Event: Seven nationally recognized experts in alternative dispute resolution will provide training at the “Innovations in Collaboration and Conflict Resolution-Skills Enrichment Institute.” The conference, sponsored by the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution (CPPDR) at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law, will showcase the latest advances in the conflict resolution field and assist participants in integrating innovative techniques into their work. There is a registration cost to attend the conference, which is open to the public.
Susan Collin Marks (PDF, download Adobe Reader), senior vice president of Search for Common Ground, will give the keynote address at the plenary session. She is a South African who was a peacemaker and peace builder during South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy.
Media Availability: Marks and other experts will be available for interviews upon request. To schedule an interview contact Vicki Read at the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at vread@law.utexas.edu or 512-232-1991. In addition, journalists are invited to cover the plenary session’s keynote address. Media should check in with the front desk at the Lakeway Resort and Spa. Registration is preferred but not required.
When: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., July 30-31; Plenary session starts at 8:45 a.m., July 30
Where: Lakeway Resort and Spa in Austin, 101 Lakeway Dr.
Background: CPPDR provides alternative dispute resolution training to Texas governmental and public interest entities, the University of Texas community and the public. This is the first year CPPDR is presenting this training, which consists of six interactive program tracks.
At the plenary session, Marks will talk about how dispute resolution tools can catalyze profound societal conflict transformation around the world. Her book, “Watching the Wind: Conflict Resolution During South Africa’s Transition to Democracy,” was published in 2000. Marks is the founding editor of Track Two, a quarterly publication on community and political conflict resolution. She was portrayed in the PBS documentary Women on the Frontlines.
Dr. Bernie Mayer is a professor at the Werner Institute for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at Creighton University and an internationally recognized author in the field. Colin Rule is the director of Online Dispute Resolution for eBay and PayPal and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School. Nina Meierding is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine and Southern Methodist universities and has provided trainings internationally for more than 23 years. Melissa Manwaring, a faculty member at Harvard Extension School and Babson College, is the director of curriculum development at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. Bill Potapchuk is the president and founder of the Community Building Institute, an organization that helps communities conduct public business collaboratively. Lee Taft is a nationally recognized expert on apology, forgiveness and reconciliation and a former dean of students at Harvard Divinity School.
For information on cost and registration call the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at 512-471-3507 or view information at the Innovations in Collaboration and Conflict Resolution-Skills Enrichment Institute online.
Continuing legal education credit from the State Bar of Texas, including credit for legal ethics, is available for specific program tracks. A 10 percent discount is available for faculty, staff and students of The University of Texas System. In addition, the Center is offering a limited number of partial scholarships for staff at nonprofit organizations and students.
