The aim of this project is to establish a strategic partnership between mediation training institutes located in different countries. Together we seek to develop a Europe-wide curriculum for mediation training, and offer students the opportunity of European training and further education. Joint European training will give participants a deeper understanding of the specifics of conflict transformation in individual countries and create a network of European mediators. Mediation can thus be brought into civil society through European mediator teams. The common values of, peaceful dispute resolution are strengthened. Complex social issues require extended forms of dialogue culture and techniques to create consensus. Another goal is to support individuals in acquiring key competencies. Trained mediators are conflict controllers in their environment, who are competent inrecognising and classifying conflicts,thus preventing escalation. They are peace messengers on a small scale. However, on a larger European scale, they have the opportunity to positively influence the social discourse and to create an understanding across countries and cultures. Not only is cognitive understanding important in mediation in the intercultural field, but also experiencing, exchanging and practicing. A European mediation training course could unite all of these aspects: people will be enabled to learn a socially important competence: the practice of alternative conflict resolution in the form of mediation, in an intercultural context and combined with the possibility of certification in one's own country, as well as Europe-wide opportunities for practice. To achieve this, we are planning to develop a European curriculum within a partnership of seven educational institutions and two strategic partners. This will enable participants to complete their training at several European locations. In addition to the basic training as a mediator, the focus will be on learning and testing intercultural skills and methods, country specific features of mediation procedures, the practice of mediation and the cultural specificity of conflict resolution in the partner countries. The partners include seven training institutes in Europe. Each of the training institutes has its own profile, thematic specificity and all offer training as mediators which is recognized in their countries. Partners from Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Poland and Ireland are part of the partnership. In addition, two important strategic partners enrich the project, who, among other things, ensure the connection to the scientific community and the EU Council and take on tasks of quality management and evaluation. Some of the partners are strongly networked with the scientific community, others with the business community or work in the field of justice and social work in their countries. These differences, a common basis and the passion for mediation make the partnership strong. The vision of the partnership is, - to train European mediators with intercultural skills - to open up intercultural training opportunities for mediators who have already been trained - to extend the partnership in the long term by further institutes and countries - to offer a central contact point and a selection of competent mediators to organisations and individuals seeking support in the resolution of their (intercultural/cross-border) conflicts - to help shape the political process for the certification of European mediators Therefore, we are planning to develop the following intellectual achievements within this project: - Creation of a European curriculum for the training of mediators - Creation of an education and training module "intercultural conflict resolution" (digital) - Publication for professional audience and accompanying teaching material: intercultural differences of conflict resolution in Europe - European platform to find training and further education institutes in Europe as well as mediators with an intercultural focus and intercultural mediators The target groups are reached through a coordinated dissemination strategy. They are: - People who want to become EU mediators - trained mediators - Training institutes, trainers - EU citizens and organisations seeking alternative conflict resolution - Mediation associations, certification bodies - Scientists and researchers (intercultural/ conflict management focus) - EU institutions (e.g. EU Rat- MediationsG)
The goal of the project was to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the various training paths and methods in the field of mediation in the partner countries. This enabled the identification of best practices and experiences from partner institutions, which were then integrated into a shared curriculum. Another objective was to train the first cross-border mediators who possess acquired intercultural competencies and are capable of resolving conflicts across borders. This contributes to promoting intercultural dialogue and strengthening collaboration among EU countries. A research component was also pursued in the project, involving conducting over 20 interviews to gain valuable insights and develop a cultural-scientific perspective on mediation. Furthermore, the project resulted in the development of an interactive digital module. This module allowed viewers to observe a simulated mediation process and actively participate in it. It provided a practical and interactive learning experience that aided users in gaining a better understanding and firsthand experience of the various aspects of mediation.
The strategic partnership between European training institutes for mediation was initiated to develop and pilot a European mediation training program and establish a network of European cross-border mediators. This training aims to foster a deeper understanding of conflict resolution practices in different countries and strengthen shared values of non-adversarial dispute resolution. The project's objective is to support individuals in acquiring key competencies in mediation. This project pursued the overarching goal of "common values, civic engagement, and participation." A European mediation training offers the opportunity to acquire a socially important skillset within an intercultural context. The project includes the development of a European curriculum for mediation, an innovative digital learning module, a publication focusing on the cultural perspectives of mediation, and the creation of a platform for accessing training opportunities offered by partner countries and booking intercultural mediator teams for cross-border conflict resolution.