Wed May 07, 2008
Journal of the International Ombudsman Association (online version)
The International Ombudsman Association, a merged organization that combines the talents and interests of the University and College Ombuds Association (UCOA) and The Ombudsman Association (TOA), has released the first issue of their new peer-reviewed online journal. The issue includes articles on the development of a set of standardized reporting categories for organizational conflict, ideas about performance evaluation for ombuds, as well as reviews of some recent research on workplace bullying and organizational justice, resource reviews and ideas on options for responding to a certain class of inappropriate behaviors in the workplace (micro-inequities) using micro-affirmations. Interesting and useful information nicely presented...
The Journal of the International Ombudsman Association should be a valuable resource for people working on organizational conflict and the development of conflict competencies within organizations. Here's the direct link to a PDF of the first issue.
Fri May 02, 2008
Play the News Game
Impact Games, the creator of the PeaceMaker game on Middle East conflict, has recently released the beta version of a new online experience entitled Play the News. It looks like a very interesting approach to expanding contextual awareness around conflict and the various perspective differences that can drive it.
Here's a good description of the approach taken from the FAQ:
What is "Play the News"?
An engaging, community driven experience - imagine fantasy sports meets the evening news. Play the News is a web-based platform that brings interactive gaming elements to the online 'news media' industry changing the paradigm of news consumption from passive reading to active engagement. The experience is made up of the "game" component, or news games, and the community of participation around them such as commenting, rankings, and many features to come. The profile allows you to build a snapshot of your socio-political profile over time on a range of issues.
What is a news game?
A news game is a short interaction aimed at accomplishing three things. The first is to give you background and context around the headline or event being presented, and to highlight a core issue to be examined. The second is to allow you to role-play and put yourself in the shoes of the different perspectives to voice your opinion on the subject. The last is to give you the chance to test yourself or show how smart you are by predicting what will happen in the real world.
Sun Apr 27, 2008
Interest-based Bargaining Manual and Powerpoint
The Department of Labor and Industry - Employment Relations of Montana makes available materials on interest based bargaining techniques as part of their training services. The 30-page participants' training manual (available for download here) provides an overview of their training approach. The PowerPoint presentation also available for download is designed to be used in conjunction with the training manual.
Fri Apr 25, 2008
Children and Violence - an OpenLearn Course module
The Open University in the U.K., with the support of the Hewlett Foundation, has been actively building a feature-rich learning platform called OpenLearn. Building on well-established tools like Moodle (a learning management system) and Compendium (a mind-mapping tool), the OpenLearn course site has become a model for creative online learning spaces. And the good news is that all the educational materials on OpenLearn are open access and can be easily exported for use in other ways.
Readers of this blog will probably appreciate a nicely developed course called Children and Violence: an introductory and interdisciplinary approach. The unit explores children's exposure to violence in the home, between peers, and within armed conflicts. Look for the "Alternative Formats" menu on the right side for ways to move the content to another location or platform.
Wed Apr 16, 2008
Hip Hop and Peacebuilding Festival in D.C.
It was great to discover the Hip Hop and Peacebuilding event that will be happening this week in Washington D.C. Stacy Willyard, a graduate student a George Mason’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution spearheaded the organization of the first annual Hip Hop & Peacebuilding Frestival. The six day festival brings together an international coalition of artists and peacemakers and looks to define the role hip hop can play in empowering youth to obtain a future of peace. Looks like a great and diverse program. Wish I could be there...
Equality Rules
The goal of the interactive Equality Rules website is to help educate students (there are separate sections for kids and teens) about the importance of healthy, equal relationships. Through interactive scenarios and quizzes, students learn the importance of respecting themselves and others, as well as ways in which they can stand up for their friends in various situations. The site makes great use of flash, using an innovative side scrolling method of checking out different possible responses to a situation. Brought to you in both French and English by the province of Ontario, Canada. Definitely worth a look, and young folks you know might appreciate it too.
Thu Apr 10, 2008
Cool School: Where Peace Rules - Free CR Video Game for K-2
Cool School: Where Peace Rules is a high quality and free video game that teaches kids conflict resolution strategies. Targeted at children from Kindergarten through 2nd grade, the game is set in a fantastic school where all of the objects (chalk, erasers, books, etc.) come to life, depicting conflicts facing children every day. The game uses engaging, colorful characters and a vivid school setting to help children learn how to resolve these conflicts in a peaceful fashion.
The player gets to experiment with different solutions to the conflicts, eventually progressing through 52 different scenarios. Children can roam freely throughout 10 activity areas of an animated school. These areas include: the gym; the auditorium; the cafeteria; a classroom; the playground; the music room; the computer lab; the nurse’s office; the art room; and the library. Each school location room has its own set of problems that the student player must help resolve. After watching a conflict scenario unfold, the lead characters interact directly with children and seek their help to resolve the problem that has arisen. Students are given four options to resolve the problem. When students make correct choices, they are rewarded with trophies for the school trophy case and actual printable reward certificates that they can print, collect, and take home.
Cool School: Where Peace Rules was initially set into motion by Dr. Kathy Hanson of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service's (FMCS) Youth Initiative. Cool School was written by game designer F.J. Lennon, based on scenarios and outcomes researched by Dr. Melanie Killen of the University of Maryland Center for Children, Relationships, and Culture. Provided supplemental lessons correspond to the Cool School game by reinforcing conflict resolution skills, vocabulary used in Cool School, and through character identification.
Some quick clips from the game can be viewed online from the game developer's site.
The cross-platform game and supplemental curriculum materials are all available for free download thanks to web hosting from Curriki, the new Global Education Learning project built on wiki technology.
Tue Apr 08, 2008
Images of War and Peace from the International War Museum Collection
The International War Museum in the U.K. has been actively digitizing their collection (thanks to funds from the National Lottery) and posting materials online. Readers might especially appreciate the War and Peace Collections that focus on Peace Protests and Demonstrations, Conscientious Objectors, International Peace Efforts, War Crimes, and the Legacies of War and Reconstruction. Content include posters, photographs and audio, among others. For an audio example, here's part of an interview with a woman (Kim Besly) who participated in the Greenham Commons protest camp - audio excerpt (scroll to bottom of listing for the listen to sound extract link).
Also particularly interesting is a section under propaganda on De-humanizing the Enemy.
Sun Mar 30, 2008
Facial Expressions Simulator
Readers of this blog might appreciate a deeper understanding of the facial changes that are associated with different emotional states. One interesting way to explore this is to try out the facial expressions simulator found at Do2Learn (a site providing tools for children with special needs) or it's more complex parent program developed by Ken Perlin at NYU's Media Research Lab. Perlin's version includes the ability to script the face to perform a series of changes over time. Interesting stuff...
Sun Mar 23, 2008
Political Cartoonists for Peace
The anger and divisiveness engendered by the publication of the caricature of Prophet Mohammed and a controversial exhibit in 2006 on the Holocaust called attention to both the power and of the necessity of responsibility in the art of cartooning.
In October of 2006 United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) hosted a seminar entitled "Cartooning for Peace: The Responsibility of Political Cartoonists?" The event, which explored the rights, roles and responsibilities of political cartoonists in promoting peace issues, was part of an ongoing Unlearning Intolerance seminar series.
Response to the seminar was very positive and it lead to a permanent website and a series of events and a traveling exhibit. Many of the cartoons are viewable online in a series of three galleries.
New York Exhibit
Geneva Exhibit
Brussels Exhibit
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