The first school mediators appeared in Chernihiv

During the autumn holidays, high school students from 3 pilot Chernihiv schools took part in a 4-day training course “Basic Skills of a School Mediator of Understanding Service”.

The initiator of the introduction of School Mediation Services in the city of Chernihiv was the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights in cooperation with the Department of Education of the Chernihiv City Council with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.

The purpose of this training course is to train volunteer schoolchildren involved in the creation of pilot models of school mediation services to help students effectively resolve conflict situations.

The participants of this training were 23 students of grades 9-10 of Lyceum No. 22, Secondary School No. 29 and Gymnasium No. 31 and 3 social educators from these educational institutions of Chernihiv.

During the training, the participants had the opportunity to master new knowledge and methods of mediation. With the help of a professional trainer, the participants also developed their own communication skills, which are necessary for mediators, and formed a new approach to conflict resolution, in particular by taking into account the interests of all participants in the conflict situation.

In addition, during the training, students and social educators had the opportunity to share with each other their experience in resolving various conflict situations that arise at school and beyond, jointly discuss these situations, and develop recommendations for behavior and response during a conflict.

As noted by the trainer of the NGO “Institute of Peace and Understanding”

Elizaveta Koval

: “Mediation is a method of resolving a conflict that is confidential, voluntary and takes place with the participation of a third neutral party – a mediator. During the 4-day training, we managed to form a real team of schoolchildren and social educators who will be able to apply the skills of a mediator in practice, which will help resolve conflicts, disputes, and misunderstandings on the basis of the created School Understanding Services.”

Upon completion of the training, all participants in the training “Basic Skills of a School Understanding Service Mediator” received certificates.

According to the representative of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights

Kateryna Dankova

, conducting such exercises for educational institutions of the city of Chernihiv is quite relevant today.

“With this initiative and the introduction of School Understanding Services in the city, we will be able to minimize manifestations of violence and bullying in student and youth environments,” – is convinced

Kateryna Dankova

.

The project “Safe Chernihiv – a common interest, a common responsibility” is implemented by the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights with the support of the Human Rights and Justice Program of the International Renaissance Foundation.