Craig Zelizer has posted a great guide on his blog to a variety of online resources that will likely be very helpful to the members of the EPP section.

From his description:

“As I am often working in different contexts (and countries) and across multiple computers, I wanted to share some of the free software/it services that I have found incredibly useful to help me stay connected, up-to-date and informed. This is not specifically an endorsement of any particular product/company (and I only want to list free services here) but other members might find some of these resources useful in your work and research.”

Check it out here.

The bi-annual USIECR conference, ECR 2010 is taking place in Tucson May 25-27, 2010. Part of the conference will be a Technology Fair concurrent with the opening reception on May 25th.

This is a great opportunity to get any cutting-edge ECR technologies in front of the movers and shakers in the field.  The conference usually draws between 300-400 practitioners, agency staff, NGO's and others, so it’s a great opportunity to educate and reach out to folks.

From the tech and ECR blog:

Nominations are now being accepted for the first Innovation in Technology and ECR Award, sponsored by the US Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution. The award will recognize new and innovative applications of technologies within collaborative environmental processes, and will be presented at USIECR’s ECR 2010 conference to be held in May 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The nomination deadline is January 22nd, 2010.

To find out more or to make a nomination please visit the USIECR website: http://www.ecr.gov/AnnouncementsEvents/AnnouncementsEvents.aspx?Item=56

In this issue...

• ECR 2010 and EPP 2010 – Save the Dates: May 24-27
• New EPP website and subscription feature
• Leadership Council Updates
• Rob Williams Memorial
• Member Spotlight: John Jostes
• Ecosystem-Based Management Tools Network
• EPP 2009 Conference Recap
• Calendar of Upcoming Events

click here to download – adobe acrobat required

The Cornell e-Rulemaking Initiative is proud to announce a preview of Regulation Room, a collaborative effort with the United States Department of Transportation seeking to increase and enhance public engagement during administrative rulemaking proceedings.

Administrative agencies have traditionally used the Federal Register to publish new proposals involving regulations on businesses, industries, and many other aspects that influence society at large. Traditionally, the Federal Register will allow for sixty days of public comments and an additional thirty days for replies. When announcing new rules, agencies typically provide a public comment period where anyone is permitted to voice their opinion on the proposed rules.

The Psychology of Impasse in Negotiation and Mediation
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. EST --- 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. PST
http://www.abanet.org/tips/market/09PsychTele.pdf
 
Program Description:
Issues of “face,” self-esteem and self-identity form the psychological core of negotiation and mediation. Most important is the “IDR cycle”— the cycle of self-inflation (overconfidence), deflation and realistic resolution that parties typically experience during negotiation and mediation. This program will help you understand the IDR cycle, the psychological reasons for impasse, and how to prepare yourself and clients for dealing with impasse.

You Will Learn:
 
 •Why issues of "face," ego and self-identity often lead to impasse in negotiation and mediation.
 
 •About the IDR cycle—the psychological cycle of self-inflation (overconfidence), deflation and realistic resolution that often occurs in egotiation and mediation.

Adobe has put up a very interesting site promoting their technologies for opening up government.

From their website: “As Washington takes steps to become more transparent, government departments and agencies are more openly collaborating with each other as well as the public. See examples of how Adobe technology and software are empowering the Open Government movement.”

Looks like they also just held a meeting in DC to talk about all of this as well.  Definitely worth checking out.

“Frank Dukes, Marina Piscolish and I are seeking your participation in a blog exchange on the keynote address at the ACR Annual Conference by Wallace Warfield.

Here is the forum:  http://highergroundswell.ning.com/forum/topics/challenging-conventional

And, if you wish to refresh your memory, ICAR has kindly provided this video of the event: http://www.gmu.edu/departments/ICAR/warfield_acr_keynote.html

Frank drafted a summary and included points raised from comments by Robert Benjamin, Homer LaRue, and Joyce Neu, and folks in the audience.

The 12th ODR Cyberweek online conference will be held from October 26 - 30, 2009. This is a free all-online set of discussions, simulations, demonstrations and other activities related to online dispute resolution.
Registration for Cyberweek is now open at http://cyberweek.umasslegal.org The preliminary program of activities for Cybeweek can be viewed at  http://cyberweek.umasslegal.org/program/ Among the special activities planned for this year's Cyberweek are the following:

The Association for Conflict Resolution has set up a very elegant online interface for the Atlanta conference.  To check it out just visit http://www.acrconference.com/