Conflict Resolution Catalysts (CRC) is a private, non-profit international organization and network based in Montpelier, Vermont USA. It seeks to facilitate the role of citizens as local and international peacemakers and to promote the education and use of non-violent conflict resolution skills and processes. CRC offers grassroots-based and broadly accessible initiatives which focus on:

• Democracy skill-building and civil society development
• Problem-solving through negotiation, mediation, facilitation, consensus building, and participatory decision-making
• Relationship-building and trust-building
• Development and respect of distinctive cultural / ethnic identities in societies without prejudice
• Community-building through use of diverse human resources and constructive activities
• Development of peacebuilding coalitions amongst bottom-up and top-down forces in society, especially between forces in traditional dichotomies, such as: civilian and military, international and local, grassroots and government, humanitarian and peace groups

CRC provides experientially-based, locally-guided, practical needs-oriented and culturally appropriate services and structures. These include:

• training and educational programs
• consultations
• research
• discussion and action groups
• community facilitation/education centers
• conflict resolution activist links
• community outreach and tension-reduction
• mediation and facilitation
• mobile teams

Conflict Resolution Catalysts (CRC) grew out of the educational and activist work of founder Gary Shapiro in the mid 1980s; in particular, his participation in two peace walks - one across the United States (1986) and the other through a part of Russia in the former Soviet Union (1987). Through these experiences, he was strongly affected by the contrast between people's strong desires for peace and the lack of practical skills and sense of empowerment to achieve it. He envisioned a peacemaking modality that combined win-win conflict resolution and mediation techniques, with a social focus on empowering ordinary people at the grassroots level by building common ground and cooperative links between them and with other social forces, in as non-politically oppositional way as possible.

The first initiative that Shapiro created based on the above modality was the SEEDS Project (Stimulating Empowerment in Emerging Democratic Societies) in several republics of the former Soviet Union, beginning in 1987. SEEDS was one of the first conflict resolution projects to take place there. The project organized conflict resolution training programs such as seminars and informal consultations in community empowerment, diversity appreciation, and ethnic/interpersonal conflict resolution. Locations included Moscow, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Kiev (in Ukraine), Yerevan (in Armenia), Tbilisi (in Georgia), and Riga (in Latvia). This work linked nationally recognized American trainers with citizens and leaders in various community, political, and ethnic groups.

CRC as an organization began later, in 1987, to provide support and sustainability to the SEEDS Project. The organization was originally based in Montpelier, Vermont, where Shapiro lived. However, in 1990, because of CRC's small size and its primary international focus, a decision was made to move CRC to Boston, Massachusetts in order to have more access to international connections and resources. In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we were not able to secure additional funding to continue working there, whereupon the SEEDS project ended. Several people and groups who were involved in the project from the former Soviet Union went on to implement conflict resolution programs and courses of their own.

In late 1991, CRC turned its attention to domestic programs and internal organizational development. For about 2 years, we focused on research and planning for domestic initiatives which aimed to increase the use of conflict resolution and consensus-building. These included: 1) the National Conflict Resolution Corps - a nationwide training and placement service on the model of VISTA and Americorps, and 2) Community Mediation mobile teams working in common and informal community settings, such as taverns, schools, libraries, and general stores. These ideas have now been consolidated under the proposed Conflict Resolution Network.

In late 1992, after numerous unsuccessful attempts at finding suitable organizational partners and institutional affiliations in the Boston area, CRC moved back to Montpelier, Vermont where it continues to be located as of early 2000. In 1993, CRC became a division of PTSSR (Parents, Teachers, Students, for Social Responsibility), which focuses on youth empowerment and on combating all forms of prejudice and bigotry. For four years, CRC received developmental and administration support from PTSSR. In 1997, CRC incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization and received 501c3 tax-exempt status. CRC and PTSSR continue to share office space at the Vermont College campus in Montpelier.

CRC's primary interest has always been in international grassroots peacebuilding. In the summer of 1993, the prolonged intensity and horror of ethnic cleansing and violence in the Bosnia conflict led Gary Shapiro to go there as part of a 3,000 person strong citizen intervention army to stop the fighting. Although this effort at a cease-fire was not successful, we learned a great deal about the psycho-social dynamics of the war (especially the fear, polarization, and disempowerment) and ways to address them. In subsequent visits to Bosnia in 1993 and 1994 during the war, CRC began working with a broad range of concerned citizens to formulate a long-term grassroots-based peacebuilding plan which evolved into the People Connection Project (PCP) in late 1994.

