Presented by Judith Herrmann

Judith in CAR

After finishing her Master of Conflict and Dispute Resolution earlier this year, Judith spent 10 weeks in the Central African Republic for a research project on the formal and informal dispute resolution system. Based on her analysis she developed a draft mediation manual which will be used to train Central African village chiefs in the field of mediation and reconciliation.

Judith will talk about the challenges of her project and the most interesting findings regarding traditional dispute resolution processes in Africa.

When: Thursday 1 December 2011

Where: Bessell Lodge, 38 Bundock Street, Belgian Gardens (upstairs function room) (Nibbles provided, drinks available for purchase)

Time: 6pm – 8pm

RSVP: Samantha.Hardy@jcu.edu.au

Conflict Resolution Week is a community education event held in Townsville between 19-25 September 2011.  The event aims to educate the public about the various types of conflict support available in the North Queensland area, and also to build networks between the different conflict specialists in the region.

The Conflict Resolvers Network and the James Cook University Conflict Resolution Program are the main organisers of the event, with the assistance and sponsorship of many other people and organisations involved in providing conflict support services in North Queensland.

To find out more about what is planned for the week, go to our events page for all the details!

About ‘kɒŋ grɛs 2011

‘kon gres will once again be distinguished by how participants are actively engaged. Its key ingredients are innovation, interactivity, challenging sessions and acknowledgement of the wealth of experience and knowledge of the practitioners who attend.

There are over 60 sessions across diverse topics ranging from neuroscience to confidentiality in mediation; from horror mediations and how to handle them to issues in international dispute resolution.

International keynote speakers are Associate Professor Joel Lee from the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, a negotiation and mediation teacher and consultant with CMPartners (USA); and Professor Ellen Waldman from Thomas Jefferson School of Law San Diego who speaks, trains and publishes in the areas of mediation and medical ethics.

Take a look at the program and details of the presentations and see for yourself, here >>

Registration is open. To register, complete the form and return to LEADR. The early bird ends on 31 July.

www.leadr.com.au/kongres2011 >>

Mr McClelland said the commencement of the Civil Dispute Resolution Act 2011 on 1 August 2011 will result in more people resolving disputes before going to court, saving money, time and stress.

“Australia’s legal system is changing. We are moving away from an adversarial culture of litigation to a broader approach to dispute resolution,’ Mr McClelland said.

Read more here.

The Mediator Standards Board is keen to draw on the experience of three years of implementation to identify what elements of the Standards work well, and what areas, if any, need clarification or further development.

The MSB is seeking input from RMABs, training and education providers and other members of the MSB for this important task.

JCU, as a member of the MSB, is seeking input from CRN members to compile into a submission to the MSB about the Standards.

Question 1:  Which aspects of the Approval Standards work well?

Question 2:  What, if any, elements of the Approval Standards do you think need clarification? (These may be drafting or other issues. Please be as specific as possible and identify particular clauses if possible)

Question 3:  What issues have arisen in relation to processing applications for national accreditation? (Please provide de-identified examples if possible.)

Have you any ideas on how these could be dealt with differently by the Standards?

Question 4: Which aspects of the Practice Standards work well?

Question 5:  What, if any, elements of the Practice Standards do you think need clarification? (These may be drafting or other issues. Please be as specific as possible and identify particular clauses if possible)

Question 6:  What issues have arisen in relation to the implementation of the Practice Standards?

Have you any ideas on how these could be dealt with differently by the Standards? (Please provide de-identified examples if possible.)

Please send your answers to these questions to Samantha.Hardy@jcu.edu.au by the end of June.

Sharon McCallum will share with us her experiences conducting victim/offender mediations between those accused of sexual abuse and their victims and families.

The event will be held at Vine 21, so as well as a fascinating discussion, you can also partake in some lovely wine and tapas!