Celebrating Excellence: Welcoming Six New Members to IMI’s CMTP Appraisal Sub-Committee

In the ever-evolving landscape of global mediation, IMI’s influence has grown substantially, with a network now spanning over 60 implementing organizations delivering 81 training and assessment programs worldwide. These programs undergo meticulous scrutiny by IMI’s Appraisal Committees, a cornerstone for ensuring alignment with the stringent international standards set by IMI.

Dedicated members of IMI’s Appraisal Committees invest their time and expertise on a pro bono basis to uphold these high standards, assessing and ensuring the compliance of Certified Mediator Training Programs (CMTPs) and Qualifying Assessment Programs (QAPs) against the benchmarks. The programs, acting as gateways for mediators seeking recognition from IMