Since 1987 Conflict Resolution Catalysts (CRC) -- a small nonprofit organization based in Montpelier, Vermont USA -- has been active world-wide to empower ordinary citizens to be peacemakers and effect positive change in their communities. Our work is focused at the grassroots level in societies polarized by conflict and torn apart by radical political and economic change. Our programs bring people together and provide them with the skills and support and citizen-run structures to begin to take control of their lives and communities, and to resolve problems in ways that are nonviolent, mutually-beneficial and sustainable in the long-term. We have been active as far away as the former Soviet Union and Bosnia, and as close as our own backyard of Vermont. We have offered a wide range of programs such as negotiation training, discussion groups, capacity-building for local grassroots organizations, neighborhood facilitation and mediation, linking local citizens with their own authorities and with international organizations, citizen-run newspapers and radio stations, counseling and support groups, and practical skills training in computers

And now we are about to begin working in Kosovo. Pending expected funding, CRC's Community Facilitators Project will engage local and international citizens to be problem-solvers in Kosovo communities, to address basic economic, psychological and security needs, and to build peace from the bottom-up. We are currently accepting applications for facilitators and other support staff. The first training is tentatively planned for early May, and project implementation is likely by June.

Recognizing that in post-conflict societies, peacebuilding means rebuilding and democratizing the social, economic, and political fabric of communities, we address the hard issues of fear, isolation and trauma in the hardest hit areas, such as Sarajevo and its surroundings. Rebuilding communities means rebuilding trust which can be so shattered that often it can only be dealt with indirectly and gradually, via practical activities that address practical needs.. We have been one of the first peace and conflict resolution groups to go in, before other organizations think it possible. We're not big or fancy; as one individual at UNHCR described us, we "do the most with the least." This bottom-up approach to empowerment through citizen education and action is relatively rare in the world of international peacemaking and development.

Our aim is not to give people solutions, but to help them create solutions for themselves. CRC's multi-ethnic community centers in Bosnia - the core of our People Connection Project there - are now locally-run and continue to bring people together to share and act upon concerns while rebuilding community cohesion. The Neighborhood Facilitators Project (from which Community Facilitators evolved) was an early attempt to train and support local people (assisted by international citizens) to help other local people take care of resolving their own problems, in Banja Luka, Bosnia.. The facilitators taught people how to organize around common interests, offer non-violent communication and conflict resolution tools, and provide access to information and services from governmental and non-governmental sources.

We challenge organizations and people alike to create a new paradigm of a peaceful sustainable community, one in which peacebuilding goes beyond politics and official structures. For CRC, that means strategies such as innovative partnerships, like citizen peace teams and civilian-military collaboration to build community security. These partnerships combine knowledge of what the community needs with the resources to make it a reality. And for CRC, this means working to change the basic funding paradigm, through education and advocacy, so that growing grassroots organizations receive the support they need to thrive. It means educating citizens around divisive public issues and involving them in consensus building, action-oriented processes, such as Study Circles.

From Northern Vermont to Northern Bosnia-Herzegovinia, CRC has a unique vision and a unique approach to the problems and aspirations of ordinary people seeking to overcome fear, helplessness, and conflict in order to build healthy communities. We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions about who we are and what we do. And we invite you to get involved with CRC. Whether you're young or not so young, with lots of experience in conflict resolution or just learning about it now, we have opportunities for volunteers and interns, and a few paid positions too (mainly with Community Facilitators). There's a lot to do. Come join us! Thank you for your interest in CRC.