ICAR Hosts D.C. Student Consortium Conference

On Saturday, April 25th, approximately 60 conflict resolution scholars, students, and practitioners descended upon the George Mason Arlington campus, as ICAR hosted the 3rd Annual Innovations in Student Leadership Conference, “Conflict Resolution and Governance Today.” The conference is the main event for OneStudentry, a grassroots assembly of students from the Washington Consortium of Universities, aimed at enhancing and promoting collaboration in the conflict resolution field. Students from Catholic University, George Washington’s Elliot School of International Affairs, American University, and St. John’s College in Annapolis joined ICAR students for an afternoon of intervention simulations, panel discussions, and an address by keynote speaker Lorelei Kelly.

ICAR M.S. student Lane Salter facilitated a workshop featuring Dr. Cobb’s Narrative Facilitation method. Salter guided participants though the narrative framework then practiced it in a role-play and followed with discussion. Afternoon sessions included three panel discussions which considered the use of communications and technology in conflict resolution, government’s role in human rights, and new models for conflict resolution. Two ICAR Ph.D. candidates, Suliman Giddo and Miki Jacevic, served as panelists for the human rights discussion moderated by ICAR's Dr. Karina Korostelina. The panel, which also featured Nina Besser, Legislative Assistant for Congresswoman Jane Schokowsky (D-IL), elicited a rich, motivating discussion.

The conference concluded with an address by Lorelei Kelly, director of the National Security Program for the American Progressive Policy Caucus Foundation. Kelly spoke of the need to redefine security to reflect conflict resolution values, advocating a shift from containment policies to policies oriented toward legitimacy. Kelly also provided insight into how the intellectual firepower of the conflict resolution field is often not well suited for Capitol Hill, suggesting that more “user friendly” methods can be employed to impact policy.