday, the meeting will shift to the following Monday.

As of September 2009, the call time will move to 5 PM Eastern on the First Monday of the Month

(due to Labor Day Holiday, the call in September will be Monday September 14th at 5 PM Eastern Time)

And, don't forget our monthly teleseminars! Each month, we invite excellent speakers to share their wisdom with us! Check our email blasts for the conference schedule! Also note that our teleseminars are now available for download and playback until the next teleseminar (when the preivous teleseminar is recorded over). Save our conference call-in information! Call-in number: 1-712-432-0800, code: 761419#. Conference playback number: 1-712-432-0899, code: 761419#.

Calm in the Face of the Storm. “A simple daily dose, a morning gift for anyone working day in and out in the wonderfully challenging arena of conflict, mediation and peacebuilding. These short, insightful essays fill an important and too often overlooked gap in the professional field—the need to sustain our spirit, build our enthusiasm, and deepen our reservoir of compassion, the platform that from which hope rises for the necessary accompaniment of those experiencing pain and confusion in the search for meaning in the midst of conflict. This book should be located right alongside the palm pilot, the calendar, or the morning latté. Start anywhere, read in any direction—it’s a gift.” -- review by John Paul Lederach, PhD. Peacebuilder, scholar and author click here to learn more or to purchase Calm in the Face of the Storm. Non-Adversarial Communication: Speaking and Listening from the Heart" by authors Arlene Brownell and Tom Bache-Wiig. click here to see a review of the book by Robert C. Atchley, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Gerontology (Emeritus), Miami University, and former Chairman of the Board of Conflict Resolution Services, Oxford, Ohio.

Spirituality Section Mission Statement: The recognition of our unity is the healing of all our wounds. Yet how do we convert the consciousness of humanity to a perspective of spiritual oneness? And what would the world look like if we did?" ----Marianne Williamson

How do we convert the consciousness of humanity to a perspective of spiritual oneness? Within the section, we share a profound vision: a dream of peace, an intention to make a difference in the world, and a desire to help others. The purpose of the Spirituality Section is to provide a professional community, which affirms this vision and supports members in bringing their highest vision in their practices, their careers and their lives. In this way, as each of us takes our work and our wisdom out into the world, we will collectively realize our deepest dreams.