Become a Mediation Training Partner with EMA

What is our Mediation Training Partner Program?

The Edwards Mediation Academy (EMA) Training Partner Program provides a platform for trainers, organizations, governments, and other institutions outside of the U.S. to deliver high-quality international conflict resolution training combined with localized knowledge and expertise. Centered around EMA’s online mediation and dispute resolution courses, people worldwide who might not otherwise have access to high-caliber training can learn from the most experienced mediators and mediation experts. Through our collaborative mediation and mediation lawyer training programs, EMA and our partners are helping build dispute resolution capacity and sustainable training centers in countries around the globe.

Our Mediation Training Courses

EMA’s mediation courses emphasize the fundamental principles of mediation, the mediation process, negotiation skills, and the nuanced communication skills and conflict resolution techniques gained from years of mediating some of the most complex disputes imaginable. Designed to be interactive and engaging, our courses are developed with the help of professionals who understand how adults learn best. Our instructors are the pioneers in developing the fields of mediation and dispute resolution in the US.

International Training + Localized Knowledge and Expertise

Teaching the mediation process cannot be successful in a culture vacuum. Training must be tailored through a cultural lens to be effective and sustainable, and it cannot be a one-time event.

Therefore, when we work internationally, we work through local training partners who are part of the local community. Through our partner training programs, students can access exceptional international dispute resolution training that is localized and adapted to the local conflict resolution environment to ensure they are well-versed in methodologies and practices that will work in their community.

What Does a Mediation Training Partner Program Look Like?

EMA’s training partner programs combine our online Mediation Skills Course curriculum or The Mediation Lawyer Course with live facilitation sessions from local facilitators trained and endorsed by Bruce Edwards, a co-founder of EMA. By integrating online and in-person training, students can learn culturally relevant and viable lessons from professionals experienced in making the moment-to-moment decisions required in the mediation room without the time and cost of travel.

Students in our partner training programs gain valuable knowledge and practical experience and develop relationships with others in their mediation community. The interactive training focuses on nuanced conflict resolution skills, enabling participants to effectively manage and resolve conflicts in professional, workplace, and personal settings, enhancing their mediation expertise. A lifetime EMA membership is included. Upon completion of the course, students are granted a certificate.

Who is the Mediation Training Partner Program For?

Any organization that wants to develop or enhance its existing dispute resolution training program with lessons and real-world experience from the industry’s most experienced global experts is eligible to become an Edwards Mediation Academy training partner.

Partner organizations can be from legal, government, non-profit, educational, medical, or business fields and operate locally or internationally. Each program is uniquely tailored to the specific audience and level of mediation competency within the community and legal jurisdiction. They focus on the applicable conflict resolution skills in different international settings, understanding diverse negotiation styles and mediation practices tailored to specific cultural and situational factors.

Our training partners are well-known and respected leaders in the community in which they work. After an initial assessment and respective training by EMA, they receive support in developing a structured course for their specific audience. In addition to the EMA online training modules, the training partner facilitates Q&A sessions and discussions with various community experts and/or EMA professionals after each module.

What are the Benefits of a Training Partner Program?

Partnering with Edwards Mediation Academy can bring numerous benefits to your organization. Through our collaboration, partners can offer exceptional international mediation and mediation lawyer training, grow their reach, and develop sustainable training programs that build local dispute resolution capacity. Course revenue is shared with our partners to help build and expand training capacity.

How Does the Training Partnership Work?

Below are examples of our Training Partner Programs in various countries where they have been building capacity for effective dispute resolution:

Rwanda example:

To date, there have been numerous intakes of students from the Rwandan Judiciary, Ministry of Justice, Rwandan Bar Association, various Government Ministries, Banks, NGOs, Ombuds, religious leaders, and independents. Students take the EMA online course in their own time and then meet to discuss each module with the local facilitator.
In these face-to-face group meetings, the students and facilitator discuss how the lessons apply in Rwanda’s specific legal and cultural environment and their specific areas of interest and expertise.
Upon successful completion of the course (including submission of assessments and final assignment), certificates are granted by EMA, Mediation Home Rwanda, and the Judiciary of Rwanda. Students then become eligible to begin their professional conflict resolution journey by starting in the court mediation program and joining an ongoing support group of like-minded individuals.

India Example:

Here again, we have numerous cohorts of students from the legal community, nonprofit, and business world. Students take the EMA online Mediation Skills course independently and meet weekly with local facilitators for a query resolution and localization and a separate role-play session. Additionally, they meet with Bruce Edwards and a local expert mediator after every three modules for a Q&A.
This course is certified by the International Mediation Institute (IMI) and includes 75 hours of intensive mediation training.
Upon completing the course (including online and live assessments), students are awarded certificates by EMA, CAMP, and IMI (eligible to become an IMI-certified mediator).
After completion, students join the ongoing reflective practice to continue their mediation journey.

Brazil Example:

Mediation and ADR are quickly expanding in Brazil. Our training partner uses the Mediation Lawyer Course (translated to Portuguese) for lawyers looking to expand their skills, including representing clients in mediation.
Students take the EMA course independently and meet with their local facilitators and other outside experts to discuss the changing landscape in Brazil and ways to best represent clients in this changing landscape.
Upon completion of the course and successful submission of assessments and final assignments, students are given a certificate for 40 hours. Our partner program organizes annual f/u travel to the US, touring effective and innovative ADR programs.

In addition to these programs, we have many others underway around the globe.

EMA Partner Training Program Review

As a serving Judge and a mediation enthusiast, I often wondered how I would ever get a chance to take a well-balanced and fully-fledged course that could equip me with the necessary mediation skills to use in my day-to-day work without leaving my office. I had tried several options, but they could not quench the thirst of my expectation, not until luck struck and I was introduced to Edwards Mediation Academy and their Mediation Skills Course. I got the best of the best without leaving the comfort of my office and as a result my working and my thinking in the arena of mediation will never be the same. I am so indebted to Bruce and Susan for coming up with such a tremendous course. It will be my springboard to greater heights.

Anonymous Judge in Rwanda

The program has been truly transformative for me. It provided profound healing from the challenges I faced early in my career while navigating court processes. It shifted my perspective, guiding me to see disputes as a natural part of human interaction. With a newfound understanding of emotions, I now feel empowered to handle difficult situations with ease. While I work as a corporate lawyer, I am drawn to engage in mediation advocacy, aspiring to contribute as a peace facilitator in the long term. The program sparked my interest in exploring innovative ways to promote peace within society. On a deeper level, it has strengthened my spiritual journey, deepening my commitment to living in alignment with my values. I am grateful to have found a community of like-minded individuals who offer invaluable support along this path.

Corporate Lawyer, India