THE FULL TEXT OF WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT,
INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED MEDIATORS AND CONCILIATORS, ICMC, CHIEF
EMEKA OBEGOLU ON THE OCCASION OF THE SPECIAL FELLOWSHIP COURSE
ORGANISED BY THE ICMC AT THE TRANSCORP HILTON HOTEL ABUJA ON THE
7th SEPTEMBER 2017
Protocol
I am highly elated by the current level of interest in mediation
and the high degree of response to our deliberately chosen
nominations for the fellowship of the Institute of Chartered
Mediators and Conciliators. The Council of ICMC carefully selected
and approved each of you in this room for this course and that
explains the quality of resource present here.
It was the sage, Mahatma Ghandi that is reported to have said:
“I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Nonviolence are
as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both
on as vast a scale as I could.” Ghandi was speaking about what he
termed his encounter with the truth. In his autobiography, this
gentleman of the orient exposed the efficacy of non-violent dispute
resolution. Ghandi traversed his experiences within colonial India
and how he resolved to engage the authorities by silent, passive
resistance. Like Nelson Mandela and his years in the apartheid
prison system, the selfless giving and orientation of these two
gentlemen would eventually become hallmarks of acceptable conflict
resolution. Ghandi and Mandela will continue to be acknowledged as
perceptive and clear sighted individuals who used their knowledge
and status for the good of others and not just themselves. The
practice of mediation requires similar selflessness and
perseverance.
Mediation is a dispute resolution mechanism in a spectrum that
includes formal and informal adjudicatory processes, and
retributive self-help orientations. Adjudication allows for a third
party to decide and give a binding decision that would end a
dispute. The other end of the spectrum is what we see manifesting
in the human desire for revenge.
The practice of mediation is a conviction. A lawyer will go to
court and follow the rules of court; lead evidence and cross
examine witnesses, but a mediator is limited in his/her adherence
to rules to only those rules he/she selects and allows to govern
the mediation process. The mediator is continuously forced to
depend on his/her intuition and prior knowledge of human nature and
subject matter to guide the process. It is not possible to teach
how to be a mediator per se, as this is a function of your personal
conviction and we believe that each of you have mediated disputes
before now, though informally. But it is possible to assist you
learn how to conduct a mediation session. Once your conviction
brings you to mediation, learning how to conduct a mediation
session becomes routine. It becomes a routine that builds
seamlessly into habits which your nature has already
established.
It is in consideration of the busy schedule of our nominees that
we divided this fellowship programme into three parts consisting of
pre-course, workshop and post-course assignments.
The pre-course materials which I believe you have studied were
collected with the aim of giving you an idea of the vastness of
mediation and its practice around the world. I hope you did justice
to the materials. They form the foundation upon which our
discussions at this course. After todays interactive workshop, we
will give you post course assignments that will form part of your
assessment for the rank of Fellow of ICMC.
The Fellow cadre is the highest grade of membership of the
Institute. This means that whoever bears the title of Fellow,
Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, FICMC, has
attained the highest level of proficiency in mediation practice.
Such a graded practitioner must be seen to be versatile in handling
dispute and conflict resolution through mediation including the
possible acknowledgement of or preference for any particular model
of mediation practice. We believe this training will put you all on
a course that will lead to your being seen as representing the core
values and principles of mediation practice.
By the end of this day, you should be comfortable in your
appreciation of mediation as a viable and reliable choice when
determining the appropriate dispute resolution mechanism by which
to resolve any disputes. I know this because you have chosen to do
this. You believe and you have decided to make your actions shape
the values you cherish, I am certain you are destined to contribute
to the positive changes our justice system urgently needs. Man
often becomes what he believes himself to be. You all will be
mediators to be reckoned with because of your belief and the
choices you have made so far. Today’s interaction will give you the
capacity to conduct a mediation intervention according to your
disposition.
We have structured today’s course deliberately to give you the
chance of using your personal dispute resolution methods in
comparison to the structure of a mediation. Your varied backgrounds
constitute a minefield which the Institute expects to mine for
ideas. Your certification and admission as Fellows will reinforce
the knowledge base of mediation practice in Nigeria. I say this
with the highest sense of responsibility.
Each participant here has something to contribute to the practice
of mediation and to give it the momentum it deserves. In that
respect, the Institute stands in the same stead with you. It
expects to learn from your wealth of experience, as it expects the
faculty to lead discussions that hinge on the principles
underpinning mediation practice all over the world. I am proud and
feel highly honoured to welcome you all to this learning
experience. You are welcome and I wish you the best.
Thank you for listening.
