The first Mediation Breakfast Seminar was delivered by Fatma Ibrahim, Operations Officer, International Finance Corporation (Middle East and North Africa).
The seminar focused on the role of mediator, as opposed to arbitrators and judges, in assisting parties in dispute reach amicable settlement, rather than imposing a decision on them. The lecturer expounded on the flexible nature of the mediation process, where the mediator focuses on all sides of the dispute (commercial, emotional, and legal), in contrast to adjudicative systems that focus solely on the legal side of the dispute. Ms. Ibrahim also demonstrated how the mediator explores with the parties the issues in dispute, restores communication between the parties, and assists them explore different and creative solutions to their dispute.
Participants represented an interesting diversity of professions. Beside lawyers and arbitrators, there were representatives of many business sectors such as real state, construction, investment, management of projects and information technology sectors. Federation of agricultural engineers, state lawsuit authority and centres for economic studies.
