Honoring 25 Years of Giving

Over the past 25 years, the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR) has found success through scholarly leadership, exceptional students and strong donors. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which was among ICAR's first major financial supporters, gave ICAR a grant for more than $1 million in the early 1980s. Hewlett was the most important national funder to recognize the need to build the field of conflict analysis and resolution. ICAR was one of its first "theory centers" and through decade-long support, helped build ICAR into one of the strongest academic conflict resolution programs in the world.

During that time, ICAR professors John Burton, Chris Mitchell and Rich Rubenstein met Edwin Lynch, a northern Virginia developer and politician. Ed had attended a lecture hosted by these professors and immediately connected with their ideals and aspirations. Ed and his wife Helen strongly believed in non-violence and the importance of peacemaking processes. They saw in ICAR something unique, the beginning of a new and critical field. Ed and Helen became volunteers for ICAR by raising financial support for its scholarship and faculty positions. As a hallmark of their dedication, the Lynches left their home, Point of View (POV), and 120 acres valued at more than $8 million, to ICAR to develop a peace retreat.

Joining Ed and Helen in supporting ICAR's mission were Drucie French and Steve Cumbie and Edward and Nancy Rice. Drucie and Steve endowed a key faculty chair and Drucie, as Chair of ICAR's Advisory Board, helped raise thousands of dollars for ICAR's work. Edward and Nancy Rice of the Rice Family Foundation first became involved in ICAR in the early 1990s. Edward, a strong advocate for peace and reconciliation, was especially taken with ICAR's commitment to creating an academic framework to train young people in conflict resolution. The Rices also worked with Professor Sandy Cheldelin and former ICAR Development Director John Holman to create the first POV Endowed Chair, currently held by Professor Nadim Rouhana. The foundation, where Edward is an officer, has generously given more than $1 million to support the development of the POV academic agenda and program. "I have been supporting ICAR for over a decade because I believe that ICAR faculty and students are taking on critical conflicts in the world and developing processes and mechanisms that will make a difference," says Edward. "Point of View is an exciting example of how these processes can be put into practice."

More recently, the Catalyst Fund committed significant resources to ICAR to establish the Center for Religion, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution and endow a chair in religion and conflict resolution, the James H. Laue Chair in Religion, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution. The first professor to hold this position is Marc Gopin, who heads the Center.

This year, Gene Smith, a friend of Ed and Helen Lynch, stepped forward to lead the POV capital campaign, which aims to raise $25 million to build the POV complex.

"These donors have shown leadership and courage in supporting ICAR's work," says Kevin Avruch, Associate Director of ICAR. "They have become an integral part of our community and we deeply thank them for all they have enabled us to do."