Call for abstracts for Mediation Symposium 2021

*** CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - DEADLINE EXTENDED! ***
The deadline to submit abstracts to participate as presenter in this year's Mediation Symposium has been extended to 15 June 2021, 5.00pm UK time. We thank all those who have already submitted abstracts for this flagship event - the submissions we received truly reflect the global diversity of CIArb.

CIArb's Mediation Symposium 2021
This one-day flagship event will focus on the theme of 'Inclusion and exclusion in mediation: Choosing to challenge?'
Date: 7 October 2021
Venue: Online

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
In a new departure for the institute's 14th annual Mediation Symposium, we are encouraging contributions from mediation researchers and mediation service providers as well as anyone who is at the forefront of any area of innovative mediation practice.

Submissions should be in line with the symposium's theme or consider the focus on building inclusive systems and practice in mediation and/or higlight exclusionary practice/behaviour. 

CIArb is a rapidly developing international professional body and membership organisation with 17,000 members operating in approximately 150 countries. This truly global network provides unrivalled opportunities for international exchange on the issues of importance in the development and use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

The opportunity and challenge to make good on the promise of mediation as a cost-effective, accessible, equitable and creative way of resolving disputes and conflict has seen important developments this year with the signing of the Singapore Mediation Convention. This has renewed the interest in using different forms of ADR and hybrid processes arising from the adoption of technological developments during the pandemic.

Despite these developments, many jurisdictions still don’t have a clear career path to becoming a mediator and mediation service provision and practice is dominated by a small number of established practitioners. The cost in terms of time and resources needed to develop a career in mediation, or to access mediation services, makes it inaccessible for many.

If we are to rise to the opportunity of making mediation a high quality and truly accessible process, we need to learn from each other and connect theory with practice. Rising to this challenge will take courage, flexibility, persistence, innovation, compassion, and creativity; all the things mediation is famous for.

At CIArb we know there is amazing work being done by individuals and organisations to support and enable access to mediation to all, who are actively supporting equity, diversity and inclusion and who are using innovation to widen the access to and use of mediation.

We want to hear from you and provide a platform for you to hear from each other!

Please submit your proposal for one of the following streams:

1. 'Learning from the past':

• Where and how has mediation made a substantive contribution to equity, inclusion, diversity and emancipation? Where and how could this success be replicated?
• Where and how has mediation historically contributed passively, (by choosing not to challenge), or actively to inequitable, oppressive, exclusionary, and oppressive practices? How can such failures be addressed and be learnt from, rather than repeated?

2. 'Building for the future':

Mediation is practiced and used in all sorts of contexts, by people from a wide range of academic and   professional backgrounds. Nonetheless, in some contexts it is still inaccessible.

• How have you (or your organisation), identified and addressed inequitable, oppressive, or exclusionary structures in mediation and ADR practice and provision?
• How are you (or your organisation) proactively addressing equality, diversity and inclusion at the individual or systemic level, to widen access to mediation training, apprenticeship or mediation services? How are you monitoring your success?
• Where and how are you providing mediation services that are supporting others to address oppressive structures and/or to develop inclusive, diverse and equitable structures, services or practices?

Research submissions:
Submit with the following details:

• Research paper [Title, Author]
• Section 1: Learning from the past / Section 2. Building for the future (delete as appropriate)

Attach:

• 300 - 500 word written abstract in English

Abstracts will be reviewed and as the symposium will be taking place online, you may then be invited to submit a two to five minute video presentation sample in English.  

If the contribution is accepted and a full-length academic paper is submitted (6,000 - 9,000 words) before the symposium, it will be considered for publication in CIArb's Arbitration journal.

Practitioner/Provider submissions:

• Practice presentation/Practice workshop (delete as appropriate) [Title, Author]
• Section 1: Learning from the past / Section 2. Building for the future (delete as appropriate)

Attach:

• 150 - 500 word written summary in English

Abstracts will be reviewed and as the symposium will be taking place online, you may then be invited to submit a two to five minute video presentation sample in English.

If the contribution is accepted and the 500 – 800 word article is submitted before the symposium it will be considered for publication in CIArb's Resolver magazine.

The deadline for the submission of abstracts is: 31 May 2021, 5.00pm UK time. - NOW EXTENDED TO TUESDAY 15 JUNE 2021.

To submit your application, please fill out the form below:

Submit abstract here

For further information or enquiries, please contact our Education and Training team on + 44 (0) 20 7421 7439 or by emailing mediationsymposium2021@ciarb.org