Announcing NYSDRA's 2026 Annual Conference!
Rooted in Peace: One Tree, Many Branches
October 8th & 9th, 2026
Day One: Virtual via Zoom Events
Day Two: The Crowne Plaza/Desmond Hotel, Albany NY
The New York State Dispute Resolution Association's Annual Conference is NYSDRA’s signature statewide event and a cornerstone gathering for the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) community. Each year, the conference brings together a diverse and dynamic group of ADR professionals, including NYSDRA and Community Dispute Resolution Center (CDRC) leadership, staff, volunteers, board members, independent practitioners, members of other ADR organizations, and leaders from the New York State Unified Court System.
This year, join the
New York State Dispute Resolution Association (NYSDRA) as we acknowledge the understanding that peace is both a foundation and a practice. Like a single tree with many branches, the conference honors unity without erasing difference. Through keynote conversations, interactive workshops, and reflective dialogue, participants will examine how collaboration across cultures, disciplines, and communities can foster resilience, justice, and lasting harmony. Together, we will nurture connections, exchange ideas, and cultivate practical tools for peacebuilding in our communities and beyond.
This year also marks a special milestone—the 30th anniversary of the Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder award, first presented in 1996. The award, which was later renamed in 1998 to the Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award, continues to recognize individuals who exemplify the vision, leadership, and dedication to community mediation and social justice that Andrew Thomas has demonstrated throughout his distinguished career in the ADR field.
Days to Go
About the Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award
The Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award was established in 1996 to honor individuals and organizations that have promoted the field of dispute resolution.
The award was designed in 1996 in honor of its recipient Tekaronianeken Jake Swamp, Sub-chief of the Wolf Clan for the Mohawk Nation, and Director of the Tree of Peace Society. Chief Swamp worked to promote peace both within his culture and across the country, and he was an important activist in peace building. He was at Wounded Knee, the Ganienkeh Land Reclamation, the Longest walk, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Takeover, the Akwesasne Bridge Blockade, the Fourth Russell Tribunal in the Netherlands and was a delegate to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Later in his career Chief Swamp traveled nationally and internationally planting trees for peace and enlightening people about the culture and contributions of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
The award was subsequently renamed in honor of the 1998 awardee, Andrew Thomas. Mr. Thomas was the first president of the New York State Dispute Resolution Association Board of Directors and a past Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Community Mediation. In addition to having served as the Executive Director of the Center for Dispute Settlement in Rochester, community organizer, mediator, a leader in social justice reform, Mr. Thomas has trained thousands of individuals to become mediators, facilitators and arbitrators for court ADR programs.
Click Here to Learn More About Chief Swamp
Click Here to Learn More About the Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award
🎉Sponsorship Opportunities🎉
We invite you to support our conference this year by becoming a named sponsor. Your support is critical, as it enables us to provide quality educational programming for our members—most of whom are volunteers delivering vital, low-to-no-cost services in their local communities.
Support Peacebuilding by Becoming a Sponsor today!
Click on any sponsorship level below to learn about exclusive benefits and recognition opportunities.
$15,000 – Legacy Partner
$10,000 – Visionary Partner
$5,000 – Leadership Partner
$2,500 – Advocate Partner
$1,000 – Sustaining Sponsor
$500 – Community Supporter
$250 – Friend of NYSDRA
🎉Your Support Makes It All Happen!🎉
Contact us at conference@nysdra.org or (518) 687-2240 for more information on how to become a sponsor!