Author Archives: abfifer

A Church Conflict Close to Home

June 17, 2014 – 3:00 pm

Another church in Lansing, Michigan, has a conflict big enough to make newspaper headlines. The church – ironically named Friendship Baptist – is in the news again this week after one faction of the church allegedly locked the other faction out of the building they both still share. According to the Lansing State Journal, “The […]

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Four Words That Are Better Than Three

May 29, 2014 – 7:27 am

“I love you.” The three little words that everyone wants to hear, that we don’t say often enough, that comprise one of the most powerful things we can say to someone. But it occurs to me there’s an even more powerful, meaningful sentence: “I still love you.” These four words connote a lot that may […]

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Two More Public Apologies

May 19, 2014 – 7:23 pm

A couple more public apologies in the media recently: Donald Sterling, owner of the NBA basketball team the Los Angeles Clippers, made racist comments to a girlfriend last month that became public. His attempt in a CNN interview last week to apologize ended up making things worse—as bad apologies will do. It started out well: […]

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Detroit Bankruptcy Using Mediation

April 28, 2014 – 2:43 pm

The bankruptcy proceedings for the City of Detroit are making good use of mediation. Judge Steven Rhodes, who is overseeing the bankruptcy, appointed U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen as lead mediator last August, and Judge Rosen assembled a team of mediators, comprised of four federal judges as well as Attorney Gene Driker, an esteemed Michigan […]

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Conflict Free Diamonds

February 14, 2014 – 2:35 pm

Many girls—and no doubt some guys–will receive the gift of a diamond today. Will it be a “conflict free diamond”? “Conflict diamond” is a term used to describe diamonds tainted by the conflicts associated with diamond production in Africa, where diamonds are mined under conditions akin to slavery, and are used to finance violent rebel […]

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