INTER-UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM ON NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
CNCR is the College of Law’s first and oldest interdisciplinary research program, founded in 1987.
Conflict is part of life. How we resolve it is a choice. We can fight or cooperate. Lawyers often play a vital role in this choice. Lawyers negotiate contentious transactions and resolve disputes for their clients. They advise clients and policymakers to fight (litigation) or cooperate by using alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. CNCR studies how lawyers, decision makers, individuals, and groups cooperate and collaborate on shared problems.
CNCR is a consortium. It consists of institutions, faculty members from various disciplines, and interested practitioners. Affiliated members facilitate conflict resolution and develop best practices in a variety of settings.
interdisciplinary research program
at Georgia State Law.
major programs and research projects.
higher education companies
and organizations served by CNCR.
Research
CNCR sponsors and conducts research to improve how individuals, groups, and social institutions handle conflict. Here are some examples of current and completed research projects.
Conflict Management in Higher Education
The University System of Georgia is CNCR’s living laboratory. In 1995, the Board of Regents enacted its Initiative and Policy Direction on Conflict Resolution. The Initiative required each institution to design and put in place an integrated comprehensive conflict management system to meet their individual needs.
CNCR uses the knowledge and experience gained from this program to advise higher education institutions around the world.
- provided technical expertise and training support for the Initiative;
- administered the System-Wide Mediation Program;
- conducted periodic evaluation on the development and implementation of conflict management;
- produced two resource manuals: A guidebook-on-the-initiative and an ombudsman manual-2-0-final; and,
- published a 20-year summary of the project.
Biology of Reconciliation
Conflict resolution is about human behavior. Biology is at the root of both conflict and conciliatory behavior. In turn, reconciliation causes evolution and complexity in the natural world. CNCR has been at the forefront of exploring the nexus of biology and reconciliation. The Hewlett Foundation funded this project in 2003. CNCR has produced several papers, and a book is in the works.
Other Projects
ADR in Georgia
CNCR reports on the evolving law and practice of alternative dispute resolution – or ADR – in Georgia. CNCR produces an annual legal treatise, “ADR Practice and Procedure in Georgia” (Thompson/West). It also hosts the Alternative Dispute Resolution in Georgia blog. The blog provides commentary and news reports on more recent developments. You can follow @Georgia_ADR on Twitter. Affiliated faculty advise Georgia’s Commission on Dispute Resolution and draft legislation to make Georgia the best venue for international arbitration and mediation. CNCR studies and promotes best practices for using ADR in both US and foreign court systems.
Lexicon Project
- monitors the development of language in the emerging field of conflict resolution;
- increases awareness of the wide range of conflict resolution terms and their meanings;
- improves dialogue and understanding between professionals and theorists in conflict resolution; and
- promotes uniformity and consistency of the professional language.
The project culminated in CNCR’s Dictionary of Conflict Resolution (Jossey-Bass 1999). Contribute new terms, definitions, and comments by email to CNCR@gsu.edu or by mail to The Lexicon Project c/o CNCR.
Environmental Dispute Resolution
CNCR studies complex, multiparty, public policy disputes, particularly those involving the natural environment. CNCR members have facilitated and mediated many environmental dispute resolution processes. Co-founder, Professor Michael Elliott, evaluates EDR processes.
CNCR advised the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on international environmental and natural resource disputes.
CRiSP – Conflict Resolution in Schools Program
CNCR’s Conflict Resolution in Schools Program (CRiSP) examines conflict resolution education in K-12 schools. Originally, CRiSP was a service-learning pilot. Law students taught conflict resolution to students in the Atlanta Public Schools. After the pilot, CRiSP focused on state and federal law and policy. The CRiSP database is a state-by-state summary of legislation on conflict resolution education and related issues, such as bullying. The database is available upon request.
The Restorative Justice Program
Under a Department of Justice grant, CNCR partnered with the GSU School of Social Work to study restorative justice. The partners created the Restorative Justice Clearinghouse, a comprehensive listing of resources in the S.E. United States. CNCR refocused the project on restorative justice legislation across the U.S. and created an online database for researchers and practitioners. CNCR has developed two databases – the US Restorative Justice Legislation Database and the Proposed Restorative Justice Legislation Database. Our partners at the University of Nevada Las Vegas law school maintain these databases.
Faculty & Staff
CONTACT
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 4037
Atlanta, GA 30302-4037
Physical Address
85 Park Place NE
Atlanta, GA 30303