International Mediation Institute

Strapline

IMI is a non-profit Foundation and registered charity established in 2007 as a global public service initiative to drive transparency and high competency standards into mediation practice across all fields, worldwide. IMI is Internet-based and operates worldwide but has its main office in The Hague, The Netherlands.

An Appeal for Engagement from the Chair of IMI

2012 is the 5th anniversary of IMI. The just-published Annual Outlook & Review captures how much has been accomplished in that time and the agenda for this year. The IMI Board, Advisory Council, Independent Standards Commission (ISC), staff and volunteers can be very proud of the progress.

IMI has transformed from an idea to an international charitable organization. Demand for its mission is growing and the Foundation needs to address those needs. This means broadening: (1) in scope, to embrace consumer, family, investor-state, community and other areas in addition to business, and (2) geographically, so that high standards in places where mediation is expertly practiced and well-accepted can be leveraged to encourage widespread use of mediation in places where is it little-used, and with less reliance on resources “flown in” from elsewhere. In short, IMI’s mission is poised to increase and diversify on both counts.

Expansion and diversification requires a broader application of the extraordinary expertise in the mediation field, as well as substantial additional funding. So far, IMI has been dependent on its Independent Standards Commission, Advisory Council and Board and on charitable donations of patrons, including the listing contributions of IMI Certified Mediators. Visible expertise and concentrated funding activities now need to step up a few gears.

The Board has begun by reflecting on structural improvements to progress, including:

Achieving international governance standards by formally defining the roles and operation of existing structures, developing transparent compliance standards, and establishing criteria for new Board members, to reflect growth in scope and commitment.
Further facilitating communication by designating the ISC Chair as ex-officio member of Board meetings and better defining ISC structures to encourage greater participation by a wide variety of experts in IMI initiatives.
Pursuing new funding opportunities - through academic institutions, law firms, government/regulatory bodies, and others - to diversify the support that can be provided to mediation initiatives worldwide.
Focusing on local strategic deliverables by exploring the concept of regional hubs and similar development tools in areas where mediation may be less well-developed.

Meanwhile, the Independent Standards Commission continues to explore new ideas, including:

An inter-cultural mediation certification, now being launched.
Mediation advocacy certification to encourage and improve the expertise of advisers.
Investor-State mediation certification to institutionalize mediation in this important area.
Additional mediation tools freely downloadable from the IMI portal to benefit everyone.
Designing in-house workshops to foster greater outcome-based learning opportunities.

Further ISC programs can be achieved as additional resources to realize them are secured. To this end, each IMI Board Director has made concrete personal commitments to undertake certain key activities from their own unique vantage points to further the IMI Vision & Mission.

But ultimately, IMI needs your help now more than ever. We ask you to identify what you can contribute to the IMI mission in 2012 that meets the “SMART” criteria – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. Pages 1 and 2 of the Outlook may inspire you. May I encourage you to contact me directly, or any other member of the IMI Board or the Executive Director to share your thoughts about what you can personally do to help propel the IMI mission to the next stage of its much-needed evolution. No contribution is too small, no thought too inconsequential. The cumulative effect can be very powerful. Expect to hear from us more often as well.

The value the external world places on the IMI mission depends on the value each one of us contributes. As we move into 2012, I invite you to use this moment to step up and be counted towards contributing to what IMI Advisory Council member William Ury calls “the inevitable next step” in human decision-making – actively help make mediation happen!

I look forward to hearing from you.