Catherine Morris, BA, LLB, LLM

Publications  |  Presentations & Papers  |  Courses & Training Workshops

Catherine Morris, BA (Alberta) 1974, LLB (Alberta) 1978, LLM (UBC) 2001, has been a leader in the field of conflict resolution since 1983. She has played key roles in numerous conflict resolution organizations and initiatives. She works in Canada and internationally in academic, community, nonprofit, public and private sectors. She is the founder of Peacemakers Trust, a Canadian non-profit organization for education and research in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Teaching, research and writing
As an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, Professor Morris teaches graduate level courses in conflict resolution, negotiation and international human rights. She regularly teaches at the University of Victoria and Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. Prof. Morris is a Faculty Associate for the Program in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Arthur V. Mauro Centre at the University of Manitoba. She has also taught at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in Toronto. She has been a guest lecturer at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She has also been involved in design, planning, administration and presentation of workshops for senior public officials, leaders of non-governmental organizations, academics and professionals in several countries including Thailand, Cambodia and several other countries.

Professor Morris is an Associate and a former Executive Director of the Institute for Dispute Resolution at the University of Victoria, where she worked in several leadership roles from 1992-1998. She designed and founded UVic's multidisciplinary graduate program in dispute resolution. She is also an Associate of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives (CAPI) at the University of Victoria.

Her research and writing has resulted in publications and papers on mediator ethics and qualifications, conflict and culture, ADR in legal education, the role of religion in peacebuilding, peacebuilding in Cambodia, conflict transformation, human rights education, and reconciliation. Her website bibliography, Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding: A Selected Bibliography, hosted by Peacemakers Trust, has been used by tens of thousands of people in more than 100 countries on all continents.

Conflict assessment, fact-finding, mediation, adjudication
Ms. Morris is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association. She practices law with Lampion Pacific Law Corporation. She is a member of the British Columbia Mediator Roster (Civil). She is experienced in conflict assessment, mediation, fact-finding and adjudication.

Board Experience
Ms. Morris has served on many national and local Boards and committees including the Board of the BC Mediator Roster Society. . She currently serves on the Advisory Committee to the Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution and the Dean's Advisory Committee of the Faculty of Human and Social Development at the University of Victoria.

Selected Publications

Chapters and Periodical Articles | Books | Edited Conference Proceedings | Reports | Book Reviews | Presentations/Papers | Academic Courses | Workshops

Chapters and Periodical Articles:

• Morris, Catherine. "Case Studies in Religion and Peacebuilding: Cambodia." In Religion and Peacebuilding, edited by Harold Coward and Gordon Smith. Albany, New York: SUNY Press, 2004. Available online (read only).
• Schmidt, Rosemarie, Sandra Lewis, and Catherine Morris. "What's Missing in this Picture?" Interaction 17 (1/2) (2004): 9-11.
• Morris, Catherine. "Cambodia's Election Conflicts: A Case Study on the Role of Religion in Peacebuilding." In Communities in Southeast Asia: Challenges and Responses. Proceedings from the Joint Northwest Regional Consortium for Southeast Asian Studies and the Canadian Council for Southeast Asian Studies Conference, October 26-27, University of Victoria, Canada, edited by Helen Lansdowne, Philip Dearden, and William Neilson. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria, 2002.
• Morris, Catherine. "Preventing and Responding to Political Violence." In Our Communities at Times of Crisis, edited by Connie Carter. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, 2002.
• Morris, Catherine. "Getting Past 'Culture Clash': Sources, Escalation and Interventions for Deep-Rooted Conflict." In Responses to Terrorism: A Reader, edited by Brishkai Lund. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria Division of Continuing Studies, 2002. Available online.
• Catherine Morris and Connie Edwards. "Competence and the Role of Standards of Practice for Mediators." In Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Manual, 8591-8704. Revised. York, Ontario: CCH Canadian Ltd., 2002.
• Morris, Catherine. "The Moulding of Lawyers: ADR and Legal Education." (1999) 17 Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice, 271-279.
• Morris, Catherine. "No Goddess, No Blindfold: Managing An Insider Mediation." (1998) 17(2)Conciliation Quarterly 2-3. Akron PA: Mennonite Conciliation Service, 1998.
• Morris, Catherine. "The Trusted Mediator: Ethics and Interaction in Mediation." In Macfarlane, Julie, ed., Rethinking Disputes: The Mediation Alternative, 301-47. London, UK: Cavendish Publishing Limited, and Toronto: Emond-Montgomery Publication Limited, 1997.
• Morris, Catherine. "Where Peace and Justice Meet: Will Standards for Dispute Resolution Get Us There?" In Catherine Morris and Andrew Pirie, eds. Qualifications for Dispute Resolution: Perspectives on the Debate, Victoria: UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution, 1994.

Books:

• Morris, Catherine, and Andrew Pirie, eds. Qualifications for Dispute Resolution: Perspectives on the Debate, Victoria: UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution, 1994.
• Morris Catherine, ed. Resolving Community Disputes: An Annotated Bibliography about Community Justice Centres, Victoria: UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution, 1994.

Edited Conference Proceedings:

• Grzybowski, Alex, Catherine Morris, Harley Johnson and Stephen Owen, eds. Building Democratic Institutions and Practices in Cambodia: Proceedings from the Cambodia Commission on Human Rights Capacity Building Project. Victoria, B.C.: Institute for Dispute Resolution, University of Victoria, 1998.
• Mysliwiec, Eva and Catherine Morris, eds. Dispute Resolution in Cambodia: A Road to Peace and Reconciliation. Proceedings of a workshop held November 28-30, 1995, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Victoria, B.C.: UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution and Cambodia Development Resource Institute, 1997.
• Institute for Dispute Resolution, University of Victoria. Making Peace and Sharing Power: A National Gathering on Aboriginal Peoples and Dispute Resolution, April 30 - May 3, 1996. Proceedings. Victoria, B.C.: UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution, 1997.
• Laohasiriwong, Suwit, Catherine Morris and Wongsa Kongdee, eds. Dispute Resolution in Thailand: Working Together for Peace and Prosperity. Proceedings of a workshop held in Khon Kaen, Thailand, June 8-9, 1995. Victoria, B.C.: UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution and Khon Kaen University, 1996.
• Network: Interaction for Conflict Resolution. "Interaction 1992 Conference Report," Special Edition of Interaction newsletter, Kitchener, Ontario: Network: Interaction for Conflict Resolution (now Conflict Resolution Network Canada), Fall, 1992.
• Network: Interaction for Conflict Resolution. "Interaction 1990 Conference Report," Special Edition of Interaction newsletter, Kitchener, Ontario: Network: Interaction for Conflict Resolution (now Conflict Resolution Network Canada), Fall, 1990.

Reports:

• Morris, Catherine. Creation of a Credible and Accessible Family Mediator Roster in British Columbia: Barriers and Policy Options for Effective Family Dispute Resolution. Victoria, BC: BC Mediator Roster Society, October, 2004. Available online (.pdf).
• Morris, Catherine. "Arbitration of Family Law Disputes in British Columbia." Paper prepared for the Ministry of Attorney General of British Columbia, July 7, 2004. Available online (.pdf)
• Lund, Brishkai, Catherine Morris and Michelle LeBaron Duryea. Conflict and Culture: Report of the Multiculturalism and Dispute Resolution Project. Victoria: UVic Institute for Dispute Resolution, 1994.
• Mediation Development Association of B.C. Brief on Standards and Ethics for Mediation Presented to The Attorney General of B.C. by The Mediation Development Association of B.C., Victoria, B.C.: Attorney General of B.C., December 31, 1989.
• Network: Interaction for Conflict Resolution. Going Forward Together: A Discussion Paper prepared for the participants of Interaction 1990, a Canadian Conflict Resolution Forum, co-authored with Ben Hoffman, Kitchener, Ontario: Network: Interaction for Conflict Resolution (now Conflict Resolution Network Canada). July, 1990.

Book Reviews

• The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence and Reconciliation by R. ScottAppleby. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2000. Reviewed in Interaction 17 (1/2) (2004): 39.
• Bridging Troubled Waters: Conflict Resolution from the Heart by Michelle LeBaron. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002. Reviewed in Interaction 15 (4) (2003).
• Negotiating Globally: How to Negotiate Deals, Resolve Disputes, and Make Decisions Across Cultural Boundaries By Jeanne M. Brett. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. Reviewed in Interaction 16 (2) (2002).
• Narrative Mediation: A New Approach to Conflict Resolution by John Winslade and Gerald Monk. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000. Reviewed in Interaction 14 (3)(2001): 37.
• Conflict Resolution: Cross-Cultural Perspectives by Kevin Avruch, Peter W. Black, and Joseph A. Scimecca. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger 1991, 1998. Reviewed in Interaction 11(2)(1999):13-14.
• Grievance Mediation: Why and How It Works by J.H. Goss, and D.C. Elliot. Aurora, ON: Canada Law Book, 1994. Reviewed in Interaction 6(4)(1995): 13.

