Etablierung eines europäischen Curriculums für Mediationsausbildung

3 Februar 2020

Prof. Dominic Busch, Professur für Interkulturelle Kommunikation und Konfliktforschung, hat beim Horizon 2020-ERASMUS-Programm das Projekt "European Mediation Training" eingeworben.

Laufzeit: 01.09.2020 bis 31.08.2023
Förderer: Europäische Kommission - H2020-ERASMUS

The aim of this project is to establish a strategic partnership between the training institutes for mediation in the partner countries. Together, we aim to develop a European curriculum for a mediation training and to offer future students the opportunity of a European education and training program. Through a joint European training, the participants will gain a deeper understanding of the specifics of conflict resolution in the individual countries and a network of European colleagues. Common values of an extrajudicial, peaceful conflict resolution are thus strengthened. Civil engagement is provided with methods and means for the efficient clarification of emerging and transnational conflicts and participation processes are supported by an interest based form of deescalating communication (methods of mediation). This project addresses the overarching goal of "common values, civic engagement and participation". This is relevant because conflicts in society are less and less resolved through power. This development can be seen in different fields of social life. There is hardly a major infrastructure project today that does not give rise to protests. Only if those responsible manage to enter into dialogue with the various interest groups at the beginning of such projects is it likely that implementation will be largely free of disruption. Organizational and project structures in companies are also becoming increasingly flatter (this trend can be observed regardless of the cultural understanding of hierarchy). Teams work more self determined and flexible. A "command structure", as it was still lived by management a few years ago, is disappearing. At the European level, participation as a form of dialogue is in demand it requires experts and knowledge of the approach of the individual member states. This project aims to create a common basis for this. Within the EU, mediation offers itself as an alternative way of resolving conflicts across borders. From inheritance disputes to disputes between companies or custody disputes. Mediation is also successfully used in participation processes. In general, mediation is an instrument for working on common values, civic engagement and participation. The self determination of the parties is an elementary characteristic of the process. This approach also pursues an educational goal: the parties' ability to find their own solutions should not only be strengthened with regard to the current conflict, but also improve the competence of the participants in conflict resolution with regard to future projects. The mediation session on the current conflict becomes the "training program" for subsequent conflict resolution. In literature this approach is also called "transformative mediation". Another mediation approach is the de sire to initiate social change through mediation (Social Transformation Project). Here a connection between the mediation of concrete conflicts and the community is established. This can take place as "food for thought" ¬ the parties mentally transfer the results to a larger social context and thus, expand their collective consciousness. Another priority is to support individuals in the acquisition and development of basic skills and key competencies. Mediation training is conducted with different motivations: It leads to the further qualification of people in professions that do not require conflict resolution skills as a core task but do need conflict resolution skills in their original profession. These are, for ex ample, people in social professions, managers, people in contact with the public such as in public authorities, banks, medical practices, people in voluntary and honorary positions such as associations, refugee aid organizations, political parties and educators. For these people, mediation competencies are an additional knowledge, an additional method to better cope with the challenges of their working environment, to prevent conflicts, to deal with emerging conflicts professionally and to support their environment with the skills they have learned. The other target group of mediation training is those people who would like to become mediators: they already have a training (mostly psychological, social, legal or economic) and would now like to become mediators. These are people who are already selfemployed (e.g. therapists), who will continue with their therapeutic practice but also offer mediation services. Our project is about the acquisition of the key competencies conflict resolution as well as a specific intercultural competenceies in this area.

^{Bildquelle: iStockphoto / Sebastian Gorczowski}