Sand County Foundation’s Community Based Conservation Network has just announced a new grant program. Scholars, practitioners and landholder communities are invited to submit proposals to test and assess innovative ways to overcome constraints associated with land rights and resource values. SCF is offering grants in the range of $10,000 – $20,000 to demonstrate and assess Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) innovations. Awards will be available from September 2005. Individuals or organizations working in CBNRM in North America or eastern and southern Africa are invited to apply; special consideration will be given to proposals submitted by or on behalf of Lake Associations in 2005. To read the complete request for proposals visit www.sandcounty.net/programs/cbcn/search/. Send your proposal to Kevin McAleese at by 31 August 2005.

NeighborWorks Training Institute� and the Study Circles Resource Center are offering a full-day roundtable on Aug. 24 in Washington, D.C., on �Issues and Problem-Solving: Community-wide Dialogue as Part of Your Revitalization Strategy.� Matt Leighninger and Sally Campbell of the Study Circles Resource Center will lead the roundtable discussion, which will focus on the challenges and opportunities that arise when you are recruiting participants and supporting action efforts at the neighborhood level. They invite participation from anyone who has organized study circles or any other dialogue & deliberation process as part of neighborhood revitalization projects (or even in venues other than neighborhoods). Register at www.nw.org and sign up for course number NR248 ROUNDTABLE.

Last year, the Western Canadian Summit on Methamphetamine met at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver BC. The summit brought together international experts, health practitioners, academics, policy makers, law enforcement officials and drug users from November 15-17, 2004. Using a consensus process, the group produced a report that more clearly maps out the dimensions of drug use and promising areas of prevention, treatment, research and health promotion. This report was the guiding document for the June Western Premiers’ on Methamphetamine conference held in Regina. To view the April 2005 Consensus Panel Report: Bringing Together Practitioners, Policy Makers and Researchers visit www.sfu.ca/dialogue/proceedings.

The Community Foundation Silicon Valley (www.cfsv.org) has just revised its community grants program to include grants for Civic Engagement proposals, and all the information is now available online. CFSV will now provide general operating support to Silicon Valley grantees through its renamed Community Investment Grants program. The program will provide one-year general support grant awards of up to $20,000 to nonprofits working in the area of Neighbourhood and Civic Engagement. Other granting areas are: Arts and Cultural Participation; Education and Lifelong Learning; and Self-Reliant Individuals and Families. Visit the CFSV Web site and click on “Grants & Nonprofit Resources” for complete program guidelines, criteria, and application procedures, as well as information on other CFSV funding programs.

Guided by Research Associate and Fellow Glenn Sigurdson, Simon Fraser University’s Dialogue Forum (www.sfu.ca/dialogue/forum) project has gathered participants who have been exploring the use of dialogue-based approaches in dealing with challenging conversations in a continuing dialogue about dialogue. Their exploration has recently culminated in a set of publications-The Dialogue Series: Knowing Dialogue Through Dialogue. For more information about purchasing these publications, please phone 604.268.7925, email [email protected] or go to www.sfu.ca/dialogue/publications

SCRC has just announced that it will hold a series of pre-conference workshops at its “Telling the Story of Democracy” national conference on Oct.7 in Northbrook, Ill. The workshops will offer introductions to the work of AmericaSpeaks, The Asset-Based Community Development Institute, The Aspen Roundtable Project on Race and Community Revitalization, The Deliberative Democracy Consortium and the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation, National Issues Forums, and NeighborWorks America�. To learn more about the workshops, or to register for the conference, visit www.studycircles.org/scrcconference/.

The Laura Jane Musser Fund (www.musserfund.org/) is seeking to assist public or not-for-profit entities in initiating or implementing projects in rural areas to undertake consensus-based activities in environmental stewardship or dispute resolution. The program is most interested in new programs; they’re willing to fund the planning or implementation phase; and are willing to fund projects already in progress if the proposal is compelling. Grants for this program may be made to any eligible applicants based in the United States. Most grants are made for domestic projects, but occasionally grants are made to U.S. agencies or organizations for environmental work elsewhere. The application deadline is October 1, 2005. For full details, visit www.musserfund.org/rural_initiative.

The Association for Conflict Resolution has just announced it will be organizing a Conflict Resolution Day for October 20, 2005. ACR aims to raise public awareness about the benefits of conflict resolution by organizing events and activities across the nation. They invite anyone with an interest in this issue to take action by organizing a community presentation, talking to a reporter or contacting a policy maker about conflict resolution. For more ideas about how to participate, visit www.ACRnet.org/crday or email .