The Dispute Resolution Directory brings together information on a rich selection of courses and learning opportunities in the greater Boston area for people interested in negotiation and dispute resolution. The Directory is published by the Dispute Resolution Program and the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. The Program on Negotiation is a community of scholars from a variety of disciplines and professional schools, including Harvard, MIT, and Tufts University. This community shares a belief that although conflict is inevitable, individuals, organizations, and communities can learn to do better at settling disputes.

The educational institutions of Greater Boston are leaders in the field of negotiation and dispute resolution, attracting scholars, students and practitioners from around the world. Fifteen colleges and universities, three of which offer degrees in dispute resolution, have courses listed in the Directory. In addition, there is information on internships in public and private nonprofit organizations for gaining practical experience.

As we struggle to deal with challenges posed by war, globalization, human rights abuses, school violence, environmental crises, business and labor disputes, and family conflict, the field of alternative dispute resolution continues to grow in importance and relevance.
We hope that you find this a welcome and useful guide, whether you are a teacher, student or practitioner. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.

When interests collide, some managers dig in their heels: You get your way or I get mine. Others go for a compromise where the plan is to give up as little as possible. Neither strategy is likely to lead to the best outcome. But businesses, nonprofits, government agencies … and even rock ‘n’ rollers … … read more »

Susskind and Herman Karl, Co-Director of the MIT-USGS Science Impact Collaborative (MUSIC) have finalized a contract with the U.S. Department of the Interior that will support the training of eight MIT graduate students each year for the next three years in collaborative environmental management — particularly adaptation to the impacts of climate change. Building on the many books, articles … read more »

A team of Harvard Law School, MIT and Harvard Divinity School students has prepared a series of papers on “Using Traditional Peace-making in Navajo Nation to Address Land and Natural Resource Management Disputes.” With support from the Program on Negotiation, PDP has built a long-term relationship with the indigenous peacemakers in Navajo Nation. Harvard Law School’s Clinical Program … read more »

Dan Shapiro was featured in a New York Times article by Steven Kurutz on how to haggle for furniture at New York’s high-end showrooms…

Before I began, I had to overcome a stumbling block: I’d never haggled in any retail store and wasn’t sure how to go about it. Like many people, I don’t relish negotiating, especially when it involves money. … read more »

Speakers:
Melanie Lewis, Corporate Manager of Conflict Management and the Solutions Program Director for Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.

Chuck Doran, mediator, trainer, ombudsman and founder of Mediation Works Incorporated (MWI)

In an effort to proactively address employee concerns, senior management at Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) approved a plan in 2000 to launch a comprehensive ADR program designed to assist every CCE employee to resolve disputes … read more »

Herbert C. Kelman,the Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics, Emeritus, at Harvard University

Scheherezade Faramarzi,reporter for the Associated Press in Lebanon and Nieman Fellow

Herbert C. Kelman is the Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics, Emeritus, at Harvard University and was (from 1993 to 2003) director of the Program on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Harvard’s Weatherhead Center … read more »

A discussion with:

Ambassador Nicholas Burns: Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He served in the United States Foreign Service for twenty seven years until his retirement in April 2008. He was Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2005-2008, the nation’s highest ranking career diplomat. He led negotiations … read more »

Professor Menkel-Meadow’s talk will describe the cultural variations in restorative and transitional justice in a variety of post-conflict, post-dictatorship societies based on her research, interviews and teaching in these countries. She will focus on process variations and the importance of acknowledging differences in history, culture and political regime in designing restorative justice programs, whether oriented to “justice” (trials and prosecutions) … read more »

Speaker:
Colin Rule, director of online dispute resolution for eBay and PayPal

eBay is big. If you were to count each of eBay’s 200+ million users as citizens, eBay would be the 5th largest country in the world. More than a billion items are sold on the site each year in dozens of countries around the globe. As you might imagine, all … read more »