Policymakers and Administrators
Welcome to the Conflict Resolution Education Connection’s resources for policymakers and administrators. Our goal is to provide information that will support administrators interested in promoting or extending conflict resolution work within education. The sidebar menu to your right provides a listing of the content areas we focus on at this site.

CRE Conference Presentations
National Program of Values Education – Republic of Costa Rica (Overview)
- Presented by: Republic of Costa Rica
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Peer Mediation Creating Life Long Conflict Practitioners
- Presented by: Mary Alice Smallbone and J. Frank Rizzo
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Tri-C Sustained Dialogue Campus Network Overview
- Presented by: Ty Olson, Cuyahoga Community College
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
The Illinois Story
- Presented by: Mary Utne O'Brien-CASEL, Chicago, USA
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Preventing and Addressing Sexual Violence Against Children: Global to Local Strategies of the ISPA
- Presented by: William (Bill) Pfohl, President, International School Psychology Association
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Hemispheric Course on Evaluation of Policies and Programs in Citizenship Education
- Presented by: Adriana Cepeda-Organization of American States, Washington, DC, USA
- View Presentation and Abstract: Click Here
Sample Catalog Resources
Below you'll find a randomized listing of up to 20 related items (we may have more...) drawn from our Resource Catalog.
| Resource Title | Description | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Conflict transformation: A standards-based conflict resolution unit for middle school students | Web-based "twelve-unit, thirty-six-hour course designed to teach middle school students basic conflict transformation skills for personal, community, national, and international situations. The short stories, current events, class discussions, guided reading activities, and guided writing assignments make this course ideal both for social studies and language arts classes." | |
| Virginia Tech shooting: Lessons for dismantling norms about violence | 10-page Powerpoint presentation given at the Second International Summit on Conflict Resolution Education, which "offers a Preliminary inquiry into pedagogical actions for addressing the intersections among gender, race, ethnicity, social class, mental illness, and violence, the limitations of the thinking that pervaded the recent public discourse on the Virginia Tech Shooting will be revealed and a responsive pedagogical action proposed." | |
| Teach kids a lesson ... or help them to learn? | 11-page PDF paper which promotes the idea of restorative justice practices in education as opposed to punitive ones. "Restorative justice philosophy views misbehavior in terms of how it has impacted upon relationships in the school community. Once the harm is acknowledged in a concrete way the process moves beyond harm to ask how can this harm be repaired? If schools are places of learning, where young people are encouraged to be independent and creative thinkers, are able to share their ideas and opinions, learn to accept the view of others, to be responsible and accountable for their learning, it stands to reason that the "punitive school" is being counter productive in achieving these desired outcomes." | |
| UNESCO: Mainstreaming the culture of peace | 26-page pdf created by UNESCO which "defined the Culture of Peace as consisting of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations. The 1999 United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (resolution A/53/243) called gor everyone – governments, civil dociety, the media, parents, teachers, politicians, scientists, artists, NGOs and the entire United Nations system – to assume responsibility in this respect. It staked out eight action areas for actors at national, regional and international levels:" Those 8 action areas are: Fostering a culture of peace through education; Promoting sustainable economic and social development; Promoting respect for all human rights; Ensuring equality between women and men; Fostering democratic participation; Advancing understanding, tolerance and solidarity; Supporting participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge and Promoting international peace and security. | |
| Place to work things out, A | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 2, Number 4, (July 2002), which presents the idea of personal narrative model of mediation and the work at Oberlin College using this model. | |
| Recommended standards for school-based peer mediation programs | Twenty-eight page document presenting standards for school-based peer mediation programs that are designed to enhance quality and stimulate thought among youth and adult participants in peer mediation programs. Aids in the creation and implementation of programs, designing curricula and evaluation procedures, funding and promoting programs, providing professional development and setting guidelines for research. | |
| Flirting or hurting?: Teacher guide, grade 6-9 | 9-page PDF teacher's guide which accompanies 3 filmed programs on sexual harrassment, "two of the modules target students, and one targets teachers. Throughout the student programs, the host, an older sister character, provides definitions, explanations and insights based on her own experiences ... the two 15-minute classroom programs include breaks for discussions or activities. These programs are appropriate for coeducational Health, Guidance, Family & Consumer Science, English, Social Studies, Physical Education, and New Student Orientation classes, or Vocational shops in grades 6 through 9." | |
| New national conflict resolution information initiative launched | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 1, Number 1, (Jan/Feb 2000), introducing the Conflict Resolution Information Project (CRInfo), a cooperative effort to strengthen the conflict field's information infrastructure. | |
| Grasping the nettle: Policy issues for university dispute resolution programs | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 2, Number 4, (July 2002), which discusses issues and challenges in conflict resolution education at the university level. | |
