University of Texas at Austin Symposium Trains Students in Conflict Resolution, Justice and Ethics

AUSTIN, Texas – June 12, 2007 – More than 40 Texas high school students will participate in the fourth annual University of Texas at Austin Global Ethics and Conflict Resolution Summer Symposium which combines academics, service and research to train participants in ethical and creative problem-solving strategies, conflict analysis methods and negotiation skills.

The symposium takes place on The University of Texas at Austin campus, as well as locations throughout Austin, June 17-30.

“We developed the symposium because we saw a need for well-prepared young leaders as a result of the emergence of increasing international conflicts, as well as situations in their schools and homes,” said Dr. Madeline M. Maxell, founder of the University of Texas Conflict Resolution Center and a professor in the Department of Communication Studies in the College of Communication. “The symposium will bring together academics, students, musicians, filmmakers and politicians to examine conflict at all levels – from the personal to the international – and discover effective resolutions.”

Symposium facilitators will guide students in the exploration of the role of art as a means of social critique, listen to songs that have inspired warriors and war protestors, and debate the consequences of the U.S Civil Rights and the international human rights movements.

The Summer Symposium combines excellent intellectual education with hands-on training in conflict skills. It is the only such program for high school students that follows the objectives of the United States Institute for Peace. The symposium will encourage students to use peaceful resolution techniques without violence.

Established in 2004, the University of Texas Global Ethics and Conflict Resolution Summer Symposium has become an opportunity for high school students to explore various conflict situations and discover effective resolutions with helping and supporting each other in the development of their skills and understanding. For more information or to register, visit www.utpcr.org.

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Contacts:

Dr. Madeline Maxwell
(512) 471-1950

Erin Geisler
(512) 475-8071