PARC 20th Anniversary Conference a Great Success!
From
September 27-28, 2007 the Maxwell School’s
Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts (PARC)
Celebrated its 20th Anniversary by hosting a
Conference on
“Cutting Edge Theories
and Recent Developments in Conflict Resolution.”
View
pictures of the Conference
View video stream of Keynote Speaker, John Paul Lederach
| In total, an estimated 150 individuals
attended across two days. At the event, 16 PARC alumni presented research papers
addressing a range of domestic and international issues in the
theory and practice of conflict resolution. Additional PARC
alumnae participated in the conference, which also was attended
by current masters and PhD students as well as faculty members
from across the Syracuse University campus. Members of the public also participated. Present were founding Director Lois Kriesberg, Professor
Neil Katz, former Director Robert Rubinstein, and current
Co-Directors
Catherine Gerard
and Rosemary O’Leary. |
 |
 |
Dean
Wallerstein introduced the event, calling PARC a “jewel in
the crown” of the
Maxwell
School. He noted that PARC is the oldest continually running institute at the
school, as well as the oldest certificate program. He highlighted that PARC stresses both theory and
practice and is one of the few truly interdisciplinary
institutes on campus. Finally, he reflected that in 20 years, PARC has retained its founding interests in conflict resolution while
evolving to meet the growing demand for research and expertise
in collaboration, collaborative problem solving, and
collaborative governance. |
Founding Director Louis Kriesberg, received recognition for providing years of leadership and
vision to the program. During a lunch-time session on Thursday, he shared
personal reflections on the development of his own career and of
the field as a whole. He reflected on PARC’s role in the past
and present, and going forward, he called for a ‘scaling up’ of
recognition and adoption of conflict resolution theories and
methods through community linkages, policy connections, data
sharing and ongoing research.
Professor Neil Katz, also received recognition for providing
years of leadership and vision to the program. On Friday, he and Professor of Practice Christina
Merchant shed light on more than 30 years of teaching and
practice in the field. Professor Katz focused on the formative
scholarship, core values, and lessons learned ‘in the trenches’
that have shaped his career.
| During a dinner reception on the 27th, John Paul Lederach,
leading scholar on conflict resolution and mediation, presented
the key note address. He challenged the traditional view of resolution as a
linear process, suggesting instead that it is a
multi-directional, with aspects of the past, present and future
happening simultaneously. He reflected that effective conflict
resolution requires not just intellect and theory, but also
heart. He highlighted PARC’s tradition of providing teaching,
programming and practice that is consistent with this model. He
urged those involved in the field to posses the traits of
vulnerability, sincerity, patience, compassion, humility,
courage and clarity. |
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The conference included five panel discussions during which alumni presented a total of 16 research papers.
Papers from the conference are currently being double blind peer
reviewed with the best slated for publication in Research in Social
Movements, Conflict and Change.
 |
During the sessions, entitled Peace Building
and Social Justice; Re-Imaging Constructive Conflict Management
Processes; Organization Conflict & Collaboration; and Education
and Practice, each researcher provided an overview of his or her
findings, then engaged in discussion with the group. Research
topics ranged from discourse in US peace movements; to treatment
of child soldiers in UNHCR refugee camps; to collaborative
governance in the US Coast Guard; to
Nigeria
’s democratic
development. The research examined ethnic conflict; cycles of
poverty and incarceration; and public apologies, identify
affirmation, and healing humiliation among marginalized groups.
Other research addressed collaborative stakeholder processes and
collaborative governance, while one paper provided an overview
of conflict resolution graduate programs world wide. A full list
of papers is included below. |
T he conference concluded with a brainstorming session which engaged all participants in thinking about the
implications of the days’ discussions; identifying knowledge
gaps; and considering the next steps for PARC. Lead by new PARC Professor Tina Nabatchi, the open
discussion highlighted the major themes discussed throughout the
conference pertaining to the field as a whole and to PARC’s role
specifically.
Regarding the field ,
the group identified some knowledge gaps in the areas of
exchanging information and knowledge across national and
international work, as well as across the many
disciplines that make up the field. In addition, they
identified a dichotomy between security studies and
conflict studies and highlighted the need for a better
understanding of the intersection of democratic theory
with conflict resolution.
| Regarding PARC specifically, the group reflected that in 20
years PARC has established a well regarded reputation within the
Academy. The group agreed that going forward, PARC must maintain
strong ties with its alumni network, with the social sciences
program, and with masters and PhD students. The group discussed
possible internet-based learning models and alumni web resources
and networking that might strengthen the community and advance
both theory and practice in the future. To that end, Co-Director
Rosemary O’Leary concluded the conference by announcing the
launch of the e-PARC initiative which will be on line by the end
of October: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/parc/eparc_construction.html.
|
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“Cutting Edge Theories and Recent Developments in Conflict Resolution.”
PARC 20th Anniversary Alumni Conference
September 27-28
COMPLETE LIST OF RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
“
U.S.
Peace Movement and International Conflict Resolution”
Pat Coy, Greg Maney, Lynn Woehrle
“Talking or Teaching: Goals and Outcomes of Intergroup Dialogue”
Heather Pincock
“Breaking the cycle: Poverty, Incarceration, and Sexually Transmitted
Infections in
North Carolina”
Brooke A. Levandowski, Elizabeth A. Torrone,
Kimberly A. Porter Malika Roman Isler, James C. Thomas
“A New Sheriff in Town: Identity Affirmation
and the Iroquois Indians”
Thomas Boudreau and Brian D. Polkinghorn
“Re-negotiation of Social Relations Through
Public Apologies to Canadian Aboriginal Peoples”
Neil Funk-Unrau
“Child
Soldiers, UNHCR Refugee Camps”
Krisan Evenson
“Healing Humiliation and the Need for Revenge
By Using Identity Affirmation with Enemies”
Nora Femenia
“Post
Conflict Identity Reconstruction Among Sudanese Lost Boys in the
U.S.
”
Hannah Allerdice
“The Democratization of Peace building: International Assistance and the Political Engagement of
Peace building NGO’s in
Northern
Ireland
and
Bosnia
”
Bruce Hemmer
“Ethnic Conflict in
Bosnia
, 1992-1995”
Fethi Keles
“Collaborative
Stakeholder Process”
Timothy Hedeen
“Participatory Democracy and Organizational
Conflict”
Diane Swords
“Collaborative
Governance in the
U.S.
Coast Guard”
Heather Getha-Taylor
“Maximizing
Collaborative Network Capacity”
Rob Alexander
“Discursive Winds of Change: Applying new
forms of Practice to the Context of Nigeria's Democratic
Development"
Marie Pace and Darren Kew
“Conflict
Resolution Graduate Programs in the
U.S.
”
Brian Polkinghorn
|
