S-CAR History Project

January 2013

Dear S-CAR Community,

A few months ago I wrote to tell you about an exciting project underway: the S-CAR History Project. This project, documenting S-CAR’s first 30 years, is being sponsored by S-CAR’s Advisory Board, authored by me, and created by all of us together. I would like to thank those of you who have thus far met for an interview, had a phone conversation, filled out the questionnaire, or otherwise contributed towards the project’s completion.

As anyone connected with S-CAR knows, the School (earlier known as the Institute and the Center) has contributed significantly to the field of Conflict Analysis and Resolution as a whole. The purpose of this project and the resulting publication is to document S-CAR’s institutional history in a comprehensive manner, while highlighting the profound effect S-CAR has had on the field of conflict analysis and resolution and beyond. The intended audiences for this publication are academics in the field, policy makers, donors (past, present, and future), and prospective students. The book will provide a chronology of S-CAR’s creation and evolution, highlighting major milestones along the way; the philosophy behind the creation of CCAR, and behind various curricular and programmatic developments; and the outreach and impact that S-CAR (CCAR, ICAR) has had on the field of conflict resolution, on other academic disciplines, on policy-making and politics, and on other relevant professional fields.

Every one of us has had a different relationship with S-CAR, and has had different experiences related to it. We have come for different reasons, and done different things at S-CAR or once we graduated or left. S-CAR’s story is the stories of all of us combined, and then more ... As we know, measuring success in this field can be tricky, and accomplishments and effects are often hard, if not impossible, to quantify. But we all know how diligently we’ve been working for years – at S-CAR and beyond – teaching, writing, disseminating knowledge, practicing, training, establishing programs and organizations, resolving conflicts, affecting policy – in othe r words, making a difference. We need your help in telling these stories. We need you to share your stories and accomplishments, as well as your challenges and setbacks, with us; and the sooner the better.

If you have not yet done so, please take a few minutes to fill out our online questionnaire, which can be found on S-CAR’s library page or here.

Beyond that, I would be happy to set up personal meeting/interview, a Skype or phone conversation, or further email exchange with anyone interested. I can be reached at [email protected] and[email protected].

I look forward to hearing from you and together completing this momentous project.

Sincerely,
Adina Friedman (ICAR PhD, 2006)