PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA and Association of Netherlands Municipalities VNG International will be hosting the first Mediation Congress this Friday, made possible by financial support from the Dutch Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations BZK. The congress aims to increase awareness for mediation post-Hurricane Irma as a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties with concrete effects.
The congress will be held at the Belair Community Centre from 9:00am to 3:00pm.
Minister of Public Health Emil Lee said on Wednesday, “Clearly, after Hurricane Irma, with increased competition for fewer resources, there is clearly a lot of tension in the economy, in all different levels of our society. One way of conflict resolution is through dialogue, through mediation.
“The skills that it takes to properly mediate are also skills that are very valuable to the Ministry. Many of the staff members here are doing intakes for financial aid, medical aid and whatever type of assistance that persons can receive via the Ministry. The staff is obviously sometimes dealing with very tense situations, very frustrated people. And so, learning skills on how to resolve conflicts, how to mediate those, are important skills for the Ministry and for the community to have.”
The congress will be interactive, with a professional line-up of speakers and presentations, offering the opportunity for participants to ask questions. Speakers and presenters include VSA Minister Lee; Hans Leijtens, Director General Recovery Windward Islands, Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands; and Ombudsman Bureau legal advisor Gwendolien Mossel.
VNG will be supporting government with various recovery programmes post-Irma. The programmes are designed to strengthen the country’s disaster preparedness plans and promote harmony in the labour market. One of the VSA Ministry’s supported projects is focussed on mediation.
This week 20-30 civil servants are taking part in Mediation Week, which will end with the congress on Friday. Persons interested in attending the congress can contact the Ministry of VSA to inquire about availability of spaces at e-mail
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“As we look at our community, we are resource-challenged and there is conflict in the marketplace. We simply hope that, rather than going to court, rather than entering protracted legal battles, persons can find amicable solutions that are in the interest of all players. Again, we thank the VNG for their support in this programme and supporting our government,” said Lee.
