ACT strengthens the capacities of community actors in mediation and arbitration to prevent conflicts, with the support of the Government of Canada

ACT for Conflict Resolution has concluded a specialized training program on mediation and arbitration for conflict prevention, implemented within the framework of the project “Early Action for Safer Communities”, with the support of the Government of Canada. The program aimed to reduce the escalation of community disputes and violence in Jerusalem and to promote a culture of early intervention and peaceful solutions among youth, women, and community actors.

The training program extended over 10 sessions with a total of 40 training hours, and brought together a group of youth, women, community leaders, and local actors who are directly engaged in dealing with conflicts in their professional and social environments.

The program covered a set of integrated training modules that combined theoretical foundations with practical application, through simulation exercises and group activities reflecting the reality of conflicts in Jerusalemite society. These modules included: an introduction to the concept of community conflict, its causes and levels; the principles of mediation, the roles of the mediator, and skills for managing mediation sessions; as well as an overview of the basics of arbitration as one of the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and the conditions governing its use. The training further focused on developing skills in effective communication, active listening, questioning techniques, and reframing within the context of managing dialogue, in addition to analyzing the positions and needs of the parties and building joint solutions that uphold justice and dignity for all stakeholders.