Key components of PCP were community center / safe spaces, conflict resolution education, discussion groups, constructive citizen engagement and shared learning, citizen links across the inter-entity divide, and support from international volunteers. PCP focused on the critical needs of citizen empowerment, rebuilding community, overcoming fear, social and ethnic reconciliation, trust and relationship-building, and democratic development. CRC was one of the first international NGOs to work on both sides of the Bosnian conflict, overcoming the prevailing tendency of favoring one side or the other. CRC's main Bosnia partner was the local community organization "International Centers for Help, Communication and Relationships Project" (ICHCR). CRC began PCP services in Sarajevo (Bosnian Federation) in July 1994, and in November 1996 we opened the Ilidza Community Center. PCP services began in Banja Luka (Republika Srpska) in January 1995 and our Community Center opened there in July 1996. (Due to political sensitivities around cross-ethnic relationship building and reconciliation, the project was called "Hope for the Future" in Banja Luka until 1997.)

Staffed by local Bosnians and international volunteers, the centers supported activities such as peer mediation workshops, parents' forums, youth / women's groups, computer and language training, development of local NGOs, and community media (including the youth-run Radio Balkan and the Balkan Youth Bridge [BOM] newspaper distributed throughout Bosnia.)

After the war ended in November 1995, new political and economic possibilities slowly emerged, and some refugees began to return home. Program priorities shifted toward more inter-entity citizen links and conflict resolution work, Also in accordance with CRC's mandate to foster local sustainability and ownership, the management of the community centers shifted from the internationals to the local Bosnians. The centers are now independent, locally-managed, and self-sustaining. The Banja Luka Community Center become independent on November 1, 1997 and is now managed by Youth Bridge International. The Ilidza Community Center became independent on March 1, 1998, and is now managed by Danas Za Bolje Sutra ("Today for a Better Tomorrow"). The two former CRC centers continue to pursue many of the same goals and programs of PCP. The People Connection Project officially ended on March 1, 1998.

As the community centers became independent and the project wrapped up, CRC was able to concentrate resources specifically on post-war community conflict resolution and more structured support for local citizen initiatives in Bosnia. To do this, CRC created the Neighborhood Facilitators Project (NFP) as a bottom-up peacebuilding initiative. The central core of NFP were the joint local / international citizen teams of "neighborhood facilitators." The facilitators were based at public drop-in centers and also worked in mobile teams in the field, offering a range of personal/group support and conflict resolution integrated services and activities available to all citizens. The main elements of the facilitators' strategy were: psychological support and reduction of fear, trust- and relationship-building, creating honest and confidential communication to illuminate positions and underlying interests in cases of conflict, and finding creative solutions. Broader objectives and areas of work included: 1) human rights and community-based security, 2) education and use of nonviolent conflict resolution, 3) return and re-integration of refugees, 4) restoration of multi-ethnic coexistence and social reconciliation, 5) promoting grassroots economic viability (via finding employment and starting small businesses), 6) greater housing and job rights, 7) improve interpersonal and family relations, and 8) develop and strengthen grassroots-based democratic structures

Some of the services the facilitation centers provided were: information-gathering and dissemination, referrals, advice, consultations, organizing of individuals and vulnerable populations into discussion and action groups, bridge-building and problem-solving between people in need and local authorities / international organizations, mainly through advocacy and accompaniment, mediation of individual cases, where appropriate, and follow-up of all cases, even those referred to other organizations.

Collectively, these services and activities are called "facilitation." This reflects the strong focus on empowering, encouraging and supporting the people or group in need to take an active role in resolving the problem and effecting the desired change, rather than others doing it for them. The long-term strategy of facilitation work is to support the evolution of psychological, cultural, social, and political processes that would enable a significant role for citizens in addressing the issues that affect them, accompanied by relevant grassroots structures and institutional change - in other words: democratization and civil society development.

