This summer, delegates from around the world will meet for the 60th annual summer conferences at the Initiatives of Change center in Caux, Switzerland. The conferences, under the theme of Globalizing Integrity, Personalizing Integrity, will run July 6 – August 17, 2006. For more information or to register for the conferences, please visit www.caux.ch/en/program.php. Feel free to contact Initiatives of Change (www.us.iofc.org) if you have any questions at 1156 Fifteenth St., NW, Suite 910; Washington, DC 20005-1704; p (202) 872-9077; f (202) 872-9137. For information ... (continue)

The IAP2 Wild Rose (Alberta) Chapter will be holding a signature event this Feb, 2-3, 2006 in Calgary, Alberta. The event’s theme is “Keeping Ahead of the Curve: Innovation and Diversity in Public Participation” It will be a day and a half of engaging and thought provoking participatory presentations and sessions, and a World Café on the topic of the Wild Rose Centennial Project. In addition, Wild Rose will be offering two of the IAP2 training modules, Planning for Public Participation and Communication for Effective ... (continue)

The Canadian International Institute of Applied Negotiation (CIIAN) in Ottawa will be offering several courses on Peacebuilding and Mediation this spring. Courses include “The Power Clinic for Mediators,” “Negotiating Agreements In Conflict Settings” and “Violence Prevention: Theory-Informed Practice.” Dr. Ben Hoffman, President of CIIAN, will lead all three courses. For more info or to register please visit the “Special Programs” page on the CIIAN website at www.ciian.org/special1.shtml (continue)

Join Amanda Trosten-Bloom and Jim Ludema, leading authors and consultants, for their Foundations in Appreciative Inquiry Workshop, February 6-9 in Boulder, Colorado. Recognized as one of the strongest foundations-level trainings available, this workshop attracts an international contingent of positive change consultants and leaders. Learn how businesses and communities around the globe have transformed their organizations in partnership with CPC’s premier consultants. Develop your skills to lead key steps in the Appreciative Inquiry process: select affirmative topics, craft and conduct appreciative interviews, envision positive futures, design ... (continue)

IAP2 has realeased its Spring Training calendar with plenty of opportunities to learn public participation skills in trainings across North America and Australia. Courses include “Communications for Effective Public Participation,” “Techniques for Effective Public Participation,” and “Planning for Effective Public Participation. To see a full list of courses, dates and locations, click on the link below. Or visit IAP2′s website: www. iap2.org. (continue)

The Harwood Public Innovators Lab is designed for people who do public work and are interested in deepening their understanding of how to make an impact in that work. This is not a “skills-building” program but rather a chance to reflect on and assess your work through a unique set of frameworks. The Harwood Institute will be offering two Labs this year: a Spring Lab from May 21 – 25, 2006 and a Fall Lab from September 11 – September 15, 2006. Both will be ... (continue)

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU) has just announced the dates for its Greater Expectations Institute. The Institute will be held from June 21 – 25, 2006 in Snowbird, Utah. The Institute is an intensive program designed for campus teams working on ways to increase student engagement, inclusion, and high achievement. Teams will align institutional purposes, structures, and practices as well as advance and assess the kinds of liberal education outcomes outlined in AAC&U’s Greater Expectations report. The Institute provides a resource-rich setting ... (continue)

Rachelle Lamb, president of Mindful Communication and author of Steps to Conscious Living and NVC Communications Basics, will be offering training sessions in Ottawa at the end of January. She has taught Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to thousands of couples, parents, educators, counselors, managers, employees, health professionals, and others seeking ways to communicate more effectively and improve their personal and professional lives. She has also co-trained with Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, the originator of the Nonviolent Communication process. Rachelle’s Ottawa workshops include “Relationships: Up Close and Personal” ... (continue)

The School for International Training (www.sit.edu) in Vermont has just announced its 2006 lineup of professional development programs in Conflict Transformation Across Cultures (CONTACT). Started in 1997, CONTACT offers professional development, skills and practical training to professionals working around the world in diverse fields such as education, human services, humanitarian aid, psychology and social work, human rights, and sustainable development. Some skills addressed are: Conflict analysis and intervention; Non-violent action; Intercommunal dialogue; Peace and development; Reconciliation and forgiveness; Training design; Intercultural negotiation and mediation; and ... (continue)

Starting Monday January 23, Sharda Miller of The Listening Path (www.thelisteningpath.com) will be offering a four week course in Heartful Communication. The course treats a series of listening skills and processes with an emphasis on Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC). The series offers specific skills that lead to heartful, honest and authentic communication without blame or judgment. The class will be small and intimate in order to allow plenty of time for sharing and practice. Course dates are on 1:30-4 pm Jan 23, 30, Feb ... (continue)