Selected Presentations and Papers

• "Mediators with Passports: Dispute Resolution and Legal Development." Presentation to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section (Victoria and Okaganan Sections), Canadian Bar Association, Victoria, Canada, April 14, 2009.
• "Talking about Ethics in Thailand: Negotiations and Dialogues in the Classroom." Presentation at "A Hundred Years of Legal Development in Thailand: Historical, Contemporary and Socio-Legal Perspectives," Centre for Asia-Pacific Initatives and Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, March 21, 2009.
• "Feeding the Hungry: What do Peacemakers Have to Do With it?" Address at "Hunger for Change," a weekend of talks, tours and discussions on sustainable solutions to world hunger. Penticton, British Columbia, Canada, March 7, 2009.
• "Are Religions Inherently Violent?" Panel Presentation at "Tough Questions for Religions: A University of Victoria Forum," University of Victoria, January 27, 2009.
• "Reconciliation." Address at a meeting of regional clergy of the Association des Églises Baptistes au Rwanda. Kigali, Rwanda, March 4, 2008.
• "Leadership and Ombudsmanship: Four Faces of Influence." May 19, 2006 Keynote Address at "Ombuds as Shaper: The Many Faces of Ombudsing," 2006 Annual Conference of The Association of Canadian College and University Ombudspersons (ACCUO), May 17-20, 2006, Victoria, Canada. Available online (.pdf)
• "Media's Mediation and Other Matters: Faith-Based Dispute Resolution in Canada." Presentation to a meeting of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Subsection, BC Branch, Canadian Bar Association, Vancouver, BC, Canada, January 25, 2006. Available online (.pdf)
• "Four Pathways Towards Reconciliation," Hadyai Campus, Prince of Songkla University, Hadyai, Thailand, March 17, 2005.
• "Pathways Towards Peace: The Field of Conflict Studies," Pattani Campus, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani, Thailand, March 17, 2005.
• "The Impact of the Media on Conflict," Department of Media and Communications, Royal University of Phnom Penh, December 2004.
• "Creation of a Credible and Accessible Family Mediator Roster in British Columbia: Barriers and Policy Options for Effective Family Dispute Resolution." Victoria, BC: BC Mediator Roster Society, October, 2004. Available online (.pdf).
• "Conflict Transformation and Human Rights Education." Plenary presentation at the 25th Annual International Human Rights Training Program, Canadian Human Rights Foundation, June 13th- July 2nd, 2004, John Abbott College, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Qu?bec, Canada, June 21, 2004.
• "An Apology of Canadians: Moral and Other Vises." Workshop conducted at Come Back to the Core, National Conference of the Conflict Resolution Network Canada, Waterloo, Canada, June 3, 2004.
• "Threads of Religion in the Weft and Warp of Conflict Resolution." Paper presented at Come Back to the Core, National Conference of the Conflict Resolution Network Canada, Waterloo, Canada, June 2, 2004.
• "Wheels Turning? Religion and Peacebuilding in Cambodia." Presentation at the Alliance for Conflict Transformation, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 16, 2004.
• "The Power of Dialogue in the 'Ministry of Reconciliation'." Presentation for World Vision Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 15, 2004.
• "Conflict in Health Care Settings: The Role of Apologies." Part of a workshop on Managing Conflict in Health Care Settings: Principles, Practices, Policies." King Prajadhipok's Institute, Bangkok, Thailand, March 1-3, 2004.
• "Dynamics of Religion in Conflict Resolution: The Helpful, The Harmful, and the Hopeful." 2004 Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series on Religion and Conflict." Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, University of Victoria, February 1, 2004.
• "Legal Consequences of Apologies in Canada." Draft working paper presented at "Apologies, Non-Apologies, and Conflict Resolution," Dunsmuir Lodge, University of Victoria, October 3, 2003. Available online.
• "Interests, Needs, Rights, Morality and Conflict Resolution: A Heretical Perspective." Draft paper presented at "Going Beyond Interests," Dunsmuir Lodge, University of Victoria, November 29, 2002. Available online.
• "Making Deals or Making Peace? Beyond Interest-based Negotiation Between Indigenous Peoples and Canadians." With Paulette Regan. Paper presented at Connections 2002: Conflict Resolution: Building a Culture of Peace. Conference of the Conflict Resolution Network Canada, June 12-14, 2002, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
• "Getting Past 'Culture Clash': Sources, Escalation and Interventions for Deep-Rooted Conflict." Address, Lecture Series on "Responses to Terrorism," University of Victoria, February 19, 2002.
• "Cambodia's Election Conflicts: A Case Study on the Role of Religion in Peacebuilding." Paper presented at Northwest Regional Consortium for Southeast Asian Studies Conference, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, October 26-27, 2001.
• Peacebuilding in Cambodia: Transforming Public Dialogue about Human Rights. LL.M. thesis. Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 2001.
• "Building Human Rights in Cambodia: Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution." Paper prepared for 9th Annual Northwest Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference, April 28-29, 2000. University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, Washington, April 29, 2000.
• "Impartiality and Mediation: The Trusted Mediator." Paper prepared for 9th Annual Northwest Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference, April 28-29, 2000. University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, Washington, April 28, 2000.
• "Constructing 'Culture' in the Labyrinth of Conflict: Four Traps." Panel presentation, Mediation Development Association of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., October 21, 1999.
• "How Close to the Fire? Insiders as Mediators." Presentation at Before the Millennium: Learning from the Past and Looking to the Future. Annual Conference of Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, Baltimore, Maryland, September 23-25, 1999.
• "Recent Developments on Standards and Qualifications for Dispute Resolution." Presentation at Annual General Meeting, British Columbia Arbitration and Mediation Institute, Vancouver, B.C., April 14, 1999.
• "Illuminating Invisible Assumptions: Legal Education Through the Lens of Dispute Resolution." Plenary presentation at conference of the Canadian Association of Law Teachers, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada June 5, 1998.
• "Fairness and Ethical Considerations for Integrating Mediation into Administrative Tribunals." Presentation at Reshaping Administrative Justice in B.C., B.C. Council of Administrative Tribunals (BCCAT), November 3, 1997.
• "Canadian Experiences with Conflict Management: Individual and Policy Disputes." International Seminar for Members of the National Assembly on Ombudsman Institutions, Land Rights Policy Development and Peaceful Dispute Resolution, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, December 6-7, 1996.
• "Joint Initiatives in Cambodia: Building Dispute Resolution Capacity." Presentation at Institution Building, Capacity Development, and the Promotion of Human Rights in Southeast Asia. An Invitational Workshop held at the University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., April 12-13, 1996.
• "Communication Skills." Workshop on Conflict Management, Cambodia Commission on Human Rights and Reception of Complaints, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, December 2-6, 1996.
• "The Role of Culture in Conflict: Respecting our Differences." Presented at Dispute Resolution in Cambodia: A Road to Peace and Reconciliation, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, November 28-30, 1995.
• "Respect the People and Focus on the Issues." Panel presentation at Dispute Resolution in Thailand: Working Together for Peace and Prosperity Khon Kaen, Thailand, June 8-9, 1995 and at Dispute Resolution in Cambodia: A Road to Peace and Reconciliation Phnom Penh, Cambodia, November 28-30, 1995.
• "Dispute Resolution in the 1990s: An Overview of Principles and Practices." In supplementary conference materials for Dispute Resolution in Thailand: Working Together for Peace and Prosperity Khon Kaen, Thailand, June 8-9, 1995.
• "The Debates about Qualifications." Paper presented at the Fourth Annual Northwest Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference, Seattle, Washington, September 24, 1994.

