Accreditation, ADR, Communication, Dispute Resolution, Fear, Future of mediation, Growth of the Field (Challenges, New Sectors, etc.), Instinct, Mentoring, Social intelligence, Success in mediation, Young Mediators

(Lawyer, Mediator and Trainer in Conflict Resolution)/ /Leave a comment
Young Mediators Initiative (YMI)

I was twenty-five years old when I joined Young Mediators’ Initiative (YMI) and first participated at the Andalusian System for Labour Conflict Resolution (S.E.R.C.L.A) as an official mediator. At SERCLA, we normally have an average of ten people at the mediation table. Sometimes, not only am I by far the youngest person in the mediation…

General, Legal Practice, Legislation, Public Policy, Regulation

(Mediar360 - Dispute Resolution )/ /Leave a comment

In the late 90’s in Brazil, a sudden interest in Mediation started to develop under the influence of the newly enacted Argentinean legislation (1995). Unfortunately, just until a few years ago, mediation had grown at a very slow pace, with a few advocates effortlessly lobbying for its widespread implementation and for a local legislation. Finally,…

ADR, Book Review, Business, Causes of Conflict, Clients, Cognitive Bias, Commercial Mediation, Communication, Conflict, Conventional wisdom, Creativity, Decision making, Developing the Field, Future of mediation, General, Improvisation, Language, Mediation Practice, Mediation Users/Clients, Neuroscience, Policy, Scotland, Skills, Stories, Success in mediation, Tips, Training, Uncategorized

(Core Solutions Group)/ /1 Comment

It’s funny how one thing leads to another. Regular Kluwer blogger Ian Macduff posted a great blog earlier this week on the importance of asking questions. That reminded me that I had intended to get hold of a book by Edgar Schein entitled “Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling”. So, I…

Communication, conlfict coaching, Mediation Practice, Mediation Users/Clients, Practical Challenges for Mediators, Social intelligence

/ /1 Comment

This blog entry arises not so much from any mediation, but from one aspect of regular social encounters that is all too normal a part of negotiation and mediation. As the title suggests, it’s about the role of inquiry, asking questions – not merely gathering information, but going beyond that in the expression of interest…

Civil rights, Community Mediation, Cross-cultural, International Mediation, Success in mediation, UN and International Organizations

(FORARB/Charles University)/ /Leave a comment

Once I was informed by Nan Waller Burnett that her colleagues from the organization Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBB) were heading for Prague and that we might organize a meeting with them I did not hesitate a minute. For the work of this NGO is simply admirable. How to build more peace “able” world The…

Causes of Conflict, Conflict, General, Singapore, Stories, Transformation

(National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law)/ /Leave a comment

March was a sad month for Singapore. On 23 March 2015, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew passed away at the age of 91. Lee Kuan Yew was a controversial figure. He was the first Prime Minister of Singapore and he was also widely considered as the founding father of Singapore. He was well-regarded by many world…

Communication, Conciliation, Conflict, crisis negotiatons, Decision making, Dispute Resolution, Neutrality, Not-for-Profit Organizations (NGO), peace negotiations, Skills, Transformation, Young Mediators

(Paul Whittle Commercial Mediation)/ /Leave a comment
Young Mediators Initiative (YMI)

Abraham path was the idea of William Ury and his Harvard colleagues. The idea was to follow in the footsteps of Abraham which is the origin story of the Middle East. The origin story can be phrased: ‘4,000 years ago, a man and his family walked across the Middle East, and the world has never…

Book Review, Developing the Field, Family Mediation, Future of mediation

(Sabine Walsh Mediation)/ /1 Comment

Anxiously awaited by fans of the 1st and 2nd editions of Lisa Parkinson’s definitive work on Family Mediation, the Third Edition of this book was published at the beginning of the year. Drawing on decades of experience and scholarship, Parkinson, one of the “founding mothers” of family mediation in the UK, has produced a comprehensive,…

Conflict, crisis negotiatons, Disclosure, Dispute Resolution, Domestic Courts, Enforcement, General, History of mediation, Lawyers, Legal Issues, Mediation Outcomes, mediation traditions, National Mediation Laws, peace negotiations

(Bill Marsh Mediator)/ /3 Comments

This year in the UK we are celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter”. Signed in 1215, it remains one of the most famous documents in the world, and central to the British constitution. In mediator parlance, it is a “settlement agreement”. It came into being as a compromise between King…

Future of mediation, International Mediation, Scotland, Uncategorized

(Core Solutions Group)/ /1 Comment

This follows my blog last month about mediation and sustainability. In the run up to the vital COP meeting in Paris in December, what role for mediators and other third siders? What should we say? I started this piece a few weeks ago with these words: “From my balcony at nearly 2,000 metres, I can…