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A Thrilling New Event Series for Mediators!

What happens when mediation meets mystery, debate, and high-stakes decision-making? Welcome to The Mediator’s Dilemma, an interactive event series that takes you to the heart of some of the toughest dilemmas mediators face.

Inspired by Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypotheticals, each session immerses you in a fictional yet realistic mediation scenario filled with ethical quandaries, unexpected twists, and moments where the path forward isn’t clear. As the story unfolds, you’ll face the same challenges as the mediator in the story.

Get ready to dive into the messy, fascinating, and rewarding world of mediation like never before.

The dilemmas are real.
The stakes are high.
And the answers?
That’s up to you.

Your role

The facilitator will guide you through the unfolding drama, pausing at critical “dilemma moments” to ask for audience engagement.

Participants will be asked to consider:

Why attend?

Who's it for?

Mediators at all levels—whether you’re stepping into your first session or reflecting on decades of experience, The Mediator’s Dilemma offers something for everyone.

Our next session

12pm-2pm AEDT Tuesday 4 February 2025

Confidentiality where there is a perceived threat to human life or safety

You are mediating what starts out to appear as a typical workplace conflict. But as the mediation progresses, you are increasingly concerned by the behaviour of one of the parties. Things get worse as the mediation continues. The mediation ends, but you can’t sleep that night. What if the worst case scenario happens?  Are lives in danger? Is confidentiality more important than your concerns? Should you raise your concerns with the Manager who referred the case? Should you raise your concerns directly with the employer?

In this session you will explore the principle of confidentiality and debate under which circumstances confidentiality may be breached. You will also discuss the concept of “Perceived threat to human life or safety” and how you would determine whether your concerns are justified or not. You will be presented with a few twists in the story to demonstrated how the context may impact your decision. 

Your facilitator for this session - Dr Judith Rafferty

Dr. Judith Rafferty is a nationally accredited mediator in Australia and an accredited conflict coach with Conflict Coaching International (CCI). She brings 15 years of experience in conflict resolution practice, training, and research, both in Australia and internationally.

As a Senior Trainer and Coach Mentor at the Conflict Management Academy and an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Judith contributes significantly to advancing conflict resolution theory and practice through training and research. Previously, as a Senior Lecturer and Director of the postgraduate Conflict Management and Resolution program at James Cook University, she played a pivotal role in developing the curriculum for conflict studies and delivering conflict management training across diverse professional sectors.Judith has also created numerous training resources and practical tools to help individuals analyse conflicts and engage constructively in complex situations. Her publications include the 2024 eBook Neuroscience, Psychology and Conflict Management.

An internationally respected researcher, Judith is recognized for her expertise in qualitative studies with vulnerable populations in international conflict and post-conflict settings, including in Rwanda and the Central African Republic. She holds a PhD in Conflict Resolution, a Master of Conflict and Dispute Resolution, a Graduate Business Administrator Diploma, and a Graduate Certificate in Psychology.

Forthcoming sessions

28 March – Managing information provided by a third party – Peter Hanson

10 April – Confidentiality: expectations vs reality – Samantha Hardy

8 May – Co-mediation – Judith Rafferty

16 July – Deciding whether to mediate – Carol Bowen

25 August – Power imbalances – Claire Holland

14 October – Power and triangulation – Catherine Davidson

28 November – Responding to escalating behaviour – Carol Bowen

Let the discussions begin!

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Individual session

$97+GST

Annual pass

$299+GST