Emeka J. P. Obegolu, FICMC, FICArb(UK)
President, ICMC
THE FULL TEXT OF WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT,
INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED MEDIATORS AND CONCILIATORS, ICMC, CHIEF
EMEKA OBEGOLU ON THE OCCASION OF THE SPECIAL FELLOWSHIP COURSE
ORGANISED BY THE ICMC AT THE TRANSCORP HILTON HOTEL ABUJA ON THE
7th SEPTEMBER 2017
Protocol
I am highly elated by the current level of interest in mediation
and the high degree of response to our deliberately chosen
nominations for the fellowship of the Institute of Chartered
Mediators and Conciliators. The Council of ICMC carefully selected
and approved each of you in this room for this course and that
explains the quality of resource present here.
It was the sage, Mahatma Ghandi that is reported to have said:
“I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Nonviolence are
as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both
on as vast a scale as I could.” Ghandi was speaking about what he
termed his encounter with the truth. In his autobiography, this
gentleman of the orient exposed the efficacy of non-violent dispute
resolution. Ghandi traversed his experiences within colonial India
and how he resolved to engage the authorities by silent, passive
resistance. Like Nelson Mandela and his years in the apartheid
prison system, the selfless giving and orientation of these two
gentlemen would eventually become hallmarks of acceptable conflict
resolution. Ghandi and Mandela will continue to be acknowledged as
perceptive and clear sighted individuals who used their knowledge
and status for the good of others and not just themselves. The
practice of mediation requires similar selflessness and
perseverance.
Mediation is a dispute resolution mechanism in a spectrum that
includes formal and informal adjudicatory processes, and
retributive self-help orientations. Adjudication allows for a third
party to decide and give a binding decision that would end a
dispute. The other end of the spectrum is what we see manifesting
in the human desire for revenge.
The practice of mediation is a conviction. A lawyer will go to
court and follow the rules of court; lead evidence and cross
examine witnesses, but a mediator is limited in his/her adherence
to rules to only those rules he/she selects and allows to govern
the mediation process. The mediator is continuously forced to
depend on his/her intuition and prior knowledge of human nature and
subject matter to guide the process. It is not possible to teach
how to be a mediator per se, as this is a function of your personal
conviction and we believe that each of you have mediated disputes
before now, though informally. But it is possible to assist you
learn how to conduct a mediation session. Once your conviction
brings you to mediation, learning how to conduct a mediation
session becomes routine. It becomes a routine that builds
seamlessly into habits which your nature has already
established.
It is in consideration of the busy schedule of our nominees that
we divided this fellowship programme into three parts consisting of
pre-course, workshop and post-course assignments.
The pre-course materials which I believe you have studied were
collected with the aim of giving you an idea of the vastness of
mediation and its practice around the world. I hope you did justice
to the materials. They form the foundation upon which our
discussions at this course. After todays interactive workshop, we
will give you post course assignments that will form part of your
assessment for the rank of Fellow of ICMC.
The Fellow cadre is the highest grade of membership of the
Institute. This means that whoever bears the title of Fellow,
Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, FICMC, has
attained the highest level of proficiency in mediation practice.
Such a graded practitioner must be seen to be versatile in handling
dispute and conflict resolution through mediation including the
possible acknowledgement of or preference for any particular model
of mediation practice. We believe this training will put you all on
a course that will lead to your being seen as representing the core
values and principles of mediation practice.
By the end of this day, you should be comfortable in your
appreciation of mediation as a viable and reliable choice when
determining the appropriate dispute resolution mechanism by which
to resolve any disputes. I know this because you have chosen to do
this. You believe and you have decided to make your actions shape
the values you cherish, I am certain you are destined to contribute
to the positive changes our justice system urgently needs. Man
often becomes what he believes himself to be. You all will be
mediators to be reckoned with because of your belief and the
choices you have made so far. Today’s interaction will give you the
capacity to conduct a mediation intervention according to your
disposition.
We have structured today’s course deliberately to give you the
chance of using your personal dispute resolution methods in
comparison to the structure of a mediation. Your varied backgrounds
constitute a minefield which the Institute expects to mine for
ideas. Your certification and admission as Fellows will reinforce
the knowledge base of mediation practice in Nigeria. I say this
with the highest sense of responsibility.
Each participant here has something to contribute to the practice
of mediation and to give it the momentum it deserves. In that
respect, the Institute stands in the same stead with you. It
expects to learn from your wealth of experience, as it expects the
faculty to lead discussions that hinge on the principles
underpinning mediation practice all over the world. I am proud and
feel highly honoured to welcome you all to this learning
experience. You are welcome and I wish you the best.
Thank you for listening.
Emeka J. P. Obegolu, FICMC, FICArb(UK)
President, ICMC