| 10 challenges facing campus mediation programs | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 2, Number 2, (Feb 2002), which discusses the role and challenges among college mediation programs based on interviews with university campus mediation programs, and then "extrapolating examples to look at the larger issues facing these programs." | |
| Public policy and conflict resolution in education project: Final report, July 2002 | 17 page pdf report of the The Western Justice Center Foundation, Pasadena, California, in partnership with the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), which "undertook a project funded by the Compton Foundation to develop recommendations for integrating conflict resolution education (CRE) throughout California public schools. We interviewed and met with relevant practitioners, educators, policymakers and others to assess needs and gather their views with respect to CRE and public policy." | |
| Promoting better resolution of conflict with "learn for free!" | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 5, Number 1, (Sept 2004), which presents a project at Dalhousie University College of Continuing Education in Halifax, Nova Scotia called "Learn for Free! ... a day of one-hour sessions -- each of which provides a glimpse into the content of our workshops, the expertise of our instructors, and the skills we seek to develop, the objectives of Learn for Free! are to expand our reach with an alternative approach to handling conflict, to boost our profile within the community, to provide a service to the community in which we live, and to attract new workshop registrants." | |
| Manual for community colleges developing programs in peace and conflict studies: 1st ed. | 96-page PDF, "Manual [which] is a product of a collaboration in which lessons learned are shared on developing programs, certificates, and degrees in the field for community colleges. It is a resource for faculty and administrators authored by faculty and administrators. The chapters submitted reflect a range of approaches and writing styles – some informal, others more rigorous. The authors generally approached topics in a generic way providing recommendations that could be used in a range of institutions. Some pieces reflect looking at one institution and its efforts in a case study approach and then focusing on lessons learned. Overall, the chapters demonstrate the range of strategies that community colleges – arguably the most diverse and varied academic institutions in the U.S. today - are taking to teaching about peace and conflict issues. As such, the writing is reflective of the topics and settings they arise from. It is the intent of the editors that chapters will continue to be edited, updated, revised, and new articles added as the field develops and community college involvement increases." | |
| Teaching global and local conflict in the classroom | 24-page pdf document that accompanied a professional development program hosted by the World Affairs Council. Document consists of a list (with web addresses) of resources that relate to confict and conflict resolution. Recommend sites and sites that include lesson plans are noted. | |
| PROS: Peaceful resolutions for Oklahoma [elementary] students: School-based peer mediation curric | 83-page PDF manual which helps teachers and trainers introduce elementary school students to peer mediation and conflict and teach communication and problem solving skills. | |
| Multiple Responses, Promising Results: Evidence-Based, Nonpunitive Alternatives To Zero Tolerance | Research brief by Child Trends that finds that zero tolerance school discipline policies have not been proven effective by research and may have negative effects, making students more likely to drop out and less likely to graduate on time. Instead, the brief recommends the use of nonpunitive disciplinary action, such as behavior interventions, social skills classes, and character education. | |
| SCORE Quick Reference Guide to Peer Mediation for Students | 10-page guide for student peer mediators that reviews the mediation process and provides practice tips. Developed for use by the Student Conflict Resolution Experts (SCORE) program in Massachusetts as "a quick reference guide for students to accompany their training". | |
| Podcast audio resources for conflict studies | Pdf article from Conflict Management in Higher Education Report, Volume 6, Number 1, (Nov 2005), which introduces the concept of podcasting and its use in conflict resolution education, it also provides basic start up information and sites of interest. | |
| Restorative Practices: Fostering Healthy Relationships and Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools | As educators partner with districts to move away from zero tolerance discipline policies and ramp up e orts to strengthen safe and supportive schools, address con ict, improve school climate, and build a positive school culture that students are connected to, many campuses are looking to implement alternative, restorative approaches. This toolkit was developed to illustrate how restorative strategies can be seamlessly integrated into the classroom, curriculum, and culture of schools. It de nes what restorative practices are, explains why they are a transformational tool for fostering healthy relationships in schools and shows how they can be useful processes for students, educators, and learning communities. This toolkit is intended for all educators who support the growth and health of students in schools. It is an introduction for those new to the concepts and will help support and enhance the work of teachers already implementing these practices in their classrooms. e toolkit includes digestible models, frameworks, and action steps for school-wide implementation, accompanied by guiding questions to support re ection for practitioners looking to make restorative methods part of the fabric of daily life in schools. It also recognizes the signi cant role all education professionals play in maintaining a school community that models respectful, trusting, and caring relationships. | |
| A Peer Mediation Needs Analysis For Schools | A three-page worksheet providing a series of questions for schools to consider prior to implementing a peer mediation program. |