Promote the Use of Conflict Resolution

Dear President Obama:

We, undersigned, are professional mediators, arbitrators, peacemakers, and dispute resolvers. We are writing to you and your new administration to encourage you to actively promote the use of conflict resolution in all your efforts to bring about change, and efforts to address the urgent economic, environmental, and health care crises we presently face.

Conflict resolution is a highly effective tool for resolving differences, encouraging collaboration, and supporting active participation in resolving sensitive problems respectfully. In times like these, people often seek to blame others, or act punitively, or feel helpless and hopeless about genuine change. Competent support for participants, in process toward resolution, makes a profound difference in the sustainability of their changing relationship.

We are writing to ask you to lead the world --not only by proposing new initiatives, but by making conflict resolution a priority in every aspect of the change process. . As conflict resolution professionals, we stand ready to serve you, and whoever needs our assistance in this effort. Wherever they may be located, and to assist you in finding creative new ways for people around the world to talk with each other and work together to solve these serious crises.

We applaud your efforts to engage all of us in rebuilding a global community. We offer you our service, as a human reserve of skilled and talented professionals, dedicated to authentic, healthy dialogue and to building peace at home and abroad. Based on our experience working with many diverse organizations worldwide, we propose that you promote the following five-point program:

1. Create a cabinet level ombudsman office or department of peace and consensus building to work proactively to prevent and minimize conflicts

2. Build mediation, consensus building, diversity, and democratic conflict resolution processes into every proposal for change, whether domestic or international

3. Invite representatives of international institutions, governments, and community organizations to attend a conference to discuss how to improve conflict resolution competencies and encourage collaborative problem solving around the world

4. Request that the United Nations initiate a global effort to train diplomats and national representatives in conflict resolution, and incorporate in all treaties a clause requiring signatories to mediate and arbitrate disputes.

5. Initiate a program and a fund to support conflict resolution professionals in serving in trouble spots around the world and help people prevent, resolve and recover from conflict.