What's New at MBB

MBB Team Takes COP15 by Storm
Dec. 7 2009 – Delegates from 192 countries convened in Copenhagen for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework for Climate Change, and a team of committed MBB members attended as official NGO observers and took bold measures to spread awareness for MBB and mediation in climate change disputes.  Team members sustained a visible and pronounced presence and made several connections for future work. 

MBB Welcomes Three New Board Directors
November 2009 -- MBB would like to welcome 3 new Board Directors: FM Alan Gross, Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania, USA; FM Dave Joseph, Smithfield, Rhode Island, USA; and Tom Valenti, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Katrina Team Completes Training Workshops
October 2009 -- The Hurricane Katrina Project Team in New Orleans completed a set of training workshops under the title Turning Conflict into Collaboration.  MBB provided community training workshops, bringing together newcomers and other coalitions in the area. 

MBB MIddle Eeast Peace Initiatives Offer Workshop 
October 2009 -- MBB's Middle East Initiatives (MEI) and Wahat al Salam-Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace), an intentional community in Israel since 1978 of Jewish and Palestinian Israelis, collaborated on developing a cross cultural mediation curriculum specifically for use by Palestinian and Jewish Israelis. The MEI team traveled to the village on October 12 - 20, 2009, creating liaisons and offering a workshop "Cross Cultural Identity and Social Relations." 

Copenhagen Initiative lays Groundwork in Bangkok, Barcelona
Sept. 28, 2009 & Nov. 2, 2009 -- A lead-up team for the MBB Copenhagen Initiative led by FM Mark Kirwin attended negotiation sessions in Bangkok and Barcelona ahead of the upcoming UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.  MBB members met with key delegates, distributed literature, and gave presentations to raise awareness for mediation and help set the stage for MBB lobbying efforts at the conference in December. “The people I have spoken with consider mediation to be a good option in resolving climate change disputes,” said Mark. 

MBB Members Commemorate UN International Day of Peace
Sept. 21 2009 -- A UN General Assembly Resolution in 1981 established the annual Day of Peace as an occasion for nations, organizations, and individuals to cede hostilities and practice acts of peace.  MBB members took full advantage of the opportunity, hosting commemoration events on four continents to both recognize the ideals of peace and to expand MBB’s global network. 

Prabha Sankaranarayan Visits Nepal
September 2009 – Representing the Ambassadors Program and the Nepal Initiative, MBB Board Member Prabha Sankaranarayan traveled to Bhakatapur, Nepal to participate in the Kathmandu School of Law’s seminar on a Restorative Justice model for Juvenile Justice.  She sat on a panel of Human’s Rights and Children’s Rights leaders and built relationships with local leaders. 

Anna Spain Elected to Council on Foreign Relations
September 2009 -- MBB Board Member Anna Spain was elected to a term membership on the Council on Foreign Relations, an honor granted to exceptional scholars who demonstrate advanced insight in matters of international policy. The Council on Foreign Relations is “an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, and other leaders and members of the community in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.” 

Zimbabwe Initiative Assessment Team Travels to Bulawayo
Sept. 1, 2009 -- An assessment team from the MBB Zimbabwe Initiative networked with 45 Zimbabwean mediators, church and community leaders, relief workers and teachers during a three-day visit to the city of Bulawayo in southeast Zimbabwe. The team is considering providing tailored conflict resolution training, peer mediation programs in high schools and trauma-based training for relief/refugee workers. 

Latin American Initiative Travels to Colombia for Assessment
Aug. 20, 2009 -- An assessment team from MBB’s Latin American Initiative traveled to Colombia and participated in an annual mediation conference, built relationships, and surveyed a poor, violence-wracked region outside of Cartagena.  The team, led by FM Duncan Autrey and FM Alan Gross, was responding to an invitation from Ricardo Esquivia, the Executive Director of SembrandoPaz (PlantingPeace), an NGO aimed at community development and peacemaking in Colombia’s north coast region. 

New MBB Executive Team Appointed
August 2009 -- To facilitate efforts to create a stronger internal infrastructure and develop sustainable funding sources, the MBB Board has added a new volunteer executive team.  Charlie Pillsbury has taken on the position Executive Director and Jim Lingl has become Director of Operations and Planning.   

John Cooper named Director of MBB Internship Program
July 2009 -- One month after joining MBB in June, lawyer-mediator John Cooper from East Lansing, Michigan volunteered to direct the MBB Internship Program.  Previously, Cooper (the nomenclature he prefers) had been legal counsel to three Speakers of the House of Representatives in Michigan.  He also taught at Michigan State University for 14 years as an adjunct professor of Business Law and was chosen to be Director of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Service at Albion College in Michigan.   

