Mediation Theory and Skills

Mediation is a dispute resolution process where individuals engage the services of a third-party neutral (the mediator) to facilitate their discussions. While it is often used in conflict situations, mediation skills can also be used proactively to promote discussion and collaborative decision-making. This program will introduce participants to mediation theory and skills and will examine the impact of culture and context on the mediation approach adopted. Students will study conflict resolution and negotiation processes through multinational examples and perspectives and will examine challenges in designing and delivering dispute resolution initiatives in the dynamic context of emerging democracies, as well as mature, but adversarial, legal cultures. As the use of mediation grows around the world and as dangerous conflicts continue to proliferate, the relevance of this program, which addresses the development of collaborative dispute resolution processes, becomes more and more heightened.

Course leader

Lela P. Love
Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution, Cardozo Mediation Clinic, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, NY, USA

Target group

Target group

Junior and middle career faculty and doctoral students at law schools or faculties of social science and public administration in the CEE region. Additionally, course targets include academics and professionals in psychology, social work, public policy, political science, government and labor relations. Undergraduates with strong English proficiency are also welcome.

Pre-requisites

No pre-requisites but a background in the social sciences is desirable.

Course aim

The course challenges students to link theory to practice. Specifically, participants seeking to be enrolled will be asked to identify a civic issue or problem in their neighborhood, city, region, or country which they wish to work on in terms of examining how the course may be relevant to the issues raised.

Credits info

1 EC
A Certificate of Attendance will also be awarded upon completion.

Fee info

EUR 300: payable until May 28
EUR 270: payable until April 30

Scholarships

Students from the Open Society University Network (OSUN) are eligible for scholarships while CIVICAstudents may receive a fee waiver.