March / April 2002 Virginia Vobejda, Editor

Can There Be Peace Without Justice?
Reflections on Anger Management
If You Want Peace, Work for Justice
A Letter from a Special Lady
Kids Corner
Volunteer News
5th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Party
Volunteer Introduction Meetings
Volunteer Training
Volunteer Opportunities
Giving Opportunities
Reducing the Cost of Conflict in the Workplace - Many Thanks to our Sponsors and Participants

Can There Be Peace Without Justice? Webster defines peace as freedom from quarrels and disagreement. Justice is defined as the quality of being fair or impartial. If peace means absence of war or other kinds of combat, can there be peace without justice? There are historical examples as well as events going on now where there is peace without justice. For example, powerful nations have ruled weak nations and kept the peace, but allowed no justice. A perfect example is the recent events in Afghanistan where the iron hand of the Taliban ruled the country but certainly not under the umbrella of being a just society. We find peace without justice in corporations, schools, and government and at home. While day-to-day operations appear peaceful, there can be a great lack of justice to some employees. In the family the same autocratic rule can exist. Until families, corporations and nations work for peace with justice, peace will be evasive; unrest can escalate to war, labor strife or family violence. Peace is not often an easy goal to achieve and it does not mean the same thing to everyone. Justice is perhaps even more difficult to define. Finding the best combination of peace with justice is a goal family, corporation and countries must forever strive to find. Each group needs to define and redefine peace and justice with the knowledge that it is going to be hard to achieve. - Virginia Vobejda	Reflections on Anger Management These reflections come from a member of an anger management class sponsored by The Conflict Center. After some clarification as to what is involved in attending anger management classes, our member finds himself sitting in his first class with people who threatened to kill others, who had physical confrontations with their siblings, spouses and children and who escalated situations when the opposite was needed. Perhaps the most important part of the anger management training was to hear the stories of his fellow class members and to tell his story. He writes, “Every angry and violent encounter of my life crept up from that bitter reservoir of memories I keep.” A very important revelation came out of these classes. “I know very well what it’s like to be the victim, but I never felt my victim’s pain”. Our writer reflects on how utterly stupid it is for situations to change the lives of so many people. “How can things that are so trivial become so powerfully tragic?” The end result is our writer comes to the understanding that, while anger will always exist in our society, classes like the one he attended promote alternatives to angry acts and teach the social skills for dealing with conflict. Groups such as those offered at The Conflict Center shed new light on anger management. “To get lifted up, even just a little while in the midst of your own family crisis, means more than what words can say”.
If You Want Peace, Work for Justice
The point is that there can be no lasting peace that is not built upon a foundation of justice. As we observe the world situation today, this seems almost too evident. Yet we seem to not understand how to make it happen. So the elementary questions have to be "What does justice mean?" and "How is justice served?" A notion of justice that exists at least since the time of the prophet, Isaiah, is one in which the cravings of the hungry are satisfied, the thirsty are not deprived and the pleas of the needy are not ignored. The earliest demands in the Torah required that the basic needs of the widowed, the orphaned and foreigners be met. The history of these United States starts with solid notions of justice (unalienable Rights) that include rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Justice must include the basic needs required for survival. Within the family, basic needs -- in addition to food and shelter -- would have to include a loving, nurturing and safe environment. While peace would surely require that family members are free from physical, emotional and verbal violence, justice would require healthy relationships and lifestyles.	Within the larger societal structures of work, school, congregations and neighborhoods, peace would surely require that citizens are free from violence and intimidation. Justice though would require that all would have access to essential services; that all would have their needs and interests respected and affirmed; and that all can impact their society in meaningful, valuable ways. At the national and international levels, the same principles that impact individuals in families and larger communities must apply. But how do nations seek peace with terrorists? How do we as a nation keep from becoming terrorists? We certainly have a right to expect that we will not be attacked as we carry on our daily lives. We have to expect that our food and water supplies -- not to mention our mail -- are safe. And we have to expect that all people have rights to the same expectations. As global citizens, we need to expect and demand that our leaders seek such peaceful measures for all. We have to work to ensure that peace is built on justice. When we build healthy relationships without violence and when we work through conflicts so everyone wins, we set the stage where all can have the rights to life, where all can live in liberty and freedom and where all can pursue their happiness. It all starts--and ultimately, ends--with each of us. Thanks for being companions on this journey and allowing us to walk with you in the quest for justice. Liz Loescher Ron Ludwig
A Letter from a Special Lady
Eloise Phelps, 90 years young and a former teacher, librarian and counselor and supporter of the Conflict Center, writes the following: “I have witnessed physical, verbal and emotional violence handled with and without negotiation, and believe me, ‘with’ is better. The Conflict Center is a bright light in the darkness of a world at war. The idea of teaching people of all ages to deal with conflict on a grassroots level by convincing them they have options will help resolve differences and prevent local and world problems. I live on a fixed income, but I am so impressed by the promise of eventual success of the Conflict Center that I am enclosing a contribution. Congratulations on the development of The Conflict Center to this point and best wishes for the future.”
