Not that the ADR is a boring milieu, but given the time of the year and the number of official and unofficial holidays the dispute resolution practitioners are taking right now, I have decided to step out from the line when writing this blog post. With the end of the summer approaching, enjoy a bit of fun with Summer Mediation Game. Complete the three different puzzles in order to find out what the secret message describing the brand new project of three Kluwer Mediation bloggers is. Still not motivated? The winner will be rewarded…
Motivation by Red Italian Wine
In the following lines, I would like to briefly describe the motivation that led me to create this Summer Mediation Game. If you are keen on playing it and cannot wait, you may skip this intro:-)
When I was a child, I detested the last week in August since it usually heralded the end of the summer holidays. In the childish blindness, I disregarded the magic late summer atmosphere of harvest and the beauty of the last warm evenings that may be spent outside with friends…Without any reasoning, I kept this weird melancholic feeling even as an adult until I first participated in the European Law Seminar in lovely Italian town Urbino. When I first visited this wonderful picturesque spot, it completely changed my life. Not only because I started looking forward to the end of August, but because Urbino became my every year destination…a kind of must-go-place.
Since that time, I shape and polish my long-before-prepared lecture (this year it will be on the interaction between mediation and arbitration) during all summer. Usually, I end up with a glass of Italian wine, olives and a map of Marche region wondering which picturesque village to visit this year…
Well, the profession of mediator requires some empathy and thus, I feel for those of you who has to stay in their offices either because you already passed your vacations or because you are now freezing on the wrong hemisphere. Anyway, in order to make your days more fun and in order to sample the more relax atmosphere that prevails in the southern European countries in those days, take a couple of minutes to pass this Summer Mediation Game.
Rules of the Summer Mediation Game
There are three plus one parts of the game. The first three will provide you with one part of the secret message. Once you have finished it, send an email containing the answer to svatosmartin(at)forarb.com. As efficient professionals, you are now surely asking what is in it for you? Inspired by Michael McIlwrath, who posted two issues of his summer Arbitration quizzes on Kluwer Arbitration Blog, I have decided to reward the first to send correct answer (or the one who comes closest) with a dinner in Prague (travel and hotel costs excluded). If the winner is interested, her or his name may be published here together with the correct answers.
And what is hidden in the secret message? A project we are preparing in cooperation with my colleagues and fellow bloggers Nadja Alexander and Sabine Walsh. Be sure we will inform you about it more in the coming weeks…
The last puzzle is not a part of the competition. But try it anyway, it is really cool and it takes only couple of seconds…It is meant for those of you who really have to work in those days and do not have time to play…
Part I. Word search
Find the following words in the grid. The words may be placed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The part I of the secret message is created by the letters that are not used in any word within the puzzle.
Part II. Criss Cross
Fill the grid with the words according to the clues. Then place the letters marked with the playing cards accordingly — this will create the Part 2 of the secret message:
Clues Across:
6. A variant of mediation that is focused on providing the parties with an estimation of their case and directing them toward settlement
8. A dispute resolution process in which the disputing parties present their case to an impartial third party, who then issues a judgment
9. An acronym for alternative dispute resolution
10. A crucial quality of mediator; unbiased; disinterested
11. One of the main obligation of mediator that grants the private nature of mediationClues Down
1. A synonym to contract
2. A hybrid procedure that starts with mediation phase and possibly ends with arbitration
3. A variant of mediation that is focused on an essentially social and communicative view of human conflict
4. Acronym (French) of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers
5. The Greek God of commerce
7. Acronym of Dispute Resolution Board
8. The Greek God of sun, art and truth
Part III: Couples
Put the couples of ancient Greek and Roman legends together. Allocate the correct letter s accordingly as in example.
Additional Question:
This is a clever and not time demanding quiz I came across recently at LinkedIn. It is not a part of the competition and it will not take you more than couple of seconds…
Mary’s father has five daughters:
1. Nana
2. Nene
3. Nini,
4. Nono.
What is the name of the fifth daughter?
Hope you had fun! Enjoy the rest of the summer…
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