Conflict Resolution Day

The National Conflict Management and Prevention Branch observes national Conflict Resolution Day every third Thursday in October by hosting an agency-wide event. National Conflict Resolution Day was conceived in 2005 by the Association for Conflict Resolution to:

Promote awareness of mediation, arbitration, conciliation and other creative, peaceful means of resolving conflict.
Promote the use of conflict resolution in schools, families, businesses, communities, governments, and the legal system.
Recognize the significant contributions of (peaceful) conflict resolvers.
Obtain national synergy by having celebrations happen across the country and around the world on the same day.

For over 15 years we have celebrated Conflict Resolution Day, which coincides with the ABA Mediation Week of the American Bar Association. We synergize with the efforts of other national, state, and local organizations, including the Association for Conflict Resolution. The ABA and ACR raise awareness about the importance of mediation and conflict resolution. Small steps can lead to a great deal of peace in our lives and the world.

Conflict Resolution Day 2023

Dr. Timothy Shriver served as our keynote speaker to share his latest work aligning with our program mission and the overall goal of Conflict Resolution Day promoting awareness of creative and peaceful methods of resolving conflict. Dr. Shriver is an American disability rights activist, film producer, motivational speaker, and former educator who has been the Chairperson of the Special Olympics since 1996 and is the founder of UNITE. Recently, he developed a researched based index of conflict entitled The Dignity Index. The Dignity Index was created in partnership with leaders in the field of behavioral science, politics, and communication, and is being tested and refined by researchers at the University of Utah, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, and the Hinckley Institute of Politics.