The RepublicCenter for Mediation Established

Belgrade, August 25, 2006

The Republic Center for Mediation was officially established in Belgrade on August 25th 2006. The Center was opened by the Serbian Minister of Justice Zoran Stojkovic and the IFC’s Executive Vice President, Lars Thunell. The founders of this Center are the Ministry of Justice, the National Bank of Serbia, the Belgrade Bar Association, and the Child Rights Center.

The Center will have departments for commercial, employment, family, general civil mediation and victim-offender mediation as well as separate department for the insurance cases mediated by the National Bank of Serbia.

The Center will be the competent institution to provide trainings for future mediators according to the Regulation on Training Program for Mediators, to issue mediator licenses and manage the list of mediators, to assign mediators in cases referred to mediation, etc. The Center will also draft the Standards of Conduct for Mediators.

Until 2008 the Republic Center for Mediation will be supported by the IFC in cooperation with the Canadian and Netherlands government. Upon the expiration of this grant, the Center should be able to support itself without further donations.

The First General Assembly of the Association of Mediators of Serbia

Belgrade, October 2, 2006

The first General Assembly of the Association of Mediators of Sebia (AmS) was held in Belgrade on October 2, 2006. Beside the founders of AmS, guests were mediators from all over Serbia as well as representatives of some non-governmental organisations interested in cooperation with AmS. The first General Assembly adopted the Membership Regulation. It is expected that a great number of mediators working in Serbia will join the Association in the nearest future.

In 2007 the AmS will establish sections for certain types of mediation since most of the current members are mediators practicing family mediation, school/peer mediation or victim-offender mediation.

Recently AmS designed its first web-site www.medijacija.org.  At this moment, the web-site offers relevant information only in Serbian. English version of the web-site can be expected in the nearest future.

The First Mediation Round-Table Discussion Gathers All Organisations/Institutions Supporting Mediation in Serbia

Belgrade, October 6, 2006

This October, the representatives of different organisations and institutions had the opportunity to get together for the first time at the round table discussion “Development of Mediation Services”. The round table was organised by the NGO Amity, UNICEF and City Center for Social Work in Belgrade based on the initiative of the Social Innovation Fund of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Affairs of the Republic of Serbia.

Participants of this round table were representatives of different local and regional organisations, associations and institutions providing and promoting mediation services in Serbia as well as representatives of the Government.

The purpose of the round table was to allow exchange of opinions between participants regarding future development of mediation services in Serbia and to improve future cooperation in this area. During the first part of the round table all participants had the opportunity to present the institution they are coming from and its work in mediation field. The second part of the event was reserved for the discussion on different mediation related issues.

Jelena Arsic, the SEEMF national coordiantor for Serbia, gave a brief presentation on the SEEMF. Ms. Arsic informed all participants on the First Regional SEEMF Conference in Skopje that will be held in October 2006 and invited all individuals and organisations dealing with mediation in Serbia to join and support this regional initiative.

One Year Specialization in Mediation at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade

October 25, 2006

For three years already, the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade offers one year specialization in mediation.  The curriculum includes different subjects, i.e., the theory of social conflicts, mediation theory and practice with separate courses on  school/peer mediation, family mediation and victim/offender mediation.  At the end of the Program students have final specialization exam. This specialization program meets all Bologna Declaration requirements as well as the requirements set up in the Regulation on Training Program for Mediators of the Republic of Serbia.

In addition to specialization courses, this October all graduates had the opportunity to attend two advanced mediation courses on specific family mediation issues, e.g., including the child in mediation process, mediation in domestic violence cases and supervision in mediation. All courses were held by the distinguished family mediator and trainer, Ms. Lesley Allport from the United Kingdom.

More about this specialization studies on www.fpn.bg.ac.yu.