Promoting Peace

By educating the peacemakers of tomorrow...

Our History

Our Founder

Founded by Dr. Phil Bosserman in 1992, the Center for Teaching Peace was the Center for Conflict Resolution’s precursor. It was designed to support the 1992 launch of the Peace Studies minor in Salisbury State’s Sociology Department. As the Peace Studies minor grew in popularity and the need for mediation and other conflict resolution services in the local community became apparent, the Center slowly started to grow. In 1995 under Dr. Bosserman’s continuous leadership, the Center for Teaching Peace was renamed the Center for Conflict Resolution and relocated to a large old house directly across the street from Salisbury University’s Holloway Hall.

The Center for Conflict Resolution became incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1997 and experienced even more growth and success in the late 1990’s.

In 2000, Dr. Brian Polkinghorn took over as Executive Director of the Center from Dr. Bosserman and in the same year the Center started operating under its own budget separately from the University through grant and contracts. In 2001 through collaborative and joint efforts with the University, the Center was reconstructed along with the development of one of the first conflict analysis and dispute resolution majors at a public university in the United States.

In 2008, the Center had grown to a staff of eight and the Department of Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution was created as a separate entity from the Sociology department where it was previously housed. The Department for Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution welcomed its first cohort into the newly formed Master of Arts degree program in 2009.

The Center’s reach and programs were expanded further in 2010 with 14 staff members and 12 professional affiliates making it one of the largest academic, practice, and research based centers in the United States. The Center’s work continues through major grant research, ongoing graduate and undergraduate education; and innovative and impactful training at the local, national, and international levels.

In 2012, the Center for Conflict Resolution changed its name to The Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution in recognition of our founder’s lifelong dedication towards building a more peaceful world.

 

Our Mission

The Mission of the Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution is to promote a systems-based approach to the effective analysis and practical resolution of social conflict. The Center utilizes a teaching hospital model whereby faculty and staff practitioners mentor and supervise both undergraduate and graduate students who take part in our research projects, training, workshop and service programs locally, nationally and globally.

Research & Practice

Research
The center is fortunate to be associated with so many researchers that come from many academic disci...
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Current Research
The Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO), the US Equal Employment Opportunity C...
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Practice
The Center's Practice Team is dedicated to the active involvement of students in as many aspects of ...
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Middle East Training Team
The Middle East Training Team, based in Tel Aviv, Israel, is accomplished in an interdisciplinary ap...
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Accomplishments

99
People
99
Research Projects
99
Practice Projects
99
Lecture Series

Latest News

A Celebration of Life
A Celebration of Life
November 1, 2023
A Celebration of Life for Arun Gandhi with his son, Tushar, as special guest will be held on November 14th in the Great Hall (Holloway) at Salisbury University, 6:00pm EST.
Press Release
Press Release
May 5, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SALISBURY, MD --- The Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution mourns the death of Dr. Arun Gandhi, who was affiliated with the Center for 24 years and serve...
GLOBAL PEACEMAKER   LECTURE SERIES •  Humanitarian Response and Local Capacity Building  with Richard Greene
GLOBAL PEACEMAKER LECTURE SERIES • Humanitarian Response and Local Capacity Building with Richard Greene
April 5, 2023
When: Thursday, April 6, 2023 Time: 6:00PM Where: Conway Hall 153 Free Event With a decades-long career in government and nonprofit service, most recently, Greene worked supp...
DIscussion Panel Tomorrow!
DIscussion Panel Tomorrow!
April 3, 2023
When: April 4th Time 11:00AM - 12:00PM Where: Zoom https://salisbury.zoom.us/j/91356993988 Questions and comments will be moderated at the end of the panel.
Ambassador J. Steven Rhodes – One Person Can Make A Difference Lecture Series
Ambassador J. Steven Rhodes – One Person Can Make A Difference Lecture Series
February 17, 2023
Come hear the behind the scenes story of how Ambassador Rhodes came to assume an instrumental role in the creation of the Martin Luther King National holiday.  Ambassador Rhodes is...
A Woman, A Ring and A Promise
A Woman, A Ring and A Promise
December 30, 2022
This story is definitely not what you think. Before going further, please stop at the end of this sentence and make note of what you think this story might entail. When you finish ...
New Book: Ionbhá – The Empathy Book for Ireland
New Book: Ionbhá – The Empathy Book for Ireland
December 17, 2022
Ionbhá or empathy is a core element of wisdom and a universal language of the soul. It brings joy to the everyday, making the unbearable bearable. “We need empa...
Bosserman Center’s Board of Directors Announces New Chairman
Bosserman Center’s Board of Directors Announces New Chairman
October 20, 2022
The Board of Directors are pleased to announce our new Chairman of the Board, Dr. David Buchanan. This month, our former Chairman, Dr. Don Cathcart, resigned and the Board unanimou...
11th Annual United Nations University Regional Center of Expertise Americas Summit October 3-5 on the campus of Salisbury University USA
11th Annual United Nations University Regional Center of Expertise Americas Summit October 3-5 on the campus of Salisbury University USA
September 20, 2022
The UN University Regional Center of Expertise  Salisbury, housed in the Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution at Salisbury University, is hosting the 11th annual RCE Americas S...

Past lectures

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