October 29, 2004

The Center for Mediation, Peace, and Resolution of Conflict - International is pleased to present its third e-Newsletter. In this issue, you will find:

  • International Training Course in Alabama
  • Conflict Resolution Research
  • From the Executive Director
  • The Gift of Peace
  • CEMPROC Patrons

Peace Through Training--the Quarter in Review
Leaders from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States participated in a CEMPROC training course in Lineville, Alabama in August on the campus of Servants in Faith and Technology (SIFAT), an international Christian development organization. The participants, who included leaders from the Hispanic immigrant community in Georgia, as well as international visitors, explored themes like effective communication, personal conflict management style, negotiation, and interpersonal conflict. This is the first in a series of programs designed to train primarily Spanish-speaking leaders in the United States in effective conflict resolution techniques, equipping them to serve as peacemaking resources within the Hispanic community. We look forward to developing further programs in this series and to working with leaders in various parts of the U.S. For pictures from other CEMPROC programs during the past quarter, including Pastors for Peace in collaboration with the Center for Integrated Family Services in Ecuador, see the Photo Gallery.

Conflict Resolution Research in Ecuador
Understanding conflict is complex, and there are many unresolved questions about how best to work toward effective conflict resolution, especially in Ecuador and other developing countries which have not been studied as much as the United States and Western Europe. Part of CEMPROC's vision is to promote the study of conflict and its potential solutions, so we have begun a field research effort to explore attitudes, experiences, and knowledge of conflict and conflict resolution processes and issues, particularly in poor and marginalized areas of the developing world. CEMPROC has designed a survey and distributed it to nearly 100 people in poor areas of Ecuador; the preliminary results from this group will form the basis for a more extensive study that will include comparisons with other countries in Latin America and perhaps Africa and the United States. Organizations, universities, or individuals in other countries who would like to collaborate with us in carrying out this study should contact cemproc@cemproc.org . The initial results, which are available here, are eye opening. A few highlights from the survey:
  • 62% of respondents said that it is not possible for both parties to win in a conflict.
  • 49% acknowledged that they or a member of their immediate family have experienced physical abuse or violence
  • 61% said that they do not know of an organization where they could find help with a conflict of theirs
  • The greatest cause of conflict that people perceived in their community, chosen from a list of options, was lack of communication (30%), followed by poverty (24%)
These and other results from this portion of the study and future stages will allow CEMPROC to more effectively target its programs to the needs of those it serves, and will contribute to a greater general understanding of how conflict works and is dealt with in the developing world.
SPECIAL NOTE: Check out the sample resources from our conflict resolution training curriculum, available on the CEMPROC web site's training page! You can find sample training materials, an excerpt from our conflict resolution training manual, and more.
From the Executive Director
As we approach the end of the year, CEMPROC is in the middle of an important and exciting time of transition. Our programs to promote peace through conflict resolution training and research have evolved from individual efforts to a shared enterprise incorporating a core of volunteer workers and board members in the United States and Ecuador. We are now preparing to hire a country director to manage CEMPROC programs in Ecuador, which will allow us to grow as an organization and to increase our reach to the marginalized and poor audiences that we seek to engage through our programming. In order to be ready for this next step, we have been busily developing and pilot testing programs, assembling organizational and individual allies, and solidifying the financial resources needed to ensure sustainability. As CEMPROC grows to include a director for Ecuador, we invite you to join us as a CEMPROC Patron, financially supporting important grassroots-level peacebuilding programs and the personnel needed to offer them. Click here to learn how to become a CEMPROC Patron, or if you would like to make a one-time gift. Gifts can be made for specific programs or for general expenses like salary support for the new Ecuador director. See the article below for details on giving the Gift of Peace in honor of or in memory of a friend or loved one. CEMPROC has touched the lives of many through its conflict resolution training programs in Ecuador and the United States. One training participant wrote the following: "Many thanks to you, because this course has truly been of great help for my life. Thank you for teaching us to see and learn to improve and understand our family relationships;...what has had the most impact on my life is the theme of dialogue because now there is much better understanding." Another wrote, "I hope you continue ahead, and that you offer this class not only to this group, but also to many more people to come." CEMPROC and its partners are creating peacemakers...one person at a time!
Best wishes,

Jeff Pugh
Founding Executive Director
Give the Gift of Peace!
This holiday season, what better way to tell your friends and family that you love them than to give the Gift of Peace? This is one gift that keeps on giving as it makes a difference in the lives of people in need both in the U.S. and in Latin America. The Gift of Peace is a financial contribution in honor of or in memory of someone you care about. CEMPROC will send a special holiday greeting card to you or to the named person to tell them of the honorary gift. With a minimum contribution of $50, we will also send a beautiful, handcrafted, stained glass CEMPROC dove ornament (see ornament pictured with wreath). To find out more, click here for details.




CEMPROC thanks the generous individuals, organizations, and corporations whose contributions make possible its programs to reduce destructive conflict in Latin America and the United States. Together, we are creating peacemakers...one person at a time. CEMPROC would like to recognize in particular the following individuals and organizations as CEMPROC Patrons:
To find out more about the CEMPROC Patrons program, or to become a Patron, visit our Support page. We greatly appreciate all of our supporters. Click here to see a full list of donors of both financial and in-kind gifts to CEMPROC.

Creating Peacemakers...One Person at a Time


Dr. Salomon Cabezas
Bishop of the United Methodist Church of Ecuador, former Vice-Rector of the Central University of Ecuador


Dr. Edward J. Larson
Pulitzer Prize winner, Professor of History and Law at the University of Georgia

International Board of Directors
Chuck Pugh, President
Scott Hitch, Secretary
Sam Bagwell, Treasurer
Kathy Bryson
Fausto Sarmiento
John Cromartie

Board of Directors
CEMPROC - Ecuador
Jeff Pugh, President
Roberto Contreras, VP
Diana Palacios, Secretary
Jack Rodriguez, Treasurer
Monica de Contreras

Founding Executive Director
Jeff Pugh

NO MORE, PLEASE!

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