Who we are

The Northwest Institute for Conflict Resolution (NICR) is a partnership between Portland State University and the University of Oregon. It aims to develop and facilitate conflict resolution programs that educate and train students, practitioners and the greater community.

NICR is committed to

• Promoting a world where conflict is resolved constructively, creatively and compassionately.
• Building a network of conflict resolution practitioners, educators, students and leaders dedicated to the innovation of conflict resolution education ,strategic analyses, consultation, facilitation, dialogue, negotiation and mediation.
• Providing opportunities for conflict resolution educators and students to capitalize on skills and training through educational and professional development programs.
• Supporting emerging scholarship and theory in the field of conflict resolution.

Portland Competition Not Conflict in Youth Sports

The challenge of conflict in sports mirrors other aspects of our lives. The Portland Competition Not Conflict Project (PCnC) offers intervention and training in constructive responses to conflict.

• We help youth athletes, sponsoring organizations, coaches, referees, parents and other fans address conflict at the interpersonal and institutional levels.
• We work to provide assistance and instruction that is culturally relevant to all and applicable to our most challenging conflicts, including those about race, gender and other identity differences.
• Our diverse team of coaches, trainers and mediators will tailor our assistance to your needs.

For more information or to get involved, contact Andre Ashley at andreashley@gmail.com.

How You Can Get Involved

Practitioner

Develop your professional skills by engagin in the institute's projects and programs.

Educator

Become an integral part of research and knowledge development in the cutting-edge field of conflict resolution.

Student

Take advantage of NICR-sponsored programs, workshops and learning opportunities.

Donor

Invest in the future of conflict resolution program development in the Pacific Northwest.

NICR-Sponsored Events

Shifting Sport Culture (October 2008)
Don McPherson, College Football Hall of Fame quarterback and founder of the Sports Leadership institute of Adelphi University, spoke with coaches, student athletes, referees and practitioners about reducing conflict in sports as part of the Competition not Conflict (CnC) project.

Building Cultures of Peace (September 2008)
NICR supported the national annual conference for the Peace and Justice Studies Association.

Realms of Forgiveness: An Opportunity for Dialogue (February 2008)

A two-week event co-sponsored by NICR, the University of Oregon Law

School and Community Mediations Services. Featured workshops, keynote speakers, and an international art exhibit called the Forgiveness Project.

"From Revenge to Reconciliation: Changing the Paradigm of Justice (January 2007)

Sister Helen Prejean, a nationally-known death penalty opponent, spoke about restorative justice during a free public lecture at the University of Oregon School of Law.

International Conflict Resolution Project

Supports partnerships with Mercy Corps, the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, a conflict resolution project in Northern Ireland and other international peace-building initiatives.

Public Policy Collaboration Internship

The National Policy Consensus Center (NPCC) in the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University (PSU) offers practicum placements for graduate students interested in environmental and public policy dispute resolution and collaboration.

The training and internship program was started in 2007 by NPCC in cooperation with the PSU Conflict Resolution Graduate Program, the University (U of O) Masters in Conflict Resolution Program, the U of O Law School Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center and the Northwest Institute for Conflict Resolution. 

• NPCC accepts applications on a rolling basis and makes placements as they become available on particular collaborative projects.
• A three-day training program for participants is held each year, usually in the Spring. Other training and mentoring sessions are scheduled on an ad hoc basis.

To apply for entry into the program, which includes eligibility for potential placements as they arise and enrollment in the annual training, please e-mail or call Sarah Guenther, administrator at sguenth@pdx.edu or (503) 725.9077 to request an application form.

Competition Not Conflict

Competition not Conflict is an initiative to reduce destructive conflict in sport and to promote the positive values of competition.

As a NICR partner, this program strives to:

• Educate undergraduate and graduate students on the topic of conflict in sports and provide students with opportunities to use athletics as a socially useful alternative to conflict.
  
  
• Develop trainings, classes and other opportunities intended to enhance intercollegiate student-athletes’ academic and athletic excellence, as well as enhance their personal development and community involvement.
  
  
• Provide support for and engage in academic research focused on sports and conflict in both domestic and international capacities.
  
  
• Provide trainings and leadership camps for community organizations and athletic groups to explore the role of conflict in sport and provide skill-building exercises to empower participants to identify, prevent, and resolve conflicts.
  

For more information or to get involved, contact Program Director Tori Klein at (541) 346.1643 or visit the Competition not Conflict Web site.

Alexander Initative

NICR's founding initiative aims to further the  development of the Conflict Resolution and Appropriate Dispute Resolution programs in Oregon.

Board of Directors

Jane Gordon – University of Oregon
Robert Gould – Portland State University
Raymond Jubitz – Jubitz Family Foundation
Gil Kelley – 
Nicholas Macdonald – Mercy Corps
Michael Mills – City of Portland Ombudsman

Melanie Oommen – First CongregationalChurch

Paul Qualtere-Burcher – PeaceHealth

Cheyney Ryan – University of Oregon
Barbara Tint – Portland State University

Greg Wolf – Portland State University

Executive Committee

President: Jane Gordon – University of Oregon Law School
Vice President: Greg Wolf – Portland State University
Treasurer: Robert Gould – Portland State University
Secretary: Melanie Oommen – First Congregational Church
Non-Officer: Barbara Tint – Portland State University