The Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) Mediation and Sustainable Conflict Resolution Laboratory is organizing a series of mediation events that will take place in Vilnius on 21-25 November 2023. It will start on 21 November with an international scientific conference "Overcoming the Mediation Paradox: Ideas, Challenges and Best Practices", which aims to foster cooperation between academics, practitioners, and national policy makers as well as to stimulate scientific debate and research to find effective measures to promote the use of mediation in EU Member States.
What is the paradox of mediation? To define the concept briefly, this is a situation when mediation is widely recognized as an effective, quick, and cost-efficient way of resolving various disputes, yet it is still poorly applied in practice in many countries.
The keynote speakers of the event will be prominent, world known mediation experts Giuseppe de Palo (USA) and Nadja Alexander (Singapore). The conference will feature presentations by internationally recognized mediation experts from Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Israel, the United States and other countries. The event is partly funded by the Lithuanian Research Council.
The conference will provide an opportunity to hear from its author Giuseppe de Palo more about the mediation paradox and to understand the losses suffered by both states and disputants because of the insufficient use of peaceful dispute resolution. Leading mediation expert Nadja Alexander will talk about the mediation eco-system and explain how promoting mediation though regulation and institutionalization requires masterful attention to context and culture. Other Lithuanian and international speakers will address the challenges faced by countries with different regional, cultural, and political contexts when promoting the use of mediation among the society. The Conference aims to elaborate and propose recommendations and specific measures based on academic research and foreign best practices towards overcoming the mediation paradox and encouraging more frequent use of mediation to resolve conflicts between members of society for a policy maker. New challenges arising for mediators and their practice due to the emerging use of modern technologies will also be a major focus of the event.
The conference will be held in English. All participants will receive a certificate of attendance after the conference. The Conference Agenda will be available shortly.
The registration for the Conference is open until 17 November 2023. Please fill in the registration form today to secure your spot: https://forms.gle/4Y4t4rYR6kXScTni8. The event is free of charge. However, the number of participants is limited. Onsite participation only.
The second part of the event series will be the International Student Mediation Tournament, organized by MRU in cooperation with the International Academy for Dispute Resolution (INADR) on 21-25 November 2023.
INADR is the US registered international organization with a mission to build, through education, world–wide recognition of the power of dispute resolution processes to peacefully resolve conflicts and promote conciliation and healing. INADR in cooperation with its partners annually organizes the student mediation tournaments, which are of great interest to University Law Schools around the world and provide participants the opportunity to demonstrate and enhance the soft skills they have acquired during their mediation training, as well as their skills of legal negotiation.
MRU is extremely proud to be able to host the INADR tournament in Vilnius for the third time and therefore encourages student teams and coaches from all Lithuanian and foreign law schools to submit their applications.
The number of participating teams is limited. Registration costs are €330 USD (EUR 310) per team of three persons. Registration form, more information and the rules of the tournament are available in website of INADR.
The call for tournament judges is also announced. To judge the tournament, applicants are expected to be mediation professionals, academics and practitioners with mediation experience and fluent English. The INADR International Mediation Tournaments are annually attended by a huge number of international mediation professionals who are willing to contribute their experience and insights to the students' learning and development. Please follow this link for registration as a judge.
We look forward to seeing you in Vilnius very soon! And we're excited to welcome all mediation experts and enthusiasts at MRU in November this year.
For any questions, you are kindly invited to contact us by email: a.tvaronaviciene@mruni.eu.