Rather than solving the problem for the person (which in most cases NFP could not do), the facilitators assist the person to better understand the problem, to acquire and mobilize skills and resources to solve it, as well as to be a link between the various parties to address not only the immediate problem but also its underlying aspects. The connective function of the facilitator seeks to make a personal connection between individuals both as the holder of the problem and the holder of the solution. Facilitation encompasses the traditional roles of counselor, mediator, information gatherer, advocate, protector, stimulator, friend and encourager.

Support-building and partnership development for NFP began in early 1997, but it was not until October 1997, when funding was secured, that the project got underway with the recruitment of local and international facilitator candidates. At the same time, we received major support for project development, training, and initial implementation came from the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre (PPC) in Nova Scotia, Canada, an institution that focuses on military peacekeeping. In return for this support, CRC agreed to have the training at PPC, manage the project from there, and give PPC open access for research. In November, Gary Shapiro moved to PPC.

Also in November, NFP training began with a ten day training of 20 prospective local facilitators in Banja Luka, the capital of the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia. This was followed by another ten-day training for 15 prospective international trainers which was held at PPC in early December. By late January 1998, 11 Bosnians and 5 internationals were chosen as the first group of neighborhood facilitators. In February, a 10 day joint training for Bosnian and international facilitators was held in Banja Luka. In early March 1998, the first Neighborhood Facilitation public drop-in Center opened in Banja Luka. At about the same time, the first NFP Mobile Team began operating in the area of Drvar in the Bosnia Federation in NW Bosnia.

The NF Center received nearly 200 cases in its first month of operation. With both new and continuing clients, the Center averaged 10 clients per day. Most were walk-ins. 50 percent of cases related to economic needs. Other cases dealt with job discrimination, mainly people fired because of their ethnicity. About 50 percent of drop-in cases related to refugee / displaced persons return and reintegration -- primarily people trying to return to their houses (both in Banja Luka and in Federation towns such as Drvar) from which they were expelled during the war. Two discussion groups were established, mainly dealing with economic issues.

Working outside the NF Center, but still within the city of Banja Luka, facilitators spent 2 half days per week at the Javni Klub, a support center for "floaters" (those who were expelled from their houses but never actually left Banja Luka). Outside Banja Luka, NFP Mobile Teams visited refugee return-sensitive sites (e.g. Drvar, Sanski Most / Prijedor) an average of two days per week. Intra-group meetings were held to assist citizens to be more involved in the decision making process. Plans were developed for inter-ethnic town meetings, as well as close links with the Canadian contingent of NATO forces in the area, before violence and lack of funds suspended our work in Drvar.

Efforts to find sustainable funding for the project were continuing all through this initial period. Some funders expressed interest but, ultimately, no more funding was forthcoming. NFP did not fit within well their priorities and paradigms, even though international groups in the area were very supportive of our work. In July 1998, after four months in operation, NFP had to suspend operations due to lack of funds. At the same time, the contract with PPC in Canada ended. Gary Shapiro and CRC returned to Vermont.

Much of our work in Bosnia since 1993 has been in collaboration with many international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as international governmental bodies (GOs). Given the nature of our work, and given our small size, these cooperative relationships have been essential in carrying out our mission. We wish to thank all our many partners for their wisdom, commitment, patience, and courage.

International NGOs and GOs include: UNHCR (High Commissioner for Refugees); OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe); Office of the High Representative, NATO (called "SFOR" in Bosnia); National Democratic Institute; United Methodist Committee on Relief; Catholic Relief Services; Pax Christi; Healing Hands; Movement for Peace, Disarmament, and Freedom; Women to Women in Bosnia; CARE; Impact Teams International; International Rescue Committee; Norwegian Refugee Council; Danish Center, and the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution.

Local Bosnian NGOs include: Wings of Hope; Democratic Initiative of Sarajevo Serbs; Media Center-Prelom; Children's Embassy; Phoenix; Genesis; Citizens' Initiative; Helsinki Citizens; Merhamet; Javni Club; Vrbas Association; Center for Social Work; various refugee associations

In the fall of 1998, while continuing to seek new funding for NFP, we decided to scale down our activities to be more commensurate with our available resources and re-focus our priorities toward local Vermont initiatives. Development began on three new programs.

