Rooting for mediation, the future of conflict resolution

The raging debate can go on and on about who suffers most after divorce. Is it the children? The woman? Or man?

In the virtue of a disagreement between couples with divorce looming, most would agree that children often suffer the most but women are often disproportionately affected by disputes, particularly in areas such as marital and family conflicts, inheritance, and property rights.

Mediation can provide a safe and supportive environment for women to resolve these disputes more amicably and less painlessly.

Marital issues account for a significant percentage of disputes requiring mediation. According to various studies, up to 40 per cent of disputes resolved through mediation are matrimonial.

It is because of this worrying trend, along with the many other types of disputes in society, that Evelyn Bright calls for alternative dispute resolution as a form of mediation.

The president of the Certified Mediators and Advisory (CMA) group says alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration can help reduce the backlog of cases in the courts and provide a more personalised approach to dispute resolution.

But the CMA is not just about women and disputes and providing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The organisation pushes the boundaries by bringing together teams of professionals from diverse backgrounds in society, training mediators from all backgrounds and working with groups, individuals, associations, NGOs and all other forms of formations to help disputing parties resolve conflicts through the use of specialised communication and negotiation techniques.

With a background in Management and Leadership, International Relations, Economics and Aviation, Evelyn has now turned her attention to what she believes is her calling; bringing together mediators across Africa to resolve conflicts with ease, while promoting a more harmonious and peaceful society.

“Mostly when it comes to family conflicts, land disputes, workplace disputes, contract bridging and other non-criminal disputes – which require the enforcement of criminal law – I believe that mediation is the best way to handle these cases. They can indeed be dealt with on the ground without appearing in courts,” says Evelyn.

Evelyn says that in the past, mediation services may not have been considered professional, but times have changed. With the increasing complexity of disputes and the need for specialist expertise, she believes it’s essential to professionalise mediation services to ensure that mediators have the necessary training, skills and experience to resolve disputes effectively.

Next month, the CMA will welcome hundreds of delegates to a two-day conference with keynote speakers on ‘Building a Trusted Social, Political and Diplomatic System of ADR through Mediation’. It will be led by Evelyn and her Kenyan team.

This is the first conference of its kind to be held in Kenya since the adoption of the 2010 Constitution, which allows the judiciary to explore and promote alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation – which is now a form of professional service. The conference workshops will involve youth groups, women and children, as well as social workers, teachers, doctors, engineers, media and social networks.

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