Podcasts, powerpoints and/or papers from the presentations are available to LEADR members and
'kon gres 2011 participants via a password protected area. Click here >>

By exploring and reflecting on these essential human needs, develop your capacity to help parties develop options in family dispute resolution.

This workshop will be limited to meeting the needs of the child in Family Dispute Resolution practice.

In mediation we list options against which we select a preferred resolution to suit all parties. It is the case that material options are easiest to identify, assess and quantify. However, in family law mediation, other factors are at play and we may conceive of other options to be included in the mix when meeting the needs of children.

Participants will see how we may account for human needs in the mediation process and illustrate how we might draft consent orders that will meet the 'nine fundamental human needs' of the child.

The thesis of the nine fundamental human needs was developed by the Chilean Manfred Max-Neef and presented at the Other Economic Conference in Europe in 1989. Max-Neef’s presentation, together with other presentations from the conference, was published in the book The Living Economy. The nine fundamental human needs are Permanence, Protection, Participation, Understanding, Affection, Leisure, Identity, Creation and Freedom.

Michaela’s workshop will provoke participants’ thinking by permitting us to see that dispute resolution may account for immaterial benefits as well as material benefits. It will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in stimulating activity or discussion with peers and colleagues to embed learning through the hands-on task to embed the ideas.

Podcast: Listen to Michaela talk about this session pre-kon gres (6 mins) >>

Michaela is a published poet and a former member of the Friendly Street Poets in Adelaide. She sings in the Dante Musica Viva choir of the Dante Alighieri Society in Canberra. As a member of the choir she recently composed a verse for the popular “We are Australian” to reflect the experience of asylum seekers to Australia. The choir performed the song at a recent citizenship ceremony in Canberra. She also recently composed a song reflecting on the experience of immigration. Michaela has two children and three grandchildren.