SIOUX LOOKOUT ANTI RACISM COMMITTEE King Street Floor Box

							                                SIOUX LOOKOUT ANTI-RACISM COMMITTEE
                                85 King Street, 2nd Floor
                                Box 1194                  Phone: (807) 737-1501
                                Sioux Lookout, ON         Toll free: (877) 737-5272
                                P8T 1B7                   Fax:       (807) 737-2600
                                Email: slarc@bellnet.ca http://www.slarc.ca

August 10, 2005
                                    PRESS RELEASE
             CICR REsolves to make a difference in Sioux Lookout
The Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution (CICR) has committed their resources to fully
support the REsolve project. REsolve is a Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee (SLARC)
project designed to develop a Community Based Conflict Resolution Model for the town of Sioux
Lookout with funding from Canadian Heritage.

“This partnership is an incredible opportunity for REsolve to take on a national presence by being
associated with an organization that has an excellent reputation for successful conflict resolution
and is committed to overcoming racism and discrimination”, noted Geraldine Guilfoyle, Co-chair,
SLARC; “we remain committed to making Sioux Lookout a community where hurtful conflict
does not exist, a place where all peoples are welcome, a place where they feel safe.” CICR is
committed to building conflict resolving communities and has both domestic and international
experience.

“When Don briefed us on REsolve we recognized immediately that this was an initiative that
embraces the principles of CICR and mirrors what we try to achieve with our Community-Based
Conflict Resolution Program”, noted Brian Strom, Executive Director, CICR; “by working with
REsolve and the Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee, we will contribute to establishing a
program that has the potential to equip communities across Canada with the skills, materials and
training necessary to resolve conflict”.

“This partnership will bring years of experience and wisdom to our REsolve project”, said Don
DeGenova, REsolve Project Manager; “CICR’s involvement will allow us to focus on developing
training modules related to cross cultural issues, sensitivity training and Aboriginal
traditions/spirituality while capitalizing on the investments already made by CICR in the areas of
becoming a third party neutral and dealing with deep rooted conflict”. REsolve just released their
findings from a series of public consultations that took place earlier this year.

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For further information please contact SLARC at (807) 737-1501 or Toll Free (877) 737-
5272 or CICR at (613) 235-5800.

Wava Fox                            Don DeGenova                         Brian Strom
REsolve Project Coordinator         REsolve Project Manager              Executive Director CICR
wfox@bellnet.ca                     degedon@sympatico.ca                 edcicr@ustpaul.ca




REsolve Project, Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee, August 10, 2005.                             1
Background Information:

Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution (CICR)

CICR was created in 1988 as a non-profit charitable organization based in Ottawa and operating
out of St. Paul’s University. They are known for their efforts in dealing with deep rooted conflict
and building conflict resolving communities both domestically and in countries such as Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Rwanda and Taiwan. Their mission is to foster, develop and communicate
conflict resolution processes for individuals, organizations and communities and to embody the
positive attributes of common sense, compassion and spirituality.

CICR’s community-based methodology is underpinned by the principle that everyone must have
access to, and an understanding of the methods and principles used in conflict resolution. CICR
helps communities identify and respond to conflict situations by providing citizens with the
training, skills and tools necessary to become third-party neutrals and to identify and deal with
deep rooted conflict in their efforts to build conflict resolving communities. To meet the
definition of community, CICR delivers processes that are inclusive, barrier free and positively-
centred. The Community-Based Conflict Resolution (CBCR) methodology is designed to build
trust and establish new patterns of interaction within and between communities. This initiative
will seek to build and promote a movement of Canadians toward mutual respect and
understanding by establishing positive relationships, rooted in trust and in an atmosphere of
collaboration which will contribute to a culture of peace and a community of good neighbours.

REsolve

The Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee, a non-profit, grassroots organization, was
established in 1989 as a means of promoting cooperation and understanding between the Native
and non-Native population of Sioux Lookout. Board Members include: Jay Curtis, Adrienne
Fox-Kessic, Barb Carpenter, Bertha Jacques, Geraldine Guilfoyle, Ian Ritchie, Mark Gaudet,
Rachel Garrick, Rachel Paquette Flanagan, Susan Barclay, Terry Lynne Jewell and Jim Morris.

Sioux Lookout is a municipality in Northwestern Ontario that is home to approximately 5,000
people. The community has experienced many changes over the past twenty years; once a
predominately Euro-Canadian railroad town, it is now a cross-cultural community with over 50%
of its population being of Aboriginal heritage. These changes have presented the community
with many challenges in its struggle to respond to cultural differences. There is a growing need
for services to help with disputes related to racism, discrimination and cross-cultural
communication.

The REsolve Project looks to build a sustainable model that will address and respond to conflict
at the community level. In Phase 1, community based conflict resolution models across Canada
and internationally were reviewed, and although there are many programs dealing with restorative
justice issues, there are very few programs focusing on community based conflict resolution.
Sioux Lookout is likely to be the first community in Canada to adopt such a program at the town
level. In Phase 2, a series of community consultations were conducted, the results of which are
captured in a 136 page Public Consultation Report, along with a seven page Summary Report.
Both reports are available for free in PDF format at http://www.slarc.ca or in hardcopy at a cost
of $25.00 for the Public Consultation Report and $5.00 for the Summary Report.




REsolve Project, Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee, August 10, 2005.                           2
The REsolve initiative is sure to be precedent setting in that it will set the standard on how such a
program should be developed, tested, implemented and integrated within a community.

 Project                To develop a Community Based Conflict Resolution Model for Sioux Lookout
 Summary                that is easily transferable to other northern communities experiencing similar
                        conflict.
 Purpose                To build and nurture a conflict resolving community where ultimately hurtful
                        conflict does not exist. A community that: welcomes all people regardless of
                        race, faith tradition, colour, disability, sex, age, language, political or other
                        opinion, social origin or sexual orientation by providing a safe and secure
                        community where all peoples can live, converse, work and travel without fear of
                        discrimination, racism, bigotry, or prejudice in a community that embraces
                        diversity by celebrating our differences, respecting our traditions and nurtures
                        our commitment to each other.
 Process                The underlying premise of a community based conflict resolution is that you
                        train a group of citizens to identify and deal with conflict situations. They in
                        turn become trainers equipped with the skills and tools necessary to branch out
                        and train other citizens. For example, you begin with a group of ten, and once
                        ready, each will move on and train another ten. You now have 100 people who
                        are equipped to carry the message forward. They each train another ten and now
                        we have 1000 citizens embracing and living in a conflict resolving community.




REsolve Project, Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee, August 10, 2005.                             3