November / December 2001 Virginia Vobejda, Editor

Letter From The Director
Kids Corner
A Very Special Thank You
Focus on Strengths Not Fears
To All My Wonderful Grandchildren
Volunteer News
Star Volunteer
Week of the Family
Volunteer Introduction Meetings
Volunteer Training
Volunteer Opportunities
New Classes
Special Thanks To Supporters of the 5th Annual Ambassador of Peace Award Event

Letter From The Director Dear Friends, I am writing this from Cambridge, MA, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, where I am participating in Women Waging Peace. Sixty-seven women have gathered from Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Croatia, Guatemala, Rwanda and yes, Afghanistan, to name just some of the warring nations. There are Mayan Indians and Ph.D. professors and there are street activists and researchers and media professionals. The commonality is that every woman here has “waged peace.” They have prevented violence, intervened in violence or stabilized a fragile peace. I am so honored to be one of the three U.S. delegates in their company. It is easy to be for peace when our world is peaceful. It is very hard to be an active peacemaker today. We must all re-commit to do all we can to create and support peace. We must learn about U.S. foreign policy and begin to understand the devastating effect (and sometimes wonderfully good effect) it has on many other countries. We must listen to our allies when they tell us their “truth”. The U.S. in no way deserved the terror of September 11th. With our allies we must stand against terrorism, and now is the time to do so nonviolently. We want to believe we are the world’s peacekeeper, but many other countries see us as the world’s bully. We have so much of the world’s goods; we must begin to seek to become more just. We must discuss the question, what is security? How will we ever be safe, in a world without friends? We must ask why so many other people do not support our policies? I sure don’t have the answers to today’s dilemmas but I am convinced we must begin the dialogue. We need to become better global citizens, and strive to create genuine peace in the world. There is much to think about and act on today. I am deeply thankful for your support. Hope your holidays are safe and wonderful. Peace Elizabeth Loescher Executive Director	Kids Corner Have you heard and read scary stuff lately? How can you help yourself, your family, your school and your neighborhood? We can all help most by being the very best people we can be. Parents, teachers and neighborhood leaders all need your help. They need to know you can be depended on to do your jobs, follow the rules and help other kids when they need help. This is a good time to make a promise to yourself to help wherever you can. Talk to teachers and parents if you hear scary information and stories. If you don’t understand what is happening in the world, ask a trusted adult to explain. Your parents or your social studies teacher can discuss current events with you. Know that it is important for you to continue to do well in all your activities and help others when you can. A Very Special Thank You Dear Liz: I wanted to thank you for facilitating the attendance of The Conflict Center at my town hall meeting on September 20. The work of your organization is exceedingly important in the aftermath of this national disaster and I was grateful to have a representative from The Conflict Center in attendance. I wish you the very best. Thank you for your continued hard work. Sincerely, Diana DeGette Member of Congress U.S. House of Representatives *** SAVE THE DATE *** For The Conflict Center’s Fourth Annual Conference Reducing the Cost of Conflict in the Workplace. Friday, March 1st, 2002 Aurora Events and Conference Center, 411 Sable Blvd., Aurora This full day event will include a keynote speaker, group discussions and workshops. The program will offer concepts and skill building for managing conflicts in the workplace, with a specific focus on the conflicts related to an uncertain world.
Focus on Strengths Not Fears
Has there ever been a time in our life that society, as a whole, has been so dramatically challenged? The events of September 11th and the subsequent anthrax scares were and are so mind-boggling. As a society and as communities we find little in our past experiences to guide us. It is too easy to become overwhelmed by fear in the face of the unknown and unpredictable. Fear is paralyzing. Giving in to fear can shut us down, lead to negative thoughts and actions, and foster negative reactions, even illness. Fear can cause us to close our hearts and our minds to those who have different lifestyles and beliefs. It can cause us to isolate ourselves and put our lives on hold. Hopefully, most of us will stop long enough to think constructively about our own individual reactions and decisions. By relying on normal good judgment and taking each day as it presents itself, we can continue to live in positive and hopeful ways.	All of us have strengths we haven’t used. We must look around our neighborhoods, our schools and places of worship and help in whatever ways our talents and gifts can be utilized. The big projects and challenges will probably come out successfully if each of us takes good care of our families, neighbors and communities. Strong families and communities will always be the backbone of our country. Building healthy families and united communities will further strengthen our society by building morale and confidence to ensure that our society is up to dealing with this challenging time. The holiday season is upon us. Can we take time to reflect on why we are celebrating? Can we go beyond our immediate family and nearest friends to strengthen our community in some small (or big) way? We all need to focus on the ways in which we can make a positive difference not get overwhelmed by the things that are beyond our control. The philosophy and approach that advises us to “Think globally; act locally” is so appropriate now.
