Mediating beyond our local borders can sometimes be a very different experience to how we mediate in our own country and culture. In this webinar, a group of experienced mediators who have worked in diverse cross-cultural settings will share their insights and lessons learned from these environments. Some of these experiences include being asked to help mediate conflicts around witchcraft in remote villages of the Central African Republic, and adultery in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Myanmar border.
All money raised from this webinar will be donated to Mediators Beyond Borders Oceania (MBBO).
Proudly supporting Mediators Beyond Borders Oceania
About your presenters
Michael Wagambie is provisionally accredited mediator in PNG and lawyer with a strong background in cross-cultural mediation and conflict resolution. With expertise in negotiation, workplace conflict management, and legal practice, Michael has worked extensively in both criminal and civil law, navigating complex disputes in diverse cultural contexts. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Conflict Management and Resolution from James Cook University. As a lecturer at the School of Law, University of Papua New Guinea, Michael also trains future legal professionals, sharing his knowledge in alternative dispute resolution and legal clinical programs.
Alex Azarov is a peace seeker and has been working in the field of peacebuilding for the last 10 years. Six of these were in Ukraine supporting dialogue and mediation practitioners. More recently, he’s been directing a peacebuilding programme in Fiji and developing one in Solomon Islands. Having discovered ADR during his law degree, I knew that this would be his passion. Starting out as a tenant advocate, he then got my Masters of Mediation & Conflict Resolution at UQ and worked as a tenancy conciliator for 3 years. His idealism took over and he became interested in international conflict resolution, moving back to his roots to an internship with International Crisis Group in Moscow. Eventually, he got lucky and started working for a Belgian non-profit NGO in Ukraine. At the start of this year, quite disillusioned with the peacebuilding ‘industry’, he made the decision to go back to mediation and is now working as a Family Dispute Resolution in Melbourne. Alex is into dialogue methodologies, nonviolent communication, Theatre of the Oppressed, working with men to promote healthy masculinity, music & peacebuilding. He speaks Ukrainian and Russian and longs for the day when Ukraine is victorious and free, and Russia is free from tyranny.
Michael Gouda is a Papua New Guinea – Based conflict resolution practitioner and land-administrator. Michael’s specialties include mediation, counseling and land management. He started his working career with the PNG Department of Justice under the Office of the Public Trustee for the last 13 years after graduating from the PNG University of Technology. He has a Master of Conflict Resolution & Management from the Australia James Cook University and is currently the PNG Regional Deputy Public Trustee facilitating mediation for disputed deceased estates.
Claire Holland is a highly skilled conflict specialist with global experience in mediation, group facilitation, coaching, and training.
As the Director of the Conflict Management and Resolution Program at James Cook University (2017 – 2023), with 10 years as a conflict management practitioner and academic; ‘pracademic’ (2013 – 2023) and two dedicated years as an international conflict specialist (2011 – 2013) Claire has significantly influenced and contributed to theory, practice, education, and scholarship in the dispute resolution and conflict management field.
She has successfully developed and implemented processes and support tools in her multiple roles as a project-based consultant advising, supporting, training, and building capacity of individuals and groups to better manage conflict. Claire possesses extensive expertise in education, curriculum development, online and face-to-face learning, fostering leadership development, and capacity building in educational, workplace, and community settings globally. She has worked in complex and protracted settings on the Thailand-Myanmar border and in the Philippines, as well as project-based work in the Solomon Islands.
Claire is a PhD candidate, holds a Master of Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Graduate Certificate of Education, and a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws.
Judith Rafferty has 15 years of experience in conflict resolution practice, research, and education across Australia and internationally. Since 2011, she has worked as a mediator, conflict management coach, and facilitator. An internationally respected researcher, Judith has notable experience in qualitative studies with vulnerable populations in conflict and post-conflict settings. She has conducted extensive research in Rwanda and the Central African Republic, where she developed training materials to support village chiefs in providing informal conflict resolution services.
Maureen Inglis works as a mediator, facilitator and coach. An IMI Certified Intercultural Mediator, experience includes workplace, civil court and not-for-profit organisations. She has worked with a broad range of people from executive level through to weekly paid employees in city, rural and remote locations.
In addition, Maureen’s experience includes facilitating processes such as conflict management and problem solving, counselling, planning, training and development. Her range of roles over the past several years has involved working as a Contractor for national firms in areas such as critical incident (trauma), conflict consulting, counselling, planning, training and development. She has been on deployments across Australia.
As a member of Mediators Beyond Borders International, Maureen has facilitated intercultural mediations, recently worked in East Java training University students in Mediation and Dialogue as well as training and coaching women and youth leaders in Sierra Leone.
From the bush to the boardroom, Sarah’s experience with multi-party, cross cultural commercial and community cases has enabled her to help her clients navigate complex decision-making during times of confusion, growth and even crisis. Sarah focuses on nurturing collaborative practice through a lens of governance functionality. This draws together values, culture, systems and people to enable clarity, innovation and trust. From the bush to the boardroom, Sarah’s experience with multi-party, cross cultural commercial and community cases has enabled her to help her clients navigate complex decision-making during times of confusion, growth and even crisis. Sarah focuses on nurturing collaborative practice through a lens of governance functionality. This draws together values, culture, systems and people to enable clarity, innovation and trust.
Lee is a Dispute Resolution Specialist, Accredited Mediator, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, Conflict Coach, Post-separation Parenting Coach, and Group Convenor, who regularly conducts mediations in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Lee is also a Course Developer, Trainer & Assessor for new mediators and FDRPs, and is also a clinical supervisor for interns and experienced practitioners. Lee is the Director of iDRstart, a company dedicated to empowering and evolving lives through Dispute Resolution and support services nationally and cross-border. Lee is well known as an over-achiever, being awarded a University Medal for her Dual Masters, one of which is in Conflict Management and Resolution.
