2011 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 11-049 BY SENATOR(S) Newell, Aguilar, Bacon, Boyd, Brophy, Cadman, Carroll, Foster, Giron, Grantham, Guzman, Harvey, Heath, Hodge, Hudak, Jahn, Johnston, King K., King S., Kopp, Lambert, Lundberg, Mitchell, Morse, Nicholson, Renfroe, Roberts, Scheffel, Schwartz, Shaffer B., Spence, Steadman, Tochtrop, White, Williams S.; also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Gardner B., Acree, Balmer, Barker, Baumgardner, Becker, Beezley, Bradford, Brown, Casso, Conti, Coram, Court, DelGrosso, Duran, Ferrandino, Fields, Fischer, Gardner D., Gerou, Hamner, Holbert, Hullinghorst, Jones, Joshi, Kagan, Kefalas, Kerr A., Kerr J., Labuda, Lee, Levy, Looper, Massey, McCann, McKinley, Miklosi, Murray, Nikkel, Pabon, Pace, Peniston, Priola, Ramirez, Riesberg, Ryden, Schafer S., Scott, Solano, Sonnenberg, Soper, Summers, Swalm, Swerdfeger, Szabo, Todd, Tyler, Vaad, Vigil, Waller, Williams A., Wilson, McNulty. CONCERNING RECOGNITION OF OCTOBER AS "CONFLICT RESOLUTION MONTH" IN COLORADO. WHEREAS, Conflict resolution encompasses many forms of mediation, arbitration, facilitation, collaborative decision-making, ombuds activities, restorative justice, and other responses to differences; and WHEREAS, These conflict resolution processes empower individuals, families, communities, organizations, and businesses to foster communication and devise solutions that are acceptable to the needs and interests of all parties involved; and WHEREAS, Conflict resolution is taught and practiced by citizens in many school systems, universities, and graduate programs throughout Colorado and the world as a way of solving disputes; and WHEREAS, Community-based programs such as The Conflict Center in Denver and the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado work to strengthen local relationships by fairly and equitably resolving neighborhood and community conflicts and opening community dialogues based in reason and mutual respect; and WHEREAS, Professional associations of conflict mediators, including the Mediation Association of Colorado, the Dispute Resolution Section of the Colorado Bar Association, and the Office of Dispute Resolution in the Colorado Judicial Department, promote peaceful and creative resolutions to disputes; and WHEREAS, The General Assembly, in passing House Joint Resolution 97-1020, demonstrated its support of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) because of the cost- and time-savings that ADR brings to the handling of disputes by the state court system; and WHEREAS, Additional benefits produced in appropriate cases through facilitative, party-centered mediation include more creative and more durable interest-based reconciliation; increased satisfaction for the parties who are active participants and ultimate decision-makers in the negotiation; and the preservation of personal relationships, thereby decreasing the likelihood of strained relations among the parties and further disputes; and WHEREAS, Governor John Hickenlooper has proclaimed October 2011 to be Conflict Resolution Month in the state of Colorado; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-eighth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein: (1) That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, join the Governor in recognizing October 2011 as Conflict Resolution Month in the state; (2) That we invite Coloradans to create events that celebrate and promote the use of productive conflict resolution in their communities; (3) That we call upon leaders across the state to use this month as an occasion to discuss the principles and use the practices of conflict resolution in their schools, neighborhoods, congregations, and workplaces; and (4) That we encourage every citizen of the state to reflect upon the conflicts present in his or her own life and to work responsibly to peacefully resolve those conflicts. Be It Further Resolved, That, in conjunction with Conflict Resolution Month in Colorado, October 2011, the General Assembly encourages development of educational and training programs that emphasize the special benefits of facilitative, interest-based, party-centered, and restorative mediation and that bring these special benefits to the attention of judges and other officials and staff in the state court system, state executive branch, and local governments throughout the state. Be It Further Resolved, That the General Assembly encourages the participation of judges, other officials and staff in the state judicial branch, state executive branch, and local governments in projects and programs celebrating and observing Conflict Resolution Month 2011; and, like House Joint Resolution 97-1020, that copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, the State Court Administrator, the chief judge of each judicial district in the state, and the court administrator of each judicial district in the state. Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution also be sent to Governor John Hickenlooper; Mike Roque, Director, Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships; Chuck Turner, Executive Director, Colorado Bar Association; Gregory L. Moore, Editor, The Denver Post; Fonda Hamilton, President of the Mediation Association of Colorado; Alicia Davis, Director, Office of Dispute Resolution in the Colorado Judicial Department; Ariana Harner, President, Board of Directors, The Conflict Center; the Rev. Patrick Hurley, President, the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado; Mary Zinn, Zinn Mediation Associates; Barbara Fields, Project Coordinator, A Season for Nonviolence; each of the following organizations for posting on their web sites: The Colorado Association of School Boards, the Colorado Municipal League, the Colorado District Attorney's Council, and Colorado Counties, Inc.; and the members of the Colorado Congressional delegation. ____________________________ ____________________________ Brandon C. Shaffer Frank McNulty PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Cindi Markwell Marilyn Eddins SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES