Conflict Resolution Day 2009

Summary

This year a number of organizations came together to raise awareness of appropriate dispute resolution in Alberta and collaborate together via Conflict Resolution Day. A number of different activities and events were held across Alberta on October 16th that are listed below.

Events
The Business Link

A one hour lunch time session was held hosting an interactive four panel member video conference discussion on conflict resolution options in Alberta. The panel members are experts in the fields of mediation, arbitration, restorative justice and the law. They talked about a number of situations and how different processes would be effective in each case.

Blairemore 1 Lloydminister 3 Viking 3  
Fort McMurray 1 Medicine Hat 4 Yellowknife CBSC 4
Grande Prairie 1 Okotoks 2 Calgary 14
Hanna 1 Peace River 14 Edmonton 26
Hinton 1 St. Paul 5 Guthrie School 18
Lethbridge 3 Stony Plain 3
Total: 104

By Region:

Edmonton
Lead: Susan Logan and Melanie MacNeil
  • Volunteers hosted lunch sites in the Edmonton, St. Albert and Stony Plain with information and handouts available to attendees.
  • Mayoral Proclamation of the day.
  • Style Matters workshops held.
  • General public with 8 participants.
  • Law Students (U of A) with 23 participants.
Department of National Defense
Lead: Gloria Lechky
  • Poster campaign completed and included every unit on the base, advertising at workshops and two newsletter articles.
  • Hosted a video conference at the Dispute Resolution and Learning Centre on base in Edmonton.
  • Base Commander Proclamation of the day.
RCMP - K Division
  • Poster and email campaign held in conjunction with an information booth set up at the main entrance to K Division Headquarters building with Tim Bits.
  • Approximately 30 people stopped by.
Red Deer
Lead: Ken Buchannan and Maureen Curran
  • Information fair held in Bower Mall from 7am to 9pm and included representation from; Family Justice Services, Energy Resources Conservation Board, Legal Aid, Alberta Arbitration & Mediation Society using 20 volunteers providing information to approximately 67 members of the public.
  • Mayoral Proclamation made.

The mayor of Red Deer, Mayor Flewelling, proclaimed Conflict Resolution Day. Our local planning committee organized an exhibit at Bower Mall in Red Deer to showcase various alternate dispute resolution programs. The following organizations/services were represented - Family Justice Services, Civil Mediation, ERCB, Legal Aid, PLENA, Restorative Justice, AAMS, Synergy, Municipal Affairs, Collaborative Edge Inc., as well as a family mediator in private practice. We had a total of 20 volunteers who helped plan and/or participate in the event. Seven of those volunteers were Alberta Justice employees. During our display, 67 members of the public stopped to gather information or ask questions.

Grande Prairie
Lead: Kathleen Dimsdale
  • Hosted the lunch session at The Business Link.
  • Mayoral Proclamation of the day.
Lethbridge
Lead: Helen Maze
  • Information fair held at the court house included FJS/Civil Mediation Programs and CCRS with Judicial announcement for people to view the booths.
  • Booths set up in busy hallway outside of courtrooms so approximately 50-70 people were in the area prior to and during court.
  • Volunteers spoke/gave information to 25-30 members of the public.
  • PLENA sent information which was handed out.
  • 4 volunteers - 2 CS staff and 2 from Community Conflict Resolution Services (CCRS).
Medicine Hat
  • Information fair was held at the court house representing FJS/Civil Mediation Programs and Children's Services Mediation Program.
  • Booths set up in busy hallway outside of courtrooms so approximately 30-40 people were in the area prior to and during court. Volunteers spoke/gave information to 15-20 members of the public.
  • 3 volunteers - 2 CS staff and Mediation Coordinator from Children's Services.
  • A proclamation was made by the Deputy Mayor.
Fort McMurray
Lead: Debbie Martin
  • Information display hosted at the court house with 10 people visiting.
Canmore
Lead: Dr. Jen Geary
  • Conducted an all day information booth in Canmore at Safeway there were about one hundred shoppers who were advised of the Day.
  • Presented information to the Girl Guides of Canmore There were about thirty-five Girl Guides and troop leaders who were advised of the day.
  • Advised about thirteen students at the University of Calgary about the Day, for example, by publishing particulars on a Web site.
  • Advertised the Day with about fifty law students in New South Wales, Australia.
  • One of my articles as a lead up to the event was published in the USA through Mediation Works see - 
    http://www.familybusinessconflict.com/2009/09/28/human-rights-privacy-and-the-environment
Community Mediation Calgary Society
Lead: Paul Blakeney
  • Information fair held at City Hall on October 1st.
  • Banners were put up around the city and events were planned at City Hall on October 6th and 13th with video conference on October 15.
  • October 8th we hosted a lunch time presentation entitled "Hot Topics in ADR".
  • Mayoral proclamation as Mediation Awareness Month and Conflict Resolution Day.
University of Calgary
Lead: Jade Clay

​Alberta Justice Calgary
Lead: Loretta Richens
  • Court Centre hosted 2 Style Matters workshops that hosted 36 participants.
Strathcona County
Lead: Barb Rix
  • Communicating through Conflict course held that evening for the public with 11 people participating.
  • Mayoral Proclamation of the day.
Morinville
Mayoral proclamation made on September 15th and posted in their town office.