20 police officers, social workers, and court officers were today certified as trained mediators. The graduates participated in a two-year primary mediation program facilitated by the Resolution Dispute Organization of Jamaica through UNICEF in Belize. The graduates included Carol Fonseca from the Women's Department, Alberta Perez from the Family Court, and Dinsdale Thompson from the Police Department who spoke of the virtue of mediation.
Carol Fonseca, Certified Mediator
"Through this entire process, I have grown to believe in mediation because I have seen from the various role plays we have shared among each other that mediation is really about changing people's lives and relationships and eventually leading to changing our communities. It is all about allowing persons to understand the critical role they each play in resolving their own conflicts."
Alberta Perez, Certified Mediator
"The process is a welcoming way forward to the traditional mode of the adversarial and intimidating court litigation process. As opposing to the formal court hearing, it reduces the delay of lengthy adjournments, it is cost effective, and allows for continued relationship between the parties. As a representative of the Belize Family Court, this training has been beneficial to me and to my department in using it as a method to arrive at peaceful and workable solutions for my clients and it will also assist juvenile offenders in making right with their victims."
Inspector Dinsdale Thompson,
"The seed that we have received this day, it will become indeed a mighty tree. It will become a tree indeed where the birds in the air, which represents those that are in trouble, will come and pitch and make their nests in and where they'll be a livelihood, in other words they'll be mediation taking place."
Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh was the guest speaker.