1. Study Circles, which are locally-based discussion groups focused around important and polarized issues affecting the community. The aims of the program are to educate the public on the issues, facilitate public consensus and collaborative decision-making, and engage citizens in the social change process. Possible topics include Act 60 (Vermont's controversial school financing law), urban sprawl, and, most recently, gay marriage (In December 1999, Vermont's Supreme Court mandated that same-sex partners are entitled to the same benefits as heterosexual married couples.)
2. CREED ("Community Response and Empowerment for Educational Development"), which seeks to facilitate cooperative relationships between schools and their communities, and empower all the participating players, including students, via an integrated mix of training, discussions, ongoing feedback and information-gathering activities. The program is also designed to work closely with the state-mandated Action Planning Process for each school.
3. Conflict Resolution Network, a state-wide or regional group of conflict resolution (CR) practitioners, organizers, students, advocates, researchers, and general supporters seeking to expand the boundaries of CR work, education, availability, use, and legitimacy. The network would support innovative programs and strengthen small isolated efforts, especially in the areas of citizen empowerment, expanded CR outreach, and practical assistance at low cost.

With the initial development and outreach work completed on the above initiatives, CRC awaits funding in order to implement them Likely sources are local foundations, businesses, and state government. Meanwhile, in the spring of 1999, the world's attention turned dramatically to Kosovo, when NATO bombing and massive ethnic cleansing and killing took place. In response, CRC shifted its Balkan focus to Kosovo. This was also a recognition that there was no longer any significant international interest or support for longterm peacebuilding projects in Bosnia, such as Neighborhood Facilitators. CRC began to develop the Community Facilitators Project (CF) to be implemented in Kosovo. CF is very much an outgrowth of NFP, with similar programs and structure. CF revolves around specially trained team of local and international facilitators working out of community facilitation centers, with the mission of help local people resolve problems and effect constructive community change. The main differences from NFP are that CF will focus much more around basic material needs, will include a strong youth and social activities component, and will de-emphasize ethnic relationship-building and reconciliation (at least in the short term), in recognition of the current political and psychological realities. Also, CF centers will be located in smaller cities and towns than in Bosnia.

In April and early May, as heated political debate about Kosovo raged all over the globe, and most work in the field naturally focused on the overwhelming humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of refugees, CRC participated in several teach-ins and public forums about Kosovo. What we talked about then, in public and in our office, was what would happen to the people of Kosovo when they are able to return home. What will they experience, and what will they need when the war is over? To find some answers, Gary Shapiro went to Macedonia and Albania in mid-May, to meet with Kosovar Albanian refugees and peace groups, as well as various international organizations working in the region, and also Serbs. In Albania, he was hosted by the Canadian branch of the CARE organization who ran several camps there. CARE has been interested in CRC's work since observing it firsthand in Bosnia, and interested in the possibilities for joint peacebuilding work. Gary's experiences in Macedonia and Albania, particularly in the refugee camps, reinforced the validity and usefulness of the CF approach. (See Gary's report).

By the summer of 1999, CRC had several domestic and international projects in the pipeline, but still had no committed funds to implement them, and only marginal funds and minimal staff to keep the office going. At this point, with fatigue levels high and enthusiasm low, CRC entered a semi-dormant period of rest and reflection. Attention has since focused on internal development, particularly a stronger and larger Board of Directors and securing sustainable funding. There are several key questions for CRC to consider, questions about focus, priorities, and whether we should continue as a small independent nonprofit organization, or should we become some form of autonomous entity within a larger and more established organization, offering our services to them. One of the biggest issues for CRC is how to grow from a one-person operation to a truly broad-based operation. CRC began as Gary Shapiro's vision and he remains a dominant figure in its work, even though he is no longer Executive Director, nor a member of the Board of Directors. This commitment from one person is both a strength and a weakness. If CRC is to continue, with or without Gary Shapiro, it will be necessary to attract, and be able to sustain, a core group of qualified staff and new executive leadership. As we enter the year 2000, these issues will become more and more important.

Now, early in the year 2000, CRC is gearing up once again to resume its work in the Balkans. We have received support to begin serious development and planning for the Community Facilitators Project in Kosovo, with the possibility of major funding and partnership to follow. Gary Shapiro will be in Kosovo for three weeks in March to assess the situation there and work out specific details and parameters for the project. If agreement is reached, the project could begin as early as May.