athletics Conflict Management

Peace Building Through Olympic Programs

“Where are you from?” is the question asked most often during the Sport Management Seminar for Women, organized by the International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (aiSTS) based in Lausanne, Switzerland.  My geographical ignorance is apparent when I hear answers like “Lesotho” “Qatar” and “Belize,” and then must ask, “Where’s that?” Lausanne is located on the North Shore of Lake Geneva.  The lake is surrounded by the jagged Alps winding through France, Germany, Italy…

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drug rehabilitation Restorative Justice San Patrignano

San Patrignano: A Model Restorative Community for People with Addiction Problems

On September 11, 2008 I spent six hours touring and learning about the San Patrignano drug rehabilitation community located in Rimini, Itlay.  I spent the week before in Lausanne, Switzerland providing training on conflict management for women from over 50 different countries who primarily work for their country’s Olympic Committees.  My friend Marina Canatacuzino, a journalist who created The Forgiveness Project, suggested I visit San Patrignano, which is relatively close to Switzerland. San Patrignano is…

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