Courses and Training Workshops

Academic Courses | Professional Development Workshops

Academic Courses

• International Human Rights and Conflict Transformation. Faculty of Law and MA progran in Dispute Resolution, Faculty of Human and Social Development, University of Victoria, Canada. Course designer and instructor, thirty-six hours of instruction, 2004 and 2005.
• Conflict Transformation in an Educational Setting. Graduate Program in Leadership Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Victoria, Canada. Course designer and instructor, thirty-six hours of instruction, 1999 to 2001, and 2005.
• Dispute Resolution Ethics. LLM Program, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Canada. Co-instructor with Prof. Frederick Zemans, twenty-eight hours of instruction, May 2005 and May 2006.
• Negotiation Workshop. LLM Program, Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Course designer and instructor, forty-eight hours of instruction over three weeks, annually 2002-2005 (invited 2006).
• The Challenges of Reconciliation: Basic Concepts. Christian Community College, Victoria, Canada. Designer and instructor, September to November, 2005.

Professional Development Workshops

• The Challenges of Reconciliation: Basic Concepts. King Prajadhipok's Institute, Bangkok, Thailand, March 11-13, 2005. Designer and facilitator, workshop on for government officials and civil society leaders in Thailand.
• Conflict Transformation in Organizations, Alliance for Conflict Transformation, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, December, 2004 and March 2005. Course designer and instructor, 5-day mediation skills training for workers in civil society organizations and unions. Follow-up 5-day training, March 2005.
• Conflict Management in Health Care Settings, King Prajadhipok's Institute, Bangkok, Thailand, March, 2004. Designer and co-facilitator, 2.5 day training workshop for health care professionals and NGO workers.
• Negotiation training workshop for lawyers of the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Co-sponsored by the Canadian Bar Association, September, 2001.
• Numerous other presentations, workshops, short articles, book reviews and editorials.

Date: 11 January, 2010.

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