Nike Carstarphen is a founding member of the Alliance for Conflict Transformation and a Senior Partner at ACT. She has a doctorate from George Mason University's Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Her doctoral research, Shift Happens: Transformations During Small Group Interventions in Protracted Social Conflicts, focused on intergroup relationship building. She also has an M.A. in International Affairs with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University, and an MBA and BBA in business from University of Houston-Clear Lake. Nike is an experienced facilitator, trainer, and researcher in conflict and peacebuilding analysis, intervention and evaluation. Her specialties include community building, civil society development, organizational capacity building, and intergroup and intercultural reconciliation and conflict resolution in the U.S. and abroad. She has worked primarily with policy makers, community and NGO leaders, educators, police and youth (including youth gangs).

Nike has provided training for hundreds of people from over 30 countries, facilitated several long-term dialogues and problem-solving processes in the US, and has evaluated conflict resolution and reconciliation programs in schools and communities. She has taught conflict resolution courses at American University and George Mason University and has published articles in Negotiation Journal and Teaching and Change, among others. With a team, she facilitated a highly successful community dialogue process between police officers and gang-involved youth designed to build relationships and reduce community violence, which was featured in a special publication, Bridging the Police-Gang Divide, by the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Policing Consortium. Highlights of her work prior to ACT include Project Director for the Police-Youth Dialogue Project in Virginia, community organizer and facilitator in Washington, DC, and Program Manager of the International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program at American University. Articles Publications available for purchase from Institute for Conflict Analysis & Resolution (ICAR): Annotated Bibliography of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (1997). Edited by J. Birkhoff, C. Mitchell, L. Schirch and N. Carstarphen. Fairfax, VA: Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Challenges for the Times (1996). Edited by D. Mcfarland, N. Baden, C. Barnes, B. Carstarphen, S. Ghais, and J. Notter. Fairfax, VA: Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Windows to Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Framing Our Field (1997). Edited by N. Carstarphen and I. Shapiro.Fairfax, VA: Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution Carstarphen, N & Shapiro, I. (1997). Gang Intervention and Community Policing: Facilitating a Police-Youth Dialogue. In S. A. Nan et al. (Eds.), Windows to Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Framing Our Field, Fairfax, VA: Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Carstarphen, N. (1997). Exploring the Culture and Conflict Resolution Experiences of Four Immigrant Groups of ESL High School Students Using Participatory Action Research. In S. A. Nan et al. (Eds.), Windows to Conflict Analysis and Resolution: Framing Our Field, Fairfax, VA: Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Published Works The Consensus Building Handbook won the 1999 Book Prize for Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution. Conference Reports Against Violence and Racism: Approaches to Trainings in Germany and Europe, Germany; October 9-12, 2003 Organized by BAG EJSA (Federal working group on protestant youth work e.v.) & Y.E.S. Forum (Youth and European Social Work) The conference objectives were to promote tolerance and democracy and reduce violence and xenophobia in Germany and Europe. About 70 colleagues from 14 countries throughout Europe (East to West) participated in the conference. The international seminar in Berlin offered workshops, lectures and examples of best practices from different European countries. Furthermore, it promoted and intensified the exchange of expertise amongst international colleagues. The documentation of the conference (in English and German) is now available. Nike Carstarphen provided an interactive session (Workshop 9i, p. 67) called "Training for Racial Equity and Inclusion," based partly on Ilana Shapiro's publication, "Training for Racial Equity and Inclusion: A Guide to Selected Programs" Nike also helped Geza Gozstonyi write and facilitate the BaFaBaFa Intercultural Game in Workshop 9ii (p. 69), facilitated a workshop session on transferring training schemes to one's own practice, and was a lead discussant in the final roundtable on the last day. International Conference on Intercultural Communication and Diplomacy, Malta; February 20-23, 2003; DiploFoundation and University of Malta The conference explored the interplay between diplomacy and intercultural communication; to learn what diplomacy can gain from and contribute to the field. Approximately 50 participants from the diplomatic, academic, practitioner, and business communities attended. Nike Carstarphen presented a paper, "Making the 'Other' Human: The Role of Personal Stories to Bridge Deep Differences," which is being published as part of the conference proceedings and will be available soon from DiploFoundation (August 2004). The presentation explored the role of personal stories towards conflict resolution and their implications for diplomacy. It was based on Nike's experience facilitating inter-group dialogues and her dissertation, "Shift Happens: Transformations During Small Group Interventions in Protracted Social Conflicts" (2003, George Mason University). The results of her experience and research suggest the first step in relationship building, especially in protracted, deep-rooted conflicts between different identity groups, is to make the 'other' human" and that sharing personal stories-in the spirit of genuine dialogue-is one of the most successful starting points in this process. Stories help adversaries break through their stereotypes, fears and animosities toward the other by helping them begin to understand and recognize the other's needs, values and core concerns. Stories help create bridges across deep differences and lay the foundation for conflict resolution

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