The AAA-ICDR Foundation, in response to the intense and raw emotional impact upon university and college students of the violence in Israel and Gaza, has announced a $70,000 Rapid Response grant to the Divided Community Project at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law to launch a new initiative focused on serving campus communities nationwide. The project will develop guides and teaching materials for university and college leaders that offer promising ideas, informed by dispute resolution theory and practice, to support students in dealing with their feelings of pain, isolation, anger, and fear and for promoting productive and compassionate dialogue on their campuses.

“In these challenging times, it’s urgent and crucial that we come together to support students, particularly those feeling most vulnerable because of these events,” said Carl Smallwood, Executive Director of the Divided Community Project. “This initiative is not just about addressing immediate safety concerns, but also about fostering a long-term environment of care, understanding, empathy, and constructive dialogue within campus communities.”

The initiative’s primary goals are to enhance students’ feelings of safety and well-being, counteract the divisive forces, including development of negative perceptions toward each other, and encourage engagement in constructive activities and new learning. A significant focus will also be on promoting anti-hate norms within the university community.

View the guide: Leading a Divided Campus: Ideas and Illustrations

The Divided Community Project, https://go.osu.edu/dcp, will engage dispute resolution experts and practitioners from across the nation in this initiative.

University and college leaders, students, and others interested in learning more about this vital initiative are urged to contact the Moritz College of Law’s Divided Community Project at rogers.23@osu.edu.