Participant Space

I am Aleksandra from Tallinn, Estonia. Currently the student in bachelor in the field of Social Sciences. At the same time I’m the freelancer, youth worker and the active participant of the ERASMUS+ programme. Working with youth is a huge inspiration and challenge, exactly this mix attracts me the most.

I decided to join the ADR First Kit project because it’s totally new unexplored field as for professional as private life. If talking honestly I was super interested to participate in the project but it didn’t work out at the beggining, but thank to the destiny or the situation had the chance to nevertheless to be a part of it. After the frist training in Worcester the Estonian team made lots of effort with the cooperation of NGO, other youth worker and young people to spread the idea of ADR kit. We can proudly say that we are on the way to explore more and we can already see the advantages of it.

My favourite quote related to ADR is the most powerful question WHY? I don’t remember exactly who said it but our trainers during the training were always mentioning this. During the trainign and after coming back home I am always asking myself the post powerful question ‘WHY’ to every situation in my life either connected to professional or private life. And honestly saying several months later it changed my life pretty a lot.

Back home I’ll be happy to implement even more ideas, create more materials, share the wonderful time with the participants of ADR kit and I even had a thought if it is possible to manage  something more on the local level in Tallinn connected to ADR…

I am Ann Kristin, an old soul from the cold and dark Northern-Norway, who enjoys drinking beer in the midnight sun. I work with peace and war and religion and politics and so on, and sometimes I am really good at it! I see a Nobel Peace Prize in my near future, naturally helped by my new ADR skills.

I decided to join to the First ADR Kit project because I’m always looking for new tools and methods of non-formal education to use in my line of work. And I like the title “First ADR Kit”, cause I like playing with words.

My favorite quote related to ADR is “One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears – by listening to them” by Donald Dean Rusk.

Back home I’ll be happy to keep calm and mediate and teach others to do the same.

I am Anya, an experienced Caseworker and Negotiator for University and College Union:  mediation and negotiation skills are relevant to resolving issues that affect staff.  I have worked with my Branch to build Trust and have promoted informal and alternative processes, which has resulted in better outcomes for members and the organisation. In my role as Chair of Newcastle Parks Forum I have worked with a group of representative members of individual park groups with diverse needs and interests to become a body for formal consultation by finding commonalities and working to shared goals.

I decided to join the project because I am passionate about education and learning: I hope to learn from my European colleagues as well as share knowledge and experience with them. I would like to develop my own skills to enable me to provide mediation to young people and people who work with young people and to peer train colleagues.  The skills are also transferable to trade unionism. Working with diverse individuals bound by a common goal, shared values and a passion for the young people they work with, is inspirational and uplifting.  ERASMUS+ projects are incredible opportunities which provide social engagement and learning on so many levels.

My favourite quote related to ADR is “Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there”  the 13^th Century the Persian poet Rumi. There is a possible place beyond the current conflict, where we can connect as human beings again.  By stepping forward to a goal it is easier to find a methodology for working through emotional tensions, reducing stressors for all involved.  Favourable outcomes can be reached in mediation by moving past the impasse and towards a preferable future situation.

Back home I’ll be happy to facilitate workshops to introduce young people, youth workers, educators and trade unionists to the principles of mediation, communication for mediation, active listening and overcoming blocks in communication.

I am Federica, I’m from Italy. I work as social educator at public schools promoting inclusion. I use no formal educational methods supporting children and kids and individualizing the teaching to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.

I decided to join the ADR First Kit project because I needed more knowledge about mediation and active listening, bust most of all I always need new educational tools and possibilities to learn in an active way. I’ll use all the outcomes of this course with young people at school, and their educators and teachers.

My favourite quote related to ADR is: “If a problem can’t be solved within the frame it was conceived, the solution lies in reframing the problem” by Brian McGreevy. In my opinion “reframing “ is the key of mediation: look at the situation and give a new order and new clearer meanings to the situation.

