2010 Gil Lopez Award Call for Nominations

We are pleased to request nominations for a 2010 Gil Lopez Award recipient. This award will be presented at our annual conference on March 13, 2010 at Preservation Park in Oakland.

The Gil Lopez Award is given in honor of Gil Lopez:

Gil Lopez was a former Board member of the Northern California Mediation Association (NCMA) who passed away in San Francisco in 1998. Gil volunteered with Community Boards, had a private practice in conflict resolution, and was a respected mediator and peacemaker. For more information about Gil, please visit http://www.gillopez.net/index.html. As an African-American activist, Gil felt that it was important to encourage and support the participation of people of color in the field of conflict resolution—it was his wish to recognize and celebrate peacemakers of color within this field.

In honor of Gil’s memory and his commitment to conflict resolution and peacemaking, ADRNC (formerly NCMA) presents an annual award and a conference scholarship to one or more persons of color who have made significant contributions to the field of conflict resolution. Since 1996, ADRNC has recognized individuals for this award who are committed to creative interventions to conflict and violence. Last year, Malissa Netane was awarded the Gil Lopez Award. In 2008, Yolanda Jackson and Ana Navarro were jointly honored. The recipients in previous years include Françoise Spaulding-Keller, Selina Low, Sharlene Gee, Arline Sandi Tyler, Thom Massey and Carl Hopkins, Alex Alexander, Pete De La Ossa and Sing C. Chin.

We seek nominees who are community leaders with a commitment to diversity, supporting communities of color and building cross-cultural alliances. Nominees should demonstrate innovative and creative contributions to the ADR and conflict resolution fields, with connections and contributions within Northern California specifically.

The recipient(s) will be prominently featured in the ADRNC newsletter and website, and will receive a certificate acknowledging their contributions. In addition to a fully-funded conference scholarship, the award recipient is presented a certificate during the conference luncheon, and will have the opportunity to speak briefly. If the recipient is unable to attend the conference, we ask that the nominating individual or organization receive the certificate and speak on behalf and the award-recipient. The recipient also receives free admission to two ADRNC programs in the coming year.

If you know of a person who you feel qualifies for this award please submit their name for nomination to the ADRNC Board by e-mail to adr@adrnc.net no later than Monday, February 1, 2010 – in respect for the nominees, the sooner the better. Please provide a detailed statement of their experience and contributions, and information about why you are nominating them. If possible, please submit a CV/resume of the nominee with your nomination.

The ADRNC Gil Lopez Award Committee will review nominations from Bay Area community mediation programs and ADR organizations, from the ADRNC membership and other sources. A selection will be made as soon as possible so that the recipient has sufficient notice before the conference.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Yu-Yee Wu at yuyeewu@yahoo.com, 415-420-5678 and/or Elli Nagai Rothe at elli.nagai.rothe@gmail.com, 415-439-9316. For more information about the annual ADRNC conference, please visit our website: www.adrnc.net. Thank you in advance.

Warmly,

Elli Nagai Rothe and Yu-Yee Wu

Gil Lopez Award Committee Co-Chairs