Alternative dispute resolution is a tool for resolving conflicts within a community, and mediation is used in the workplace and in institutions to help individuals find common ground and peaceful solutions to problems. This section includes resources that community organizations can employ.
(clicking on the links below will take you directly to the site)
Center for Environmental Negotiation, 164 Rugby Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, Tel: 804.924.1970, Fax: 804.924.0231, Email: envneg@virginia.edu, Website: http://www.virginia.edu/~envneg/IEN.html.
Center for Living Democracy, 289 Fox Road, P.O. Box 8187, Brattleboro, VT 05304-8187, Tel: 802.254.1234, Fax: 802.254.1227, Email: info@livingdemocracy, Website: http://www.livingdemocracy.org. The Center's mission is to accelerate the emergence of Living Democracy, the broad awakening to the essential role of regular citizens in solving America's toughest problems.
First Nations Development Institute, Stores Building, 11917 Main Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22408, Tel: 540.371.5615, Fax: 540.371.3505; Email: info@firstnations.org, Website: http://www.firstnations.orgFirst Nations focuses on culturally appropriate and sustainable development for American Indian communities.
Keystone Center, Box 8606, Keystone, CO 80435, Tel: 970.468.5822, Fax: 970.262.0152, Email: tkcspp@keystone.org, Website: http://www.keystone.org. The Keystone Center provides neutral conflict management and mediation services in international, national, regional, state and local public policy disputes.
Meridian Institute, 1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 420, Washington, DC 20005, Tel: 202.354.6445, Fax: 202.354.6441, Website: http://www.merid.org. Meridian Institute seeks to solve problems and resolve conflicts arising from the integration of environmental, health, economic, and social issues.
Northwest Renewable Resources Center, 1411 4th Ave., Suite 1510, Seattle, WA 98101-2216, Tel: 206.623.7361, Fax: 206.467.1640The Center acts as a facilitator between Indian tribal communities and corporate, industrial and agricultural communities to promote better and effective communication.
Partnerships and Participation in Planning, Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, Virginia Tech, 201 Architecture Annex, Blacksburg, VA 24060, Tel: 540.231.5485, Fax: 540.231.3367, Email: uap@vt.edu, Website: http://www.uap.vt.edu/cdrom/default.htm. This website is a resource for planners who aim to go beyond traditional participation and conflict resolution and explore opportunities and alternatives for effective collaboration and participation in local problem solving and policy making.
Program for Community Problem Solving (PCPS), 1319 F Street, NW, Suite 204, Washington, DC 20004, Tel: 202.783.2961, Fax: 202.347.2161, Email: billpotap@aol.com, Website: http://www.ncl.org/ncl/pcps.htm. PCPS, a program of the National Civic League, assists communities in using collaborative approaches for a wide array of undertakings, such as long-range planning, service delivery, conflict resolution, program implementation, and problem solving.
RESOLVE, 1255 23rd Street NW, Suite 275, Washington, DC 20037, Tel: 202.944.2300, Fax: 202.338.1264, Email: outreach%resolve@mcimail.com This center for environmental dispute resolution combines mediation practice with capacity building through research and education.
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development, 941 O Street, Suite 920, Lincoln, NE 68508, Tel: 402.474.7667, Fax: 402.474.7672, Email: vluther@unlinfo.unl.edu, Website: http://www.4w.com/heartland. The Heartland Center develops local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future and researches practical resources and public policies for rural community survival.
The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA), 4220 North 25th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Tel: 1.800.742.4032, Fax: 602.954.0563, Email: icapheonix@igc.apc.org, Website: http://www.ica-usa.org. The Institute of Cultural Affairs works to promote positive change in communities, organizations and individual lives in the US and around the world by helping people find their own solutions to problems and the means to implement those solutions.
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American Planning Association. Collaborative Planning. These six-hour video and workshop materials guide planners through the steps of collaborative planning in order to resolve community disputes. To obtain this resource contact the Program for Community Problem Solving, 1319 F Street, NW, Suite 204, Washington DC 20004; Tel: 202.783.2961; Fax: 202.347.2161.
Carpenter, Susan L. and W.J.D. Kennedy. Managing Public Disputes: A Practical Guide To Handling Conflict and Reaching Agreements. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1988). This guide provides managers in business and government with step-by-step guidelines for designing workable conflict management strategies and successfully carrying them through to resolution.
Chrislip, David and Carl Larson. Collaborative Leadership: How Citizens and Civic Leaders Make A Difference. (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1994). This is an exploration of the emergence of collaborative approaches to leadership, including both underlying principles and many illustrative examples.
Community Board of San Francisco. Conciliation Handbook, Neighbors Helping Neighbors Resolve Conflicts That Keep Us Apart. (Community Board of San Francisco, revised 1993). This is a step-by-step guide for using trained volunteers to help settle disputes among community members.
Crowfoot, James E and Julia Wondoleck. Environmental Disputes: Community Involvement in Conflict Resolution. (Washington, DC: Island Press, 1990).
DuPraw, J. and M. Kunde. Negotiated Approaches to Environmental Decision Making in Communities: An Exploration of Lessons Learned. (Washington, DC: Program For Community Problem Solving, 1996). This resource for government and community leaders helps communities negotiate policies for sustainable development. To obtain this resource contact Program for Community Problem Solving at: 202.783.2961.
Fisher, Roger and William Ury. Getting to Yes. (New York: Penguin Books, 1981).
Herman, M. S.. Resolving Conflict: Strategies For Local Government. (Washington, DC: International City/County Management Association, 1994).
Kaner, Sam et al. The Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision Making. (Gabriola Island, BC, Canada: New Society Publishers, 1996). This how-to manual is designed to help groups increase participation and collaboration, honor diversity, and make effective, participatory decisions.
Macbeth, Fiona and Nic Fine. Playing with Fire: Creative Conflict Resolution for Young Adults. (Gabriola Island, BC, Canada: New Society Publishers, 1995). This guide presents a training program that helps young adults explore situations of conflict while learning and practicing skills and strategies for turning destructive conflicts into constructive dialogs .
Maser, Chris, Charles R. Beaton, Kevin M. Smith. Setting the Stage for Sustainability: A Citizen's Handbook. (Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1998). This book looks at resolving environmental conflicts through a "transformative" rather than a "problem-solving" approach, emphasizing the capacity of facilitation for personal growth. To obtain this resource contact CRC Press, Tel: 800.272.7737; Fax: 800.374.3401; Email: orders@crcpress.com; Website: http://www.crcpress.com.
Millenium Communications Group. "Dispute/Conflict Resolution". Communications as Engagement: Millenium Report to the Rockefeller Foundation. This section of the Millenium Report contains case studies and resource organizations on community dispute and conflict resolution. This resource can be found online at: http://www.cdinet.com/Millenium/Resource/dispute.html.
National Civic League. Negotiated Approaches to Environmental Decision Making in Communities: An Exploration of Lessons Learned. (National Civic League, National Institute for Dispute Resolution, and the Coalition to Improve Management in State and Local Government). This resource for government and civic leaders helps communities negotiate policies for sustainable development. To obtain this resource contact the National Civic League, Attn: PCPS Publications, 1319 F Street, Suite 204, Washington, DC 20004; Tel: 212.783.2961; Fax: 212.347.2161; Website: www.ncl.org/ncl/pcpspub.htm.
Yankelovich, Daniel. The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation. (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1999). This book shows how the discipline of dialogue can make managers, leaders, businesspeople and other professionals more effective, strengthen relationships, resolve problems, and achieve shared objectives. .
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Sustainable Communities Network (SCN) Revised August 10, 2001