Back home I’ll be happy to offer some workshops, presentations etc. on the topic of ADR or wish to actually help in the mediation process where needed, please state it here – who could be the target group, where, when, how to reach you, etc.. Otherwise, you can leave this section blank.

I am Gabriella and I live in the northern beautiful part of Norway, in a small village outside of Alta. On daily basis I`m the manager of ”Cleft lip and palate assosiation”, a national patient organization taking care of the interests for kids, youngsters and adults, born with a cleft lip and palate. I´m also a project manager and do varied types of local, regional, national and international projects.

I decided to join the ADR First Kit project because I strongly believe mediation tools has a significant place in youth work and the field of youth in general. By offering youngsters and youthworkers non-formal learning methods in mediation we can give the youngsters an advantage in personal and professional life. And also, in long term a recognition of youthwork and as a support structure for young people, both on local, national and international level.

My favourite quote related to ADR is: ”You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist” by Indira Gandhi

Back home I will be happy to start to use the mediation tool on local level by organising workshops for local organizations/high schools in general. I also plan to apply for a international youth exchange, with the topic human rights/indigenous issues, with mediation as the main non-formal learning methods. I will contact relevant stakeholders in the field og youthwork, both in municipalities and the county of my region and start building up a network of competences. I will also offer my competence according to mediation as a trainers/lecturer

I am Irmina, a student of social work, particularly interested in gender and inter-cultural perspective in social work, sociology and culture. I am collaborating with Youth Development and Integration Assosciation STRIM from Cracow, Poland.

I decided to join the ADR First Kit project because I believe that long-term project can be influential and powerful. And I am particularly interested in the field of effective communication and conflict resolution methods, because they are natural and substantial part of living. I am eager to learn more and to work on myself in order to be able to transmit positive patterns of attitude and behavior among my peers and colleagues.

My favourite quote related to ADR is: “People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them” by Epictetus.

I am Leila from the UK but really a person of the world, with family from Asia and Latin America. I have been involved in the youth field for 15 years now, and have been focusing on informal education for the last 4 years. Having undertaken a wide range of training, I now hold developing experience of delivering informal and nonformal training activities. I am creative in my approach to designing and delivering training courses on a wide range of subjects, especially linked to soft skill development, intercultural sensitivity and inclusion. With developed experience in the charity and voluntary sector, I am able to work with people from a variety of backgrounds, maintaining an important personable approach.

I decided to join the ADR First Kit project because I wanted to develop my areas of expertise in topics that Ic an offer the youth field here in Wales, where I live. Mediation and conflict resolution is something I trained in 15 years ago and haven’t actively done much in since, so i wanted to rejuvenate my skills and abilities and learn how I can apply this now in my work and pass the knowledge to others!

My favourite quote related to ADR is “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people” by Victor Borge. This is because mediation is about getting people to a common ground and ending with both parties feeling good. Laughter is the shortest space and also the space in which people feel good. It can get people feeling more confirmation with each other and with themselves. I think if you can get people to laugh in mediation then you have done a good job.

Back home I’ll be happy to work with others to deliver some of the mediation skills and tools developed and used over the project to young people and youth workers so they can start thinking of using them in their lives.

I am Marianne, an information affair officer with a specialization in education. Currently I work with the United Nations Association of Norway. I was previously a teacher of history, drama and media and communication for youth aged 15-19.

I decided to join the project because I wanted to learn mediation skills and find ways to use these skills in youth work.

My favorite quote related to ADR is: “It’s never really about what it’s about”.

Back home in Norway I’ll be happy to give workshops on different topics such as: active listening, different types of conflicts, dealing with emotions.

I am Marzia, I’m Italian, 35 years old and, since 16 years, I’m a youth worker expert in non formal education. I work especially at local and European level and I developed my competences working in different associations in Italy, France and Spain and collaborating with different European partners.

