Thanks to everyone who joined us to make the 2009 Workshop on Humiliation and Violent Conflict an enormous success!

The collaborative spirit and energy of all involved exceeded our greatest expectations! 

Claudia Cohen, associate director of the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR), warmly welcomed everyone to Columbia University and introduced us to the Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity (AC4).

HumanDHS Founding President Evelin Lindner opened the workshop by presenting her latest formulations of how humiliation continues to generate and intensify conflicts around the world. Director Linda Hartling reintroduced the frame of "Appreciative Enquiry," which has become a foundational methodology and philosophy used by the network to encourage dignifying dialogue on difficult topics. These initial talks set the tone for two days of stimulating presentations and thought-provoking discussions throughout the workshop.

The high points of this year's program are too numerous to count! Board Member Michael Britton gave a deeply touching presentation in honor of Don Klein in which he analyzed how we must and can exit from the humiliation of current world affairs. Round table presenters enriched the experience of all involved with insights into a stunningly diverse range of topics. A new "case presentation" session featured the work of members who are turning innovative ideas into positive action around the world. 
 
This year's Public Event began with a conversation with Guest of Honor Queen Mother Delois Blakely, Community Mayor of Harlem. This was followed by an outstanding panel discussion that included: Reinaldo Rivera, head of the U.S. Justice Department's Northeast and Caribbean Regions' Conflict Resolution Division; Adenrele Awotona, founder and director of the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters at the University of Massachusetts; and director Francis Mead and assistant producer Ariel Lublin who presented the documentary film: Poisoned Chalice: The UN in Iraq. This powerful documentary examined the remarkable resilience and recovery of UN staffers after the 2003 attack in Baghdad, a story lived by Francis Mead who survived this attack.

One of the most memorable moments of the workshop was presenting the first HumanDHS Lifetime Achievement Award to Morton Deutsch, one of the world's most respected scholars of conflict resolution. The ceremony included a video interview of Morton Deutsch introduced by psychologist and popular media consultant Judy Kuriansky. It highlighted Morton Deutsch's trailblazing research on cooperation and conflict resolution. The award was a joyous celebration of Morton Deutsch's efforts that have inspired all members of the HumanDHS network!

We are deeply grateful to Alan B. Slifka and the Alan B. Slifka Foundation for their generous ongoing support of this program!  We also appreciate the special support of the Center for International Conflict Resolution (SIPA) and the International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (ICCCR) as part of the Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity (AC4). 

To see wonderful photos and learn more, please read Newsletter, No. 14.

We are thrilled to announce the publication of Evelin Lindner's new book!

Here's what people are saying!

"The future of humankind is at stake. In times of crisis, we need people of courage, people who step out of the beaten track of familiarity and look at the situation from a new perspective. Few people have the global experience and transdisciplinary background that Evelin Lindner brings to this task. This book is a wake-up call and a guideline for humanity to follow if it wishes to survive." - Ole Danbolt Mjøs, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Past President of the University of Tromsø, Norway, Past Chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee of the Norwegian Parliament, Norway

"In her book, Evelin Lindner makes a quantum leap from humiliation to human dignity with love. She writes for everyone who has ever despaired at the state of the world we live in. Her book is filled with the concrete optimism of practitioners who never discard anyone in their actions. In the current times of uncertainty, it is an ode to life, interconnectedness, and relationships. The book leaves one with the feeling that it is never too late to live a fulfilling existence alongside family, friends, and nature. It will no doubt resonate in our co-evolutionary thoughts for years to come." - Victoria C. Fontan, PhD, Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University for Peace in Costa Rica and author of Voices from Post-Saddam Iraq (Praeger, 2009).

"Dr. Evelin Lindner is a leading voice in the newly emerging field of humiliation studies. Gender, Humiliation, and Global Security:  Dignifying Relationships from Love, Sex, and Parenthood to World Affairs is an ambitious work which deals with emotions, previously overlooked, which are central to the human experience. This book will be recognized as a major contribution to the field." - Aaron Lazare, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Chancellor and Dean Emeritus, University of Massachusetts Medical School and author of On Apology  (Oxford University, 2004). 

Please visit the HumanDHS website to read more about this extraordinary publication.

In celebration of this new publication, we will send you a copy of this remarkable book (list price: $44.99) in appreciation for your donation of $100 or more to the Global Education Fund. Please see details below.

We warmly invite you to attend the 15th Annual Conference of the Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies Network!