To All My Wonderful Grandchildren
September 13, 2001 One of the questions you will hear often in your life is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Probably the oldest of you has heard it too many times already, and for those of you who are just beginning the growing up process, you will be asked it more times than you will ever imagine. How do you answer that question? You probably don’t want to say, “Oh, I don’t know” as people will expect you to come up with something definite. Now you could say, I want to be a lawyer, a soldier, a baker, a basket maker just to keep people from asking you again and again, but you probably wouldn’t mean it and might even forget what you said the 1st time. I would like to suggest an answer to that question which you will never have to change and will be true for you whether you are age 2 and barely talk or age 15 and speak several languages.	That answer is “I would like to be a peacemaker”. Who is a peacemaker? A peacemaker is someone who uses the power of love instead of hate to help people settle their differences. He or she is more interested in justice than revenge. You can be a peacemaker whether you are a lawyer, a soldier, a baker or a basket maker, and you will never have to change this answer. It is an answer that most adults are not used to hearing but one they will like very much, since the world produces many people who make war and nowhere near enough people who make peace. It is also an answer that will make you feel good about yourself which is something that is very hard to do lots of times. I hope that this letter will be one that you look at more than once as you are growing up, but if you use it for a paper glider that’s alright too. By: Mac Fiske TCC Board Member
Volunteer News
Star Volunteer In this issue of Solutions, the Volunteer Committee introduces our first STAR VOLUNTEER! Mary Ann Tarpey has volunteered at TCC since the fall of 1997. She has chaired the past two incredible Ambassador of Peace Award events which have raised more than $100,000. She also serves as the Administrator of the Volunteer Program. Mary Ann's skills in tracking volunteer hours, creating quarterly and yearly reports and generally keeping us all on track is matched by her calm demeanor, grace under pressure and negotiating skills. Ask Stephanie's Chocolates about the deal she made with them! Her husband Jim, her grown son and daughter, travel, gardening, biking and hiking fill much of her time when she is not volunteering for TCC and other organizations.	Week of the Family TCC volunteers and staff recently assisted with Family Peace Day, to be held annually as part of Governor Owens’ “Week of the Family,” established to recognize families as Colorado’s most treasured resource. During this time of crisis in our nation, it is especially important to celebrate and honor all families. TCC VOLUNTEERS ARE THE BEST! As of November 1, 2001, 155 of our "World's Best Volunteers" have contributed 7,052 hours! Very impressive, indeed. Please report your hours today to Mary Ann Tarpey at 303-433-4983, ext. 27, by snail mail or by e-mail.
Volunteer Opportunities • Reception and Phones Monday and Wednesday mornings at TCC • Peace Connections Newsletter Work with elementary school children helping them to communicate through their monthly Playground Conflict Managers’ newsletter. • PREP Partner Program Assist staff on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m to work with teens to explore alternatives to suspension and expulsion. • Tracking Library Resources Help call about overdue library materials. If you would like to assist, call 303-433-4983 or e-mail conflictct@aol.com	Volunteer Introduction Meetings Start out the New Year well and increase peacemaking possibilities by offering opportunities to your friends and colleagues! Thursday, January 24, 2002 6 - 8:00 pm at TCC Thursday, February 21, 2002 3 - 5:00 pm at TCC To sign up call 303-433-4983 Volunteer Training CONFLICT MANAGEMENT Monday, January 14, 2002 6:30 - 8:30 at TCC ANGER MANAGEMENT Monday, March 11, 2002 6:30 - 8:30 at TCC Volunteers Cary Leher, Katie Owens and Mary Zinn-Stewart present these free workshops designed especially for TCC volunteers. Learn to “walk the talk.” Call 303-433-4983 to reserve your seat.
NEW CLASSES Classes for Teen Parents Mondays 3:30 - 5:30 PM Free November 26, December 3, 10 & 17 Topics include child development and health information, effective discipline techniques, how to stimulate intellectual and motor development, conflict and anger management and how to communicate and have fun with your baby. Building bridges Between Parents and Teens Wednesdays 5:30 - 7:30 PM $20 per session or $75 for 4 classes This series will teach skills that become the foundation upon which parents and teens build their own bridges. Topics include communication, anger management, mutual respect and problem solving. To register for classes or for more information, call TCC at 303-433-4983. Click here for other classes and schedules.
Special Thanks to Supporters of the 5th Annual Ambassador of Peace Award Event
Title Sponsor Zinn-Cohen Consortium Corporate Sponsor MacCourt Products, Inc. Reception Sponsor The Colorado Trust Table Sponsors Coors Brewing Company Roger Nittler & Co., Inc. Home Roberts & Owen LLP	Table Captains Vicki Braunagel & Meg Ryan Peter Cvietusa & Debbie Efird Susan & Greg Drumm Ed & Lee Everding Sue & Russ Haskell Myra & Frank Isenhart Cary & Robert Leher Francy Milner Sue & George Mitchell Bill Murphy Carol & Jack Reeves Southwestern Production Corp. Mary Ann & Jim Tarpey The 10:30 Catholic Community