INFORMATION

www.banffcentre.ca  www.banffleadership.ca

For Immediate Release
December 3, 2001

Nexen/Banff Centre Partnership Promotes Excellence in Aboriginal Leadership
Nexen Inc., an independent Canadian-based energy and chemical producer, has continued its long-standing commitment to partnering with Aboriginal communities by donating generously to The Banff Centre’s Aboriginal Leadership Negotiation Skills Training program. Nexen has pledged $75,000 toward the program over the next three years.

At a banquet at The Banff Centre on November 29, John McWilliams, senior vice-president of Nexen Inc. said, "Through numerous initiatives, ranging from employment practices to fostering business alliances, Nexen has engaged in rewarding and productive work with Aboriginal leaders." McWilliams also spoke of Nexen’s extensive work in developing and promoting the International Code of Business Ethics, and its many strategic partnerships with Aboriginal communities and entrepreneurs.

Robert Breaker, director of Aboriginal Leadership programs at The Banff Centre, says this new partnership with Nexen will have a lasting impact on Aboriginal participants and their communities. "Nexen is a Canadian leader in promoting Aboriginal leadership and management development," says Breaker.

Because many Aboriginal communities and organizations are currently in or preparing for negotiations with different levels of government on important issues that will effect their future, Breaker sees a growing need for the Negotiation Skills Training program. Among the issues on the table, he says, are land claims and self-governance, fiscal agreements, and business partnerships. The highlights of the training session will include interest clarification and goal-setting in the negotiating process; the importance of community participation and support; choosing negotiating teams; and the role of alternative dispute resolution and mediation, as well as multi-party negotiations.

The Negotiation Skills Training program runs twice a year at The Banff Centre, in November and April, and brings together leaders from Aboriginal communities, federal and provincial government negotiators and policy advisors, and industry leaders from across the country. For more information, please visit www.banffleadership.com/abor_lead.asp.

Bios for Robert Breaker and John McWilliams are available upon request.

The Banff Centre is Canada's only post-secondary institution dedicated to the arts, leadership development, and mountain culture. Programs are designed to enrich professional practice beyond the realm of traditional education. The Centre's unique mountain environment and multidisciplinary setting reflect a commitment to personal growth and lifelong learning.

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