October 18, 2007 is Conflict Resolution Day
By Lisa Collins Werner, Esq. Attorney and a Rule 31 General Civil and Family Law Mediator
Conflict Resolution Day, or Mediation Day as it is sometimes referred to, was officially recognized by the Association for Conflict Resolution’s Board of Directors in 2005. The goal was to increase public awareness about conflict resolution and it’s many benefits. Since that time the ACR has coordinated it’s efforts with other conflict resolution organizations. Now Conflict Resolution Day is celebrated on local, state, national, and international level on the third Thursday of October. Since 2006 mediators throughout the state of Tennessee have honored Conflict Resolution Day with a variety of events. In the summer of 2006, the Tennessee Coalition for Mediation Awareness was formed to raise public awareness of mediation as an option for dispute resolution. TCMA has grown quickly and has expanded to include twenty-three member groups. In Knoxville, those include: the Community Mediation Center (CMC) www.2mediate.org; Tennessee Valley Mediation Association (TVMA), www.tnmediator.com; Knoxville Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, www.knoxbar.org; and the University of Tennessee College of Law Mediation Clinic, www.law.utk.edu/departments/clinic/clinicmediation.htm. A complete listing of all member groups and their web addresses can be found at www.2mediate.org/tcma.html. Throughout the country, governors and mayors have issued proclamations declaring October 18, 2007 Conflict Resolution Day. Likewise, our governors and mayors have done the same. The 2006 proclamations of Mayor Bill Haslam and Mayor Mike Ragsdale are posted and can be viewed on-line at TCMA press release http://www.acmet.org/pdfs/Tennessee.Coalition.Press.Release.9-11.pdf. This year on October 18, 2007 a luncheon and program will be hosted by the Tennessee Coalition for Mediation Awareness to be held in Nashville to celebrate Conflict Resolution Day. The Coalition will present the first annual Grayfred Gray Public Mediation Service Award to retired University of Tennessee Law Professor and Alternative Dispute Resolution visionary Grayfred Gray. The event will be held at the Lipscomb Institute for Conflict Management, Ezell Center, 3901 Granny White Pike, Nashville. Jackie Kittrell, Executive Director of the Community Mediation Center, and Deb House, the new Associate Director of Legal Aid of East Tennessee, are spearheading Knoxville’s Contribution to this event. In conjunction with the Conflict Resolution Day celebrations, the Tennessee Valley Mediation Association is completing a peer mediation presentation to be offered at schools and other organizations this fall. CMC will be conducting a mediator training Oct. 5-6 and Oct. 26-27 for those in our community who would like to become volunteer mediators. There is a lot going on in October regarding Alternative Dispute Resolution. All of the ADR organizations listed above encourage attorneys in all practice areas to participate in these events. Please contact any of the above-referenced groups for more information about how you can participate in or support Conflict Resolution Day in Tennessee.