Special Guest: Byron Dorgan, Retired US Senator

A 30-year veteran of the U.S. Congress, Senator Byron Dorgan has devoted his career to fighting for the interests of rural America. He served in Senate leadership for 16 years, first as assistant Democratic floor leader and then as chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee. He was chairman of the Senate committees and subcommittees on the issues of appropriations, commerce, energy and natural resources, defense, technology, aviation, water policy, transportation, and Indian affairs. He also served on the Ways and Means Committee in the House, working on economic, tax and health policy. First elected to Congress in 1980, Dorgan served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (19801992) and three terms in the U.S. Senate (19922010). He was also North Dakotas youngest-ever constitutional officer when he was appointed state tax commissioner. A champion of new technologies to spark innovation, creativity, and new business opportunities, he believes in investing in visionary projects that inspire American invention and initiative. Dorgan is a recognized leader in the fields of energy policy, economic issues, aviation policy, Indian issues, trade policy, health care, and more.

Civility in Public Conversation Have We Lost Our Ability to Talk?

Monday, May 21, 2012 - 7-9 pm Chester Fritz Library - $5 fee Event co-sponsored by the Chester Fritz Library

Continuing Education and Professional Credits applied for; this training meets a requirement for the Academic Certificate in Conflict Transformation. For more information: (701)777-3664 conflictresolution.und.edu

To register with a check payable to UND or credit card, complete the following registration form & mail to: Conflict Resolution Center 314 Cambridge St. Stop 8009 Grand Forks, ND 58202-8009

Name:_______________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________ City, State, Zip:________________________________________________ Home Phone:______________________Cell:_______________________ E-mail Address:_______________________________________________ Credit Card #:________________________________________________ Exp. Date:_________________CVV#:________________ VISA or MC Amount to be charged: $___________ Please check the box next to the session(s) you want to attend: May 21 Morning $15.00 May 21 Afternoon $15.00 May 21 Full Day $25.00 May 22 Morning $15.00 May 22 Afternoon $15.00 May 22 Full Day $25.00 May 23 Morning $15.00 May 23 Afternoon $15.00 May 23 Full Day $25.00 All three days/all sessions $50.00 Student Free May 24-25 Skills Training $150.00 Student $50.00 Refund Policy: 85% of registration fee will be refunded if cancellation is received by May 14th, 60% between May 16th and May 21st, there will be no refunds after May 21st.

Conflict Resolution Center 5th Annual Symposium May 21 - 25, 2012

Civility in Public Conversation: Have we lost our ability to talk?

May 21 - 25, 2012 Memorial Union, UND Campus
We are hitting the campaign trail and one of the hottest topics of our time! Lets talk about why we can't talk without inciting riots and taking hardline and extreme positions; and why Washington has gone from a place where our representatives could have lunch AND still fight hard for what they believe to be right, to large empty spaces where you can't cross invisible party lines. What do the various schools of thought have to offer? What causes incivility? How does it benefit or harm us as a society and a democracy, and where are we headed?

The Agenda for the week includes:

Monday Morning (9:00-11:45): Civility: What do you Mean? Perspectives from Psychology, Sociology, Law, Communication, and Political Science ($15) Monday Noon (12:00-12:45): Erik Burin: Case Study of Civility in School Closing Monday Afternoon (1:30-2:30): Purpose of Civility and Incivility: Who, When and Where is it ok and who benefits ($15); This session is followed by a Welcome Reception - all are invited to attend Tuesday Morning (9:00-11:45): You Suck! Experiences of Incivility. Using video clips along with a discussion format, you are invited to share experiences ($15) Tuesday Noon (12:00-12:45): Hear from Marc Decelle, author of How Fargo of You Tuesday Afternoon (1:30-5:00): Approaches to Civility: A Panel discussion about what works and doesnt work to promote civil discussion, followed by discussion and skill-building for participants ($15) Wednesday Morning (9:00-11:45): OMG! Civility in the Media: Various professionals to talk about the impact and responsibility of the media (traditional journalism, blogs, and talk radio) ($15) Wednesday Noon (12:00-1:15): Electronic Media Panel discussion Wednesday Afternoon (1:30-5:00): Table Talk: Practicing What We Preach A guided conversation with participants following video clips about Civility ($15) * You can attend any full-day for $25.00 or Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for $50.00 Thursday (8:30am-4:30pm) and Friday (8:30am-11:30am): Thursday noon panel: Sources and Resources on how to repair and build civility Civility Experts of WinnipegPresident Lew Bayer Learn how to define and assess civility; how to build a culture of civility; how to improve our Social Intelligence ($150; student cost $50) A commitment to choosing civility and striving daily to practice what she preaches has made Lew Bayer an internationally recognized leader in her industry. For the past 14 years, Lew has lead the team at Civility Experts Worldwide- now 33 affiliates strong with representation in 12 countries- and earned the title of Canadas leading expert on civility in the workplace. In May 2010, Lew was the first Canadian to be awarded the prestigious AICI International Civility Star Award. Featured Author: Marc de Celle, How Fargo of You The book describes the genuinely caring actions of many who populate our community, while acknowledging that this tradition of kindness needs to be nurtured and adapted to new situations Fargo encounters with the growth of the city and the new people calling Fargo home. Although Marc is relatively new to Fargo, moving to the area from Arizona in the summer of 2005, his gregarious personality has allowed him to adopt the Fargo culture without much effort.

Join us for our 5th Annual Symposium where we will answer those questions, and many more! By holding this week-long event we hope to:
Bring faculty and community leaders into productive interaction with the Conflict Resolution Center Help all attendees think about what our public dialogues should be like and what our own role can be in creating a productive tenor Explore the causes of public incivility from multiple perspectives (psychological, sociological, political, historical) and Afford attendees practical means to engage in civil dialogue. Build an awareness of and educate on the increasing incivility in our society: why its happening, where its happening, whos it happening to/with, the impact its having, and what can we do about it to change? Bring awareness to causes of conflict in public discourse, the impact of the lack of civility in dialog, and to find ways to bring peace into these conversations.