Conflict is inevitable and pervasive, but it doesn't have to be unending. We work to resolve issues, ranging from local disputes to those that have a global impact. One way to do that is to provide a serene, neutral setting for opposing sides to find common ground. Point of View is such a place, where peace can take root and grow.
A Place to Build Peace that's Close to the Capital
The best way to resolve conflict is through open discussion and communication.
At the Point of View International Retreat and Research Center (POV), we’ve created an atmosphere in which people feel free to have honest conversations about issues on which they disagree.
Our facility, set on 120 acres of pristine wooded land in Lorton, Virginia, is dedicated to peacebuilding practice, teaching, and research.
The site’s proximity to Washington, D.C., provides an ideal setting for:
- Domestic and international dialogue.
- Group meetings.
- Conferences.
- Retreats.
- Research.
- Training.
POV’s spaces are welcoming, engaging and supportive, and we encourage and expedite collaborative problem solving.
Participants can request help from our faculty and network of experts.
Point of View is the only such venue in the Washington area.
The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution is rich in experience and resources, and as a neutral third party, we can focus on the peace process, helping each side present their views in a guided, open-minded forum.
Get such services as:
- Group facilitation, training, and other peacebuilding and conflict resolution support for local and international organizations and communities, led by our conflict analysis and resolution experts.
- Use of the full facility or individual rooms to rent for meetings, conferences, workshops, or special events.
- Space for practitioners and scholars to engage in and advance conflict analysis and resolution research and practice.
Carter School Activity at Point of View
July 7, 2023The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution provides critical learning opportunities for Myanmar students as they search for solutions to Myanmar’s tumultuous state.
November 28, 2022The Political Leadership Academy (PLA) at the Carter School hosted recently re-elected Congressman Don Beyer on November 19.
March 30, 2022Peace and Conflict Resolution scholars and foreign affairs practitioners convened at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School’s Point of View research and retreat facility in Mason Neck, Virginia issued the following appeal to the conflicting parties in Ukraine.
April 6, 2020When conflicts arise, whether in the boardroom or on the battlefield, sometimes it takes a change of scenery to make a breakthrough.
May 31, 2018Honoring their colleague and founding S-CAR faculty member Dennis Sandole, sixteen faculty members presented their current research to the academic community during a day-long conference at Point of View. Five faculty panels with PhD student discussants were held throughout the day on topics ranging from political conflicts and social justice to advancing conflict resolution practices. The event, organized by Karina Korostelna, was streamed live on Facebook and later published on YouTube.-
January 10, 2018A $2 million gift to George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution will be used to bolster major areas of the school, with the goal of “advancing the field of conflict resolution by strengthening S-CAR as an institution,” said Steve Cumbie, one of the benefactors.
December 8, 2017The path that has led to a $2 million gift to George Mason’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution—among the largest in the school’s history—began more than 30 years ago.-
April 5, 2016George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution’s new international retreat and research center, Point of View, is intended to serve as a neutral location where representatives of those in conflict can meet for conversation, reflection and, perhaps, reconciliation.