Board Member Ginny Morrison Appointed MBB Secretary
July 1, 2009 -- Following a Board decision to split the Secretary-Treasurer position into two separate and distinct entities, Ginny Morrison was appointed MBB Secretary – a role that, as mandated by MBB by-laws, will require her to “conduct the correspondence of MBB, record the proceedings of all MBB meetings and the proceedings of the meetings of the Board of Directors; and file all required forms and documents with governmental agencies.” She will also “issue all notices and other documents requiring verification and make periodic reports, no less than annually, to the Membership about MBB.” 

Board Member Prabha Sankaranarayan Appointed MBB Treasurer
July 1, 2009 -- Concurrently, Board Member Prabha Sankaranarayan assumed the role of MBB Treasurer.  Of the appointment, she said, “My goal is to ensure that the organization has implemented sound financial policies and procedures and as well as an effective monitoring mechanism that will enable us to be eligible for a wide range of funding opportunities.” 

MBB MIddle Eeast Peace Initiatives Offer Workshop
Sept. 30, 2009 -- MBB's Middle East Initiatives (MEI) and Wahat al Salam-Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace), an intentional community in Israel since 1978 of Jewish and Palestinian Israelis, are collaborating on developing a cross cultural mediation curriculum specifically for use by Palestinian and Jewish Israelis. The MEI team will be at the village October 12 - 20, 2009, creating liaisons and offering a workshop "Cross Cultural Identity and Social Relations."

MBB accepted to Alliance for Peacebuilding
Apr. 3, 2009 -- As of Apr. 3, Mediators Beyond Borders has been accepted as a member of the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), a coalition of diverse organizations working together to build sustainable peace and security worldwide. “Our members had a strong positive response to your application and our board voted unanimously that you would make an excellent addition to our membership,” Rachel Lyn Okun, AfP Membership and Operations Manager, said.

Prabha Sankaranarayan to Attend Women's Colloquium
Feb. 17, 2009 -- MBB Board Director Prabha Sankaranarayan was invited to attend the International Colloquium on Women's Empowerment, Leadership, International Peace and Security 2009 in Monrovia, Liberia from March 7-8, 2009. The Colloquium will bring together 400 international participants and 400 Liberian national participants, including female leaders; heads of state and government; ministers; CEOs, presidents and executive directors; and NGO and community leaders. Co-convened by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Tarja Halonen of Finland, the Colloquium seeks to create an environment for women around the world to discuss, learn, demonstrate and act on the benefits and lessons learned from women in leadership.

The Liberian Initiative Team to Travel to Ghana and Liberia
Jan. 29, 2009 -- MBB Board Director Ginny Morrison and FM Alan E. Gross will spend the most of February in Ghana and Liberia, implementing The Liberian Initiative.

Middle East Peace Initiatives Team to Travel to Israel for Assessment
Jan. 29, 2009 -- FM Tom Valenti, FM Martha Harty and Board Director Rachel Wohl of the MBB Middle East Peace Initiatives Team will be going to Israel and the Neve Shalom Wahat Al Salam (NSWAS) on February 1-8, 2009 for an assessment trip to determine how MBB can help NSWAS expand its conflict resolution services in Israel and the West Bank. NSWAS is a half Jewish and half Arab village, located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. If the team determines that MBB can be of assistance, a project proposal will be submitted to the MBB Board for approval.

Board of Directors Meets in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Jan. 19, 2009 -- The Board met in Pittsburgh, Pa. over MLK weekend to discuss MBB’s organizational development and strategic planning, reports from committees, the board structure and the upcoming 2nd Annual Congress to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA on March 6-8. The Board revised its ByLaws that now state that starting in 2009 MBB will have four officers: President, President -Elect, Secretary and Treasurer. The Board also approved the 2009 budget (available by e-mail at melissambb@gmail.com).

MBB University of Pittsburgh Chapter Mediation Training
Jan. 23, 2009 -- MBB Chapter at University of Pittsburgh will be hosting a mediation training "Conflict Management Styles" presented by Bernhard Behrend, Esq. & Martha Harty, PhD., MBB Founding Members, on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. The two-day course is PA CLE approved for 10 hours of substantive credit; the cost is $100 for both days. For more information call (412) 648-7023 or e-mail dwrist@pitt.edu.

MBB Thanks Richard DeWitt for His Efforts on MBB Board
Jan. 19, 2009 -- MBB Board of Directors would like to thank Richard DeWitt, who is leaving the Board, for his dedication and energy devoted to MBB. Richard will continue to be a Founding Member and be involved in MBB efforts.

MBB Welcomes Two New Board Directors
Dec. 22, 2008 -- MBB would like to welcome 2 new Board Directors: FM Deborah Laufer, Washington D.C., USA and FM Marvin Johnson, Washington D.C., USA.