UND mediator participates in founding Mediators Beyond Borders Conflict Resolution Center director Kristine Paranica recently helped to launch Mediators Beyond Borders (MBB) at the group’s first conference in Estes Park, Colo. MBB is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization established to partner with communities worldwide to build their conflict resolution capacity for preventing, resolving, and healing from conflict. MBB’s mission is to bring together experienced mediators to collaborate and participate in mitigating violent conflict and organizing alternative approaches to expressing, negotiating, and resolving political, economic, social, ethnic, and religious differences. MBB supports collaborative initiatives in partnership to assist building and sustaining local capacity and provide services that encourage forgiveness and reconciliation, and integrate peace and justice. In support of similar ideals, the UND Conflict Resolution Center is developing the first U.S.-based Civilian Peacekeeper Training Institute (CPTI) in collaboration with other statewide agencies, including the North Dakota National Guard and the UND Center for Innovation, notes Paranica. Once up and running, CPTI will train civilians who want to work in various capacities for people who have suffered conflict, war, natural disasters, and other forms of devastation in various parts of the world. CPTI envisions operating on campus and utilizing military training grounds and other resources and expertise available in North Dakota. Fundraising efforts are under way to support the development and launch of the program within the next 12 months and announced as part of the Conflict Resolution Center’s 20th Anniversary Conference June 21. For more information, contact Kristine Paranica, director, UND Conflict Resolution Center, 777-3664, Kristine_Paranica@und.nodak.edu .