The STARS – Social Training and Antreprenorial Research Society was founded with the purpose to promote social peace by the following main activities: training active and informed citizens, encouraging the alternative methods of dispute resolution, the study of society in all its aspects, but also by promoting antreprenorial initiative, as a method for individual and social evolution.
STARS aims to offer consultancy and training to different groups (organized or not) of citizens, antrepreneurs and other social components or for the civil society, needing the experience of a diverse professionals team.
STARS is a strong organization by the relevant expertise and dedication of its members. Each member of the STARS team comes form a different background and represents a personality amongst professionals. We have high profile mediators, training experts, legal professionals, antrepreneurs, social architects, professors, civil society representatives, all of them with a strong experience in project implementing, logistics, education, gathering a diverse, complementary and wide-range competence of action.
Amongst the prior projects developed by STARS members, as part of The Union of Mediation Centres of Romania, we can emphasize the national and European project „Mediation Caravan – Mediation Close to You”. The STARS members had key-roles in organising, logistics, training the other participants for this wide project developed between 2011-2013, with the objective to promote mediation as alternative for dispute resolution.
To this purpose, 29 monthly events were organized in Romania so far. Three special events took place on May 24, 2012 when the “Caravan” stopped in Brussels, Belgium, in partnership with Arthis – Maison Culturelle Belgo-Roumaine; on August 23, 2012 in Kerkyra, Greece, in partnership with The Hellenic Mediation&Arbitration Center; on March 18, 2013 when the Embassy of Romania in London hosted the Mediation Caravan Wokshop, in partnership with The Slynn Foundation and The British-Romanian Chamber of Commerce.
Within the campaign, there were prepared and distributed information flyers, special issues of the magazine [illustrating local mediators and professional organizations in each county] and presentations by mediators and trainers. The campaign involved developing partnerships with local institutions, both within the legal sphere [regional courts, in particular], but also within the wider community [town halls, businesses, volunteer organizations].
The success of the Mediation Caravan project proves, amongst others, the ability of team work of STARS members, by joining their expertise and skills.
Previous experience in dissemination programs developed, in order to promote the advantages of mediation as a way to end conflicts, is proven by the following projects:
- We have strived to promote mediation in the media, including through specialized publications such as the magazine Mediation, Skill and Art (Medierea, Tehnica si Arta – www.mediereatehnicasiarta.ro), the only relevant professional magazine for mediation. With monthly publication in both English and Romanian, the magazine is targeted towards mediators, legal practitioners but also anyone who wishes to inform themselves about mediation.
- Websites like www.portalmediere.ro (web portal dedicated to the free promotion of mediators and professional associations, and used as the relevant database) and www.medieretv.ro (website hosting videos of practical examples and shows about different means of Alternative Dispute Resolution) have contributed to the promotion of ADR generally, as well as that of particular professionals within the field of mediation. They are a one-stop-shop for the public to find where, when, how and with whom they can solve their dispute amiably.
STARS wishes to support the preparation at a high standard of professionals within the organizations, by becoming a benchmark of quality, promoting professionals who see mediation as a lifetime vocation. To this end, mediators and mediation trainers within the organization have taken part in development courses and have received international certificates from renowned organizations in the field: the Lord Slynn of Hadley European Law Foundation in London, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Washington, DC, USA.
The national conference “Mediation Close to You!”, which took place on the 4th of December 2011, at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, was a key event of the information campaign and was atended by prestigious institutions in Romania, such as the Royal House and the Romanian Diplomatic Institute, or by high-level diplomatic representatives.
Mugur Bogdan Mitroi
Chairman