Kids Corner
Can you be happy in your friendships without being fair? You have to ask yourself, “What is more important, getting along with everyone or being fair and doing what is right?” While you and your schoolmates will never agree on everything, it is important to hear what they have to say. It is especially important to be honest and care for others. It’s easy to get caught up in doing what the group does because you want to be accepted along with everyone else. But in your heart, you know what is right and what is wrong. This is known as being just or fair.	Justice can’t exist until everyone agrees that quarrels and disagreements have no place on the playground or at school. Living in a peaceful environment leads to everyone enjoying a fair and just world. Here are some ideas on being fair to others. Help the kids who are slow or need help. Be a friend to those who are not as popular. Lead by example and other kids will back you up. You can disagree with others as long as it is done without insults or being mean. Some things are not worth fussing about. Remember that there won’t be peace for long without justice.
Volunteer News
Star Volunteer Milt Hetrick retired on a Friday as an engineer at Martin Marietta. Monday morning he was hard at work volunteering at The Conflict Center. That’s the kind of guy he is. Milt’s specialty is computers….and are we getting an education! He will assist our webmaster, Ann Stewart, and help with training our staff to use technology more effectively. Watch for improvements. Milt has developed our CD-ROM with three different versions over the past seven years. It is a great gift to have him with us every Monday and Wednesday. Hats off to our March STAR VOLUNTEER, MILT HETRICK!	Let's Celebrate Together You Are Invited to The Conflict Center's 5th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Party Saturday, April 27, 2002 1:00 - 3:00 pm Lakewood Cultural Center 470 South Allison Parkway Refreshments by Village Roaster Please RSVP by April 19, 2002 to TCC at 303-433-4983 A great opportunity to introduce friends to TCC and celebrate your involvement in creating a peaceful community.
Volunteer Opportunities • Peace Day Friday, May 17th 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Westgate Elementary in Lakewood. Volunteers are invited to assist staff in a variety of peacemaking activities throughout the day. Lunch will be provided. • Evening Reception Volunteer Yes, we need you! Staff the reception area after hours, assist clients in finding their way to classes, provide supplies to instructors and generally manage the office during evening class times. Welcome Conflict Center clients Monday, Tuesday or Thursday evenings from 5:15 to 8:30 PM. You will have time to work on other Conflict Center tasks or read your favorite book. This would be a great time to check The Conflict Center library for exciting titles. Times will vary depending on the class schedule for a specific evening. If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity please call Mary Zinn- Stewart at 303-433-4983 ext. 27.	Volunteer Introduction Meetings Start out the New Year well and increase peacemaking possibilities by offering opportunities to your friends and colleagues! Tuesday, June 4, 2002 3 - 5:00 pm at TCC Call Mary Zinn-Stewart at 303-433-4983 ext.27 to sign up or to arrange an alternative time. Volunteer Training ANGER MANAGEMENT Monday, May 13, 2002 6:30 - 8:30 PM 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.
Reducing the Cost of Conflict in the Workplace Many Thanks to Our Sponsors and Participants
Despite the worst snow storm so far this winter, nearly 90 people attended the 4th Annual Reducing the Cost of Conflict in the Workplace Conference on March 1, 2002. Katy Miller, principal of Littleton Alternative Dispute Resolution LLC, gave a superb keynote speech on how to de-escalate conflict in the workplace. The conference provided participants with the opportunity to attend two different workshops designed to give supervisors the skills they need to deal constructively with conflict in their workplaces. During lunch attendees participated in facilitator-led “Circles of Conversation “ offering the opportunity to practice civil dialogue with others of differing viewpoints and opinions. Special thanks to the following sponsors, contributors and presenters: Title Sponsor: Zinn Cohen Consortium Workshop Sponsors: Advantage HR Solutions, Colorado Council of Mediator Organizations, Littleton Alternative Dispute Resolution LLC, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLC, Whimsical Wicks, Pro EAP Contributors: US Relocation, Holme Roberts and Owen, Scott's Printing, Diz's Daisies Flower Shop Presenters: Joe Vollmer, Katie Wills, Shay Bright, Carolyn Noorbaksh, Joleen Stanczyk, Jolene Gallo, Dr. Sharon Cornelius, Mason Parsaye, Liz Loescher, Vicki Samland, Marcia Hughes, James Terrell