I decided to join the ADR First Kit project because I think that learning a methodology for solving the conflicts and facilitate the discussions is a fundamental tool for any social work.

My favorite quote related to ADR is: Well, I apologize for quoting myself, but I really had a revelation, during the English part of the project and I resumed it saying “I need to breath”. Trying myself in the mediator role, during the simulations, I felt very stressed because of the emotional involvement and I understood the importance of keeping calm, breathing and doing our best for rationalise without being emotional. The second quote I have is another participants Ufuk quote: “go deep”. In some situations we don’t have to simply “accept” everything what the parties say, we should go deeper and keep posing questions and try to reach the real origin of the conflict! And that’s one of the most difficult point of the mediation.

Back home I’ll be happy to use all the things I have learned.

I am Olga and I am a language teacher, a translator, and a youth worker from Tallinn, Estonia. For more than 3 years I am involved in the work of the NGO “Youth Club Active” mostly as a group leader for Erasmus + youth exchanges and trainings. Furthermore, I am currently working as Vice-President of the Erasmus Student Network Estonia, the organisation provides all kind of support for the incoming and outgoing Erasmus students.  I am passionate about education and travelling.

I decided to join the First ADR Kit project because I consider the methods of the Alternative Dispute Resolution very important to be delivered into the youth work.  While working with the young generation, I recognized the need of developing conflict resolution skills among them. Back home I’ll be happy to facilitate more activities connected to ADR (workshops at the youth centers and schools) and share my knowledge about mediation and different methods of conflict resolution with young people and other youth workers.

My favorite quote related to ADR is „Listen not for answering but for a better understanding“. Quite often we forget how important it is just to be listened to, heard and understood. Sometimes a lack of it might result in a conflict. A good mediator makes sure that both sides of the conflict have a chance to express their opinion and are heard by the other side, which leads to sucssessful conflict resolution.

I am Sean, a freelance trainer from Milton Keynes, which is a new city about 60 km north of London. I’ve taken part in many diverse European youth projects as volunteer, participant, trainer or organizer. I love comedy, music, theatre, travel and lots more – and I often use them as part of my work.

I joined the First ADR Kit project because I thought I could learn some more about mediation and also contribute to the creative output of the overall project.

My favorite quote related to ADR is “I know you believe you understand what you think I said but I’m not sure you realise that what you heard is not what I meant”.

Back home I’ll be happy to promote the First ADR Kit in my work and use elements such as the workshops and games too!

I am Stefano. I’m working with Italian Red Cross, at Pesaro’s Commitee. I’m in charge for organizational development and participation but also for communication, promotion and voluntary policies, development of strategic partnerships and fundraising. About the youth field I’m woorking too with the National Civil Service volunteers and European Voluntary Service volunteers.

I decided to join the First ADR Kit project because I don’t know nothing about ADR yet and I need to learn! I think that these skills will be useful in my daily work and this project is a real opportunity for growth and improvement.

My favourite quote related to ADR is “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity” by Albert Einstein. The conflicts are a form of relationship and every day we experience different (personal, educational, occupational, emotional conflicts) but we can learn how to turn them into resources for personal and social development. On one hand this is a difficult challenge, the other is our chance to learn how to live better.

 I am Ufuk, senior trainer and consultant on youth policy from city of Izmir, Turkey who currently lives in Poland. Currently working on innovative methods in non-formal education and hybrid approach bringing cross-sectoral understanding to various institutions around Europe.

I joined the First ADR Kit project because I would like to get more knowledge and skills on the mediation topic as such and try to contribute with my experience as much as I can for reaching sustainable outcomes.

My favorite quote related to ADR is “Keep calm and mediate”. Mediation needs long, deep and sensitive process. You need to work through the emotions, positions and the interests and in order to do that you invest huge amount of time, effort and understanding.

Back home I’ll be happy to implement the new methods and promote ADR in my upcoming trainings and workshops with different institutions as well as unexpected moments and places in the field of youth work and NGO’s.