Thursday 10th Sept

Peter Adler - The Strong Mountain Problem

Many parties, deep tensions, high emotions - a rolling exploration of how we do our work.

Peter led us through the stages of a complex simulated mediation, helping us recognise and tackle the key questions we need to consider.

So many sessions, so much to learn!

Participants reflected on the key insights from the day, for them:

1. Importance of pre-meditation preparation
2. Opportunity to be creative and experimental
3. Exploration of process
4. Principles underpinning process
5. Value of collective wisdom
6. Learning different techniques
7. Power of breath – bringing yourself from reaction to centring
8. More flexibility in dealing with situation
9. Importance of reflecting on practice
10. Experiencing the participants and raised levels of consciousness
11. Adler’s presentation re mediation of public arena dispute
12. Discussion on impartiality and managing partiality
13. Self reflection in artful enquiry
14. Exploration of parties’ perspectives
15. Sense of generosity sharing of info
16. Dialogue re ideas for networking
17. Visual aids used
18. Appreciate & respect your colleagues
19. The capacity to learn (more) is unlimited, from other professions & ways of looking at the world
20. Hearing that others are doing things like I am
21. Humbling
22. Mature mediation dialogue

23. The artful session

24. The diversity of ways of doing things

25. Thread of values in mediation process

26. Hearing experiences of large – number, multiparty mediations

27. Importance of emotions as a portal to understanding and deeper resolution

28. The need to work on oneself (reactions, fears, self-deception, etc) as the primary work

29. Importance of pre-mediation preparation

30. Opportunity to be creative and experimental

31. Exploration of process

32. Principles underpinning process

33. Value of collective wisdom

34. Learning  different techniques

35. Power of breath

36. Bring self back from reaction to centre

37. More flexibility in dealing with situations

38. Reflecting on practice

39. Getting parties to reflect back what they have heard before they respond

40. Practical & usable tools

41. Sharing of problem solving

42. Challenging our views

43. Diversity of approaches and thinking

44. Understanding complexities and multi-party

45. Integrating conflict coaching

46. When/how to engage client

47. Neuro science

48. Emphasis on preparation – long hours- in family FDR

49. Research on client personalities

50. Artistry of mediation; creativity that we can use in mediation

51. Use of theatre /humour in teaching mediation

52. Rationality in Family Mediation – affecting outcomes

53. Loved every session

54. Overall – very impressed in the design of the conference. The emphasis on participation. The ease of meeting other people.

Wednesday 9th Sept

On your marks, get set, go!

'kon gres is underway - it has now started!

Participants are arriving; people are greeting old friends and making new ones.

During the next three days, we will be updating this page frequently. You will be able to see the main themes that emerge (the "Hot Topics"), photos, podcasts ...

... and you can even participate on-line!

Hot topics in ADR

We asked: What are the ‘hot topics’ in ADR today?

What do we need to think about, as practitioners, as an organisation, as a profession?

Participants offered many many ideas, and these were distilled into the following themes:

• Diversity of practice in ADR - Judicial Mediation, MedArb, etc - Are we losing simplicity?
• What is mediation; when is ’mediation’ not mediation, what is beyond it?
• Getting work, building your practice, barriers to entry
• International influences:  Aust and NZ’s responsibility?
• Academic / practitioner: interface or chasm?
• What’s survived the test of time?
• Regulation, standards, accreditation - Language around accreditation

A distinguished panel discussed these questions, with (from right to left above) Justice Jennifer Davies, Professor Nadja Alexander, Margaret Halsmith and Peter Condliffe, chaired by Geoff Sharp, LEADR Fellow.

Participate on-line

Can't come to the conference yourself? It needn't mean that you miss out completely!

You can still contribute your own insights and comments.

Conversations:

Strong Mountain. For complex, multi-party mediations, Peter Adler asked:

1. Does a mediator accept an issue if they think it cannot be solved? 
2. What constitutes success?
3. How much ego does a mediator need to tackle these issues?
4. If a government is paying – what obligations does this put on us / what access / what confidentiality?
5. Flexibility – if people are still talking, how do you manage the end of a mediation that is not going to be resolved

What do you think? >>

Headline! David Richbell asked:  "What are we about?  How do you put in a headline what we do?"

Participants had many answers, which evolved and were refined during the conference. 
Comment on some of the most popular ones >>

What were you hoping for from 'kon gres?
Share your thoughts >>

Reflections and insights

What did participants say were the main insights for them today? What was most notable, from today?

Participants' insights included:

• How to introduce into my practice an ability to have a 'younger' mediator (in practice time or age) attend and watch and learn and discuss.
• Authenticity - what the mediator brings into the room
• I was wondering what has kept the mediation movement going all these years... and what has kept us going as mediators. I think it's the satisfaction of helping parties resolve their dispute well. We should pat ourselves on the backs for this.
• A whole range of topics were covered with ample opportunity to offer your opinion.
• There is a serious need for follow-up evaluation research to increase our body of knowledge.
• I'd fully endorse a formalised statutory regulation system that monitors and raises the profile of mediation.
• The issue of the relationship between mediation/ADR and justice.

21st celebration

The founders of LEADR had a clear and altruistic purpose: to provide the community with better ways to resolve disputes. 

Two decades later, LEADR remains steadfast in this purpose. 

LEADR’s 21st Celebration Dinner, to be held during 'kon gres 2009, will be an opportunity to celebrate our achievements, to tell the LEADR story, to honour our founders and to acknowledge those who have made a sustained and significant contribution.

On behalf of the LEADR Board, I am pleased to invite you to our 21st Celebration Dinner >> .

7pm, 10 September at the National Gallery of Victoria

Great Hall
NGV International
(National Gallery of Victoria)
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Enter via Waterwall

We hope you can join us.

Margaret Halsmith, Chair, LEADR

Major sponsor

We are pleased to advise that the Victorian State Government is a major sponsor of the conference.

This echoes the state's significant commitment to increasing the use of ADR.

Adjudication stream

A separate stream focussing on adjudication will run on Friday, 11 September.

What is LEADR?

LEADR is an Australasian, not-for-profit membership organisation that promotes alternative dispute resolution including mediation. LEADR has members in Australia, New Zealand and throughout the Asia Pacific region.

LEADR accredits mediators and also refers mediators for commercial, employment, family and community/neighbourhood disputes. LEADR provides training in a range of dispute resolution areas including mediation from basic skills through to advanced workshops and continuing professional development. These courses are available as public workshops or as in-house customised programs.

LEADR members have special access to current ADR news, resources and a monthly e-newsletter called Update.

More about LEADR >

LEADR's 10th international ADR conference

You will leave 'kon gres 2009 changed.

You will have new information, insights and skills to refine or extend your ADR practice.

'kon gres 2009 will be an opportunity to explore excellence in the practice and delivery of ADR in Australasia and the Asia-Pacific region. We plan that you, our members, will be invigorated with new information, insights and skills.

'kon gres 2009 will be distinguished by how participants are actively engaged.  Presenters will provide challenging material based on new research, innovative practice or skills extension that will provoke participants to confront implications for their practice.

Opportunities for participants to discuss, debate and explore ideas will be integrated into each session.  Presenters will develop questions and activities to inspire discussions, then draw together themes that emerge.

The overseas presenters, so far Peter Adler (USA) and David Richbell (UK), have welcomed this approach and are designing sessions that will support rich interactions by participants.

Fiona Hollier, CEO, LEADR

Who will attend?

Practitioners engaged in all areas of ADR from Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region.

Some of our key overseas presenter-participants:

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