CRC had the good fortune of hosting an intern from Germany for five months. Claudia Hasse is a master’s degree student in psychology from the University of Cologne, Germany. Apart from her master’s study, she has completed trainings in mediation and in “client centerd therapy” for individuals experiencing conflict in their places of business. Claudia also gained much experience in the field of Human Resources Development through internships with companies such as: German Telecom A6 and Kienbaum Management Consultants International.
Before finishing her schooling, she wanted to do an internship abroad in the field of conflict resolution and mediation for a non-profit organization. With the assistance of Uli Sonn – Volunteer Coordinator, Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) of Germany – she decided upon CRC.
Interning with CRC afforded Claudia the opportunity to work with a younger age group. In Germany, most of her work centered on mediation and conflict resolution for adults. At CRC, Claudia worked mainly with school – aged children and young adults. She was very well suited for the CRC Lunchtime Listener program at the Upper Nyack Elementary School in Nyack, New York. With over 400 hours of mediation training, Claudia was able to make an incredible impact by teaching UNE students how to solve their conflicts during lunch and recess periods – the time of day the Lunchtime Listeners program is offered. She was also able to participate as well as facilitate CRC workshops in mediation. This summer, she was instrumental in teaching peacemaking, conflict resolution and leadership skills during the summer program R- PEACE – a collaborative project between several Rockland county organizations: CRC, CANDLE, Rockland Family Shelter and Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Claudia had a very busy and productive five months at CRC and we thank her for all of her hard work and many contributions to our organization and to the children and young people who experienced her leadership and teachings in conflict resolution and mediation. Claudia will be missed. She returned to Germany September 16th to finish her studies. From the hearts of all the CRC staff and board members – best wishes for a bright future and thank you!
From our hearts – thank you Claudia!
The eighth annual conference of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) was held in Austin Texas, September 24 –27. CRC’s Executive Director Priscilla Prutzman where new and important connections were made for CRC and several highlights worthy of note.
On Thursday, September 25th, the Honorable Lee H. Hamilton - president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center of Scholars and co –chair of the Iraq Study Group – gave the keynote address:”Iraq: Where Do We Go From Here?” He provided some quidance on how the U.S. government can sharpen its tools to achieve consensus, in domestic, foreign policy and achieve stability in Iraq.
At the Presidential Luncheon held on Saturday, September 27th, ACR presented the Marvin E. Johnson Diversity and Equity Award. This award was established as a tribute to Marvin Johnson, a long – time SPIDR and ACR Board Member. This award recognizes a sustained, outstanding contribution or a specific extraordinary achievement that has furthered equality and diversity within society. The award this year went to the daughter of Bishop Desmond Tutu.
The recipient – Rev. Mpho A. Tutu is the founder and Executive Director of the Tutu Institute for Prayer and Pilgrimage. Her dedication to service has been felt in this country and in her home of South Africa: she ran a weekday and summer ministry for children of downtown Worcester, MA; she taught in Grahamstown, South Africa at the College of the Transfiguration, she initiated pastoral care ministry for rape survivors and their families; and she was Director of the Bishop Desmond Tutu South African Refugee Scholarship Fund.
One of the workshops Priscilla attended - Mediation to Stay Married: A commonsense application of Conflict Resolution - was very connected to CRC’s new program Creative Response for Families and Conflict (CRFC). This new program is designed to help couples and families heal and transition through marital conflict, separation and divorce.
The next ACR Conference will take place in Atlanta, GA from October 7 –10, 2009.
Priscilla Prutzman Named to Fulbright Senior Specialist Roster
India Report