Peacebuilding, Humanitarian Assistance, Conflict Transformation, Reconstruction, and Stabilization,

The University of Colorado Conflict Information Consortium* is recruiting partners for a new program called Conflict Education and Training Resource (CETR) systems. These customized online training programs, built off its Beyond Intractability website (www.beyondintractability.org), combine existing elements of Beyond Intractability with customized new materials, to create a program specifically tailored to the needs of particular clients.

More information on these systems can be found in the following documents:

Overview Documents

Conflict Education and Training Resource System Brochure

A two-page description of the CETR system, revised and updated 8-10-07.

CETR Options and Costs

An overview of the costs associated with different CETR program options.

Conflict Information Consortium

A short, two page summary of the Consortium's various programs with user statisitics and comments and desciptions of our principal web projects. (PDF Version)

Theoretical Foundations: Conflict and the Role of Information Systems

A short, two page mini-paper explaining the role that we believe information systems can play in promoting more constructive approaches to conflict.

Consortium Information Infrastructure

A "two-pager" that describes the information infrastructure which underlies and makes possible the Beyond Intractability and CETR systems.

CETR Prospectus

The above CETR system brochure is elaborated in considerable detail in this Prospectus which explains how such systems could actually be built.

Conflict Frontiers / CETR PowerPoint

Power Point Slides used by the Burgesses in explaining the Frontier of the Conflict Resolution Field and the contributions that CETR systems can make.

Conflict Frontiers -- The website of the Beyond Intractability Conflict Frontiers project which is referred to in the above PowerPoint.

Learning Object / Module Examples

The next several documents offer examples of the kinds of materials that could be created in a CETR system. These are only examples. We can work with client/partners to determine the best substance and format for each CETR system.

Stop Fighting Beta

We are excited about the possibility of a building a series of CETR programs modeled on our new "Stop Fighting" learning module (currently available in a preliminary "beta" version). This module (which is designed for people engaged in interpersonal, "relationship" conflicts) guides users through a seven-step process of diagnosing and repairing broken relationships. Program materials help users identify and evaluate alternative strategies for taking each step. This system is written with lots of cartoons; short, easy-to-understand lists of things to think about; occasional Flash slideshows; and links to Beyond Intractability's more in-depth materials (often with new PowerPoint-type summary slides highlighting the most important points). Similar systems could be created for those engaged in a wide variety of peacebuiling-related and civil society promotion efforts. Materials could also be tailored to a variety of communications media and adapted to different cultural situations.

Time Crunch Options

This is a section of a PowerPoint briefing that we gave to the USNORTHCOM regarding conflict training materials that we could develop to help them fulfill their mission of working with civil authorities in complex emergencies. These two briefing slides illustrate ways in which CETR systems can be structured to work in situations where training time is severely limited. The first slide illustrates different packages of lessons that could be assembled for people in different roles. The second slide presents a matrix highlighting the kind of training that could be provided in time intervals ranging from 15 minutes to 8 hours. Similar sets of options could be developed for broad range of CETR systems.

Checklists USNORTHCOM Version and General Beyond Intractability Version

We developed checklists to help users overcome information overload by helping them diagnose their conflict situation and then access the most useful learning modules. We expect that systems based on CETR "challenges" would be more powerful than these earlier systems.

Do's and Don'ts Module

This is a cartoon-based module exploring "do's and don'ts" for an initial meeting in which US military forces would report to civil authorities coordinating response to a major, Katrina-type disaster. Similar systems could address other common conflict problems and other (NGO) actors.

Rumor Control Problem and Options for Controlling Rumors

This module explains the importance of controlling rumors by comparing them to the other, principal chain reaction system -- nuclear weapons. Again, this and the following example were created for military users; other settings and pictures can be provided for NGO users.

Overall Dagmar Scenario and Scenario Challenge Examples

This is challenge scenario for role-play games in which users are asked what would they do if they were faced with this particular situation and challenges. Other scenarios can, of course be created.

Audio Interviews

Beyond Intractability has over a hundred hours of online audio. Snippets from these and other interviews conducted as part of the CETR development process could be edited into short, audio learning objects. Such interview-based materials offer an inexpensive and powerful format for combining the local, on-the-ground expertise with more theoretical insights from Beyond Intractability's many contributors.

College Courses

We now offer five different online courses based on Beyond Intractability. Materials from these courses can be incorporated as needed.

Annotated Conflict Cases

These are studies of real conflicts that have taken place -- and in some cases, are still taking place -- around the world. These and other materials derived from our news crawler can be used to generate examples and illustrations.

Personal Stories

These are accounts of conflicts from people who experienced them first-hand. These and similar new stories can add a personal element to CETR systems.

Book and Article Summaries

One of the techniques that we can use to make hard-to-understand academic books and articles more accessible is to write summaries of these materials tailored to the needs of specific CETR system users. As a starting point, Beyond Intractability now includes over 500 such summaries.

Beyond Intractabilty : The Foundation of the CETR system

Current Beyond Intractability Essays and Topics Covered

Listing of and links to Beyond Intractability essays with descriptions.

Examples of Existing Materials

Examples of materials that will be used as the foundation of any CETR system including anessay with the new PowerPoint and Flash additions.

Beyond Intractability Project Participants

Authors | Interviewees | Planning Conference Participants | Project Staff