Take The Mediate First Pledge
During the past year the Mediation Board of Trinidad and Tobago has been working assiduously to sensitise the public on the value of mediation and to raise the profile of mediation as a viable means of conflict resolution. Its activities for the year will culminated with a “Mediation Week” from 7th to 11th November 2011, with the theme: Building Confidence in Mediation in Trinidad and Tobago. During this period, the Board will promoted mediation to schools, NGO’s, CBO’s, the legal and business communities.
The Business Community is a key player in bringing mediation to the fore and the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with the Mediation Board and our colleagues at other Chambers and Business Associations, in expounding the value of mediation to our members, whether large, multinational organisations or SMEs.
As business leaders, we know time is of the essence, and our fast-paced business environment demands an equally responsive process when conflict arises. Conflict leads to a breakdown in communication, trust and relationships; money stops flowing; deadlines are missed; investors and customers become disenchanted; and business stops. Then, with opposing positions, attorneys are called in and the dispute heads to the courts for what may be a long and costly battle, where even the winners lose!
Moreover, business leaders face courts that are clogged, costly and slow. More than a decade ago, the Chamber envisioned an “alternative” to the courts to provide professional, affordable dispute resolution services to its members and the wider community, thereby encouraging local and international business and trade. In 1996, it launched the Dispute Resolution Centre, to operate as an independent and neutral provider of “out-of-court” dispute resolution services, specializing in mediation, arbitration and ADR training.
The Chamber, therefore supported the Mediation Board’s call to MEDIATE FIRST, via a seminar on November 9th, with the objective of encouraging corporate leaders to use mediation as a first resort in resolving commercial disputes. We were pleased, as well, to showcase the “local” experiences and expertise of the Dispute Resolution Centre.
Speakers at the seminar included the Honourable Justice Vasheist Kokaram, Chairman of the Mediation Board, Chamber President Andrew Sabga – who took the “Mediate First” pledge – and Raoul John, Chairman of the Dispute Resolution Centre.
Last year, the Centre was privileged to partner with the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago on a first ever Court Annexed Mediation Pilot Project in which 60 High Court matters were pulled from the courts and sent to the DRC for mediation. Within a six-month period, the Centre settled 60% of these cases, outperforming similar initiatives in the US and the UK.
By sharing the benefits of mediation, the experiences of the pilot project and the direction in which the Judiciary is heading, we hope that CORPORATE T&T will pledge to MEDIATE FIRST, using collaborative mediation rather than adversarial litigation, thus saving the business community time, money and preserving key relationships.
