One-Day Workshop on Mediation at the Tata Institute of Social
Sciences

The Centre for Lifelong Learning, Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
Mumbai is happy to announce a One-Day Workshop on `Mediation', to be
held at TISS on Tuesday, 19th December, 2006 from 10.00 a.m. to 5.30
p.m. The Registration for the programme will commence at 9.30 a.m.

A nominal registration fee of Rs.150/- will be charged for the day.
This will include reading material and hospitality.

The Resource Person: Dr. Gerda Mehta

Psychologist since 1978. Dr. of Philosophy from Salzburg,
Austria. Fulbright scholarship 1975/76. Licensed psychotherapist and
lecturer at the Sigmund Freud University, Vienna. Mediator – listed in
the Ministry of Justice, Austria. Working for the child protection
services of the City of Vienna, since 1979 and in private practice
with mediation and systemic family therapy. Teaching mediation and
psychotherapy in several schools in Austria, Russia, Latvia.
Co-editor of 7 books, many articles and book reviews. Official
functions: Past president of the Psychology Association, Austria and
European grant evaluator in Brussels (Daphne). Chairperson of the
Systemic Society (OAS) since 2002, Member of the ethics committee,
Consultant to the Ministry of Health and Women, Austria.

What is Mediation?

Mediation helps communities and relationships. Mediation fosters
togetherness and embeddedness. It helps overcome the one-sided
emphasis on the individual that has alienated many from each other.
It is a professional tool to bring forth cohesion and synthesis.
Mediation is or should become an integral skill and part of a civil
society.

Mediation is taking care of feelings, interests, ideas of justice and
socio-political issues

Conflict is often paired with emotional upset. Sometimes agreements
are settled to win the case, but in the process friends are lost.
When interests and needs clash, mediators can be called in to bring
individuals, groups or communities who may be in disagreement and
conflict, together. It needs a special skill to guide the
conversation so that the parties are capable of entering an open
dialogue. Mediators try to bring forth a win-win situation.

Mediation intends to help at all levels: relational, emotional and
content aspects of conflict.

Mediation acknowledges the past but the main focus is to be able to
work on a liveable future.

Mediators set the stage in order that each party can speak and is made
capable to speak for him/herself, or for their own interests and
preferences. The mediator guides through the process in order that
the individual and group interests can find acceptable forms of
coexistence, and liveable solutions are found considering all factors
and future consequences. By this process the parties do not get
alienated. Their involvement in the mediation process also usually
leads to a better mutual understanding of each other and the situation
as such. Conflict partners rarely turn into enemies in this process.
Mediation becomes in this sense a highly preventive measure,
promoting peaceful coexistence.

Mediation can help in schools, neighbourhoods and communities. It
gives assistance to couples, extended families, organizations,
cooperating teams, community groups, interest groups such as
environmental groups, etc. to arrive at a good solution and to a
future which all want to participate to create, as it is shaped by the
needs and interests and input of all. Mediation works basically in
the interest of all. Participatory is preferred over individual
decision making. And when participatory exchanges take place before
acting and deciding, living with the decisions becomes a far more easy
task, even if the decisions are not one's favourites.

This one day workshop will give insight in how mediation is
understood, how the mediation practice and profession itself are
developing and show with role plays, mediation can actually work.

How to Register:

Since the number of participants is limited to 30, your participation
will be confirmed only upon payment of Rs. 150/- at least 4 days
before the programme i.e., Thursday, 14th December, 2006 to Ms.
Bhargavi Mohan Nair, Administrative Secretary, Centre for Lifelong
Learning. Tel: 25563290-95, Extn: 410. Fax: 25562912 mail:
extramural@...

Looking forward to meet you,

Yourrs sincerely,

Prof. Nasreen Rustomfram, Ph.D.
Chairperson
Centre for Lifelong Learning
Tata Institute of Social Sciences