After three days of intensive camping to sharpen mediation skills, the 5th Mediation Expedition, aimed at promoting professional mediation practice, has ended at the Aburi Gardens in the Eastern region, with a call on Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) practitioners to support in resolving the increasing disputes that have engulfed the Ghanaian society.
The annual mediation camping event, organised by the Gamey and Gamey ADR Institute and ADR Daily, drew together professionals from diverse fields for the skills development programme.
It was held as part of the institute’s Professional Executive Master of ADR (PEM.ADR) training, and was designed to refine participants’ skills in ADR through practical simulations, networking opportunities, and community engagement activities.
The expedition, supported by Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), Golden Exotics, Millennium Insurance, and HPW Fresh & Dry, was held on the theme “Shaping Sustainable Peaceful Futures Through Quality ADR Practice,” highlighting the relevance of ADR, especially mediation in addressing conflicts across various sectors in Ghana and beyond.
Participants engaged in a series of simulation exercises aimed at enhancing their mediation skills with scenarios designed to reflect real-world challenges in conflict resolution. The event also included a community outreach segment, which aimed to raise public awareness about ADR’s benefits.
Guided by seasoned mediators and facilitators, including Austin Gamey, Lizzy-Ann Kwagbedzi, Edmund Mingle and Felix Bonnie, the participants conducted mediation role-plays in which they demonstrated their mediation skills acquired through the 31 weeks of PEM.ADR training at the Gamey and Gamey ADR Institute.
The completion of the expedition paves the way for the graduation of the participants from the PEM.ADR course to become certified ADR practitioners.
There were also discussions on topical issues including labour dispute management and industrial relations development led by Dr. Bernice Welbeck, Head of Administration and Human Resources at the National Labour Commission, who emphasized the importance of ADR in fostering constructive labour relations and reducing workplace conflicts, underscoring ADR’s potential to contribute to a stable industrial environment in Ghana.
“This year’s expedition has been a tremendous success, allowing participants to test their skills in realistic settings while connecting with others in the ADR field,” said Austin Gamey, founder of Gamey and Gamey ADR Institute.
Addressing the closing session, Mr Gamey urged Mediators to intervene to help in resolving some of the raging institutional and community disputes in the country, including the Bawku chieftaincy conflict, which he believes requires mediation.
“Society needs mediators for sustainable peace, and as mediators, we need to add value to our homes, organisations and communities by intervening to prevent the escalation of disputes or helping to resolve conflicts,” he said.
Mrs Lizzy-Ann Kwagbedzi, deputy CEO of Gamey and Gamey Group, for her part, urged the participants to leverage the new skills acquired to act as change agents in their organisations.
She noted that the fast-growing ADR industry in Ghana required skilled professionals to offer quality ADR services to organisations and individuals, so as to grow and sustain public confidence in the industry.
She gave the assurance that the Gamey and Gamey ADR Institute would continue to play its leading role in supporting the growth of the industry by churning out quality and skilled ADR professionals to effectively facilitate the resolution of disputes.
Mr Edmund Mingle, Editor of ADR Daily and Event Coordinator, expressed gratitude for the support from the event sponsors, which has advanced the mission of promoting ADR as a sustainable means of conflict resolution in Ghana.
He noted that the expedition provided a unique platform for professionals to sharpen their mediation skills, directly aligning with the sponsors’ shared vision of fostering organisational peace and development.
As part of the networking, there were presentations from representatives of Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), Golden Exotics, Millennium Insurance, and HPW Fresh & Dry.
