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Celebrating Conflict Resolution Day

Posted on Oct 20, 2017 in Featured News, Uncategorized
Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald issued a proclamation declaring October 19, 2017, to be Conflict Resolution Day in the Courts of the State of Hawaii, and presented certificates of appreciation to the mediators of the Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program.

Left to right: Lisa Jacobs, Past President, Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR)-Hawaii, Co-Chair Hawaii State Bar Association-Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (HSBA-ADR); Gary Grimmer, Co-Chair, HSBA-ADR Section; Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald; Tracey Wiltgen, Executive Director, The Mediation Center of the Pacific; Cecelia Chang, Director, Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution; Maya Soetoro-Ng, Director, Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution; Lisa Nakau, President ACR-Hawaii.

HONOLULU – Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald issued a proclamation declaring October 19, 2017, to be Conflict Resolution Day in the Courts of the State of Hawaii, and presented certificates of appreciation to the mediators of the Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program.

The October 19 ceremony was attended by representatives from the Mediation Center of the Pacific and the Community Mediation Centers, the Hawaii State Bar Association – ADR Section, the Association for Conflict Resolution – Hawaii Chapter, the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, judges and staff from the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, and justices of the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Conflict Resolution Day was established in 2005 by the Association for Conflict Resolution to promote awareness and use of mediation, arbitration, conciliation and other creative, peaceful means of resolving conflict in schools, families, businesses, communities, governments and the legal system; and to recognize the significant contributions of peaceful conflict resolvers.

During the month of October, the Hawaii State Judiciary’s Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution collaborated with various community organizations and individuals on a series of activities and events to increase public awareness of conflict resolution and its many benefits. This year’s initiatives included:

• Certificates of Appreciation signed by Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald were presented by Third Circuit District Court Judge Margaret Masunaga to volunteers from West Hawaii Mediation who assist the Kona District Court every Tuesday during the civil calendar.

Volunteer mediators recieve certificates of recognition for their work.

Left to right: Judge Margaret Masunaga with volunteer mediators Arlene Araki, Mara Tepper, retired Federal Judge David Wiseman, Linda Jeffery, Leroy Grose, Beth Wilson, and Alysa Freeman. Volunteers not pictured include Bhagavan Buritz, Chelsea LaFrance, Eric Paul, Gina Tumasone, James Petersen, Kathleen McRae, Lesley Cens-McDowell, Linda Walton, Lisa Sims, Ned Burns, Pat Nye, Richard Slinn, Rod Quartararo, Sarah Crawford, and Stephanie MacDonald.

• The Honolulu Star-Advertiser ran an Island Voices piece on mediation written by Cecelia Chang, Director of the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution. See: http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/10/19/editorial/island-voices/headed-for-court-mediation-offers-more-control-lower-cost/

• Hawaii State Judiciary Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution Appellate Mediation Program’s Administrator/Trainer Anne Marie Smoke, spoke to University of Hawaii at Manoa students and faculty about the demand for and application of ADR skills in numerous fields. Her talk was sponsored by the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

• Issuance of a proclamation from Hawaii Gov. David Y. Ige declaring October 19, 2017 Conflict Resolution Day in the state of Hawaii.

Governor Ige issues a proclamation in honor of Conflict Resolution Day

Lisa Jacobs, Co-Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Hawaii State Bar Association; David Cypriano, Online Dispute Resolution Program Administrator, Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Hawaii State Judiciary; Lisa Nakao, President, ACR Hawaii, Director of Operations, BBB Serving Hawaii; Jose Barzola, Educational Specialist; Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution; Cecelia Chang, Director, Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Hawaii State Judiciary; Anne Marie Smoke, Appellate Mediation Program Administrator/Trainer, Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Hawaii State Judiciary; Hawaii Governor David Ige; Tracey Wiltgen, Executive Director, Mediation Center of the Pacific; Amrita Mallik, President-Elect, ACR Hawaii, Chancellor’s Office, University of Hawaii, Manoa; Owen Tamamoto, Appellate Mediation Program Mediator, ACR-Hawaii Board of Directors.

• Issuance of a proclamation from the Honolulu City Council to the Association of Conflict Resolution – Hawaii Chapter for its efforts to promote alternative dispute resolution processes.

The Honolulu City Council issues a proclamation in honor of Conflict Resolution Day in Hawaii

• Issuance of a proclamation from County of Hawaii Mayor Harry Kim to the West Hawaii Mediation Center and sister organization, Ku’ikahi Mediation Center, in Hilo, in honor of Conflict Resolution Day. The proclamation formally encourages “all citizens to learn more about conflict resolution practices and apply them to their daily lives to promote peaceful and creative solutions to disputes.”

• The Ku ikahi Mediation Center in Hilo held a free Brown Bag talk: “Mediation as a Tool for Peace,” from 12 – 1 p.m. at 655 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii.

• Also this month, “Native Hawaiian Peacemaking Concepts,” featuring Hoʻoponopono Haku Beadie Kanahele Dawson, will air on Olelo Channel 54. The Hawaii State Judiciary Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution presented the program on March 16, 2017. Watch for it on:

  • Monday, October 23…. 6 p.m.
  • Friday, October 27…… 10:30 a.m.
  • Saturday, October 28… 9 a.m.
  • Sunday, October 29……4 p.m.

• The Judiciary also produced a public service announcement on mediation, which will begin airing this month on Olelo Channel 53.

To learn more about ADR services available throughout the Hawaii, call the Hawaii State Judiciary’s Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution at (808) 539-4237; or call the community mediation center on your island:

The Mediation Center of the Pacific (808) 521-6767 (Oahu)
Maui Mediation Services (808) 244-5744 (Maui),
Kauai Economic Opportunity-Mediation Program (808) 245-4077, ext. 229 (Kauai),
Ku ikahi Mediation Center (808) 935-7844 (East Hawaii),
West Hawaii Mediation Center (808) 885-5525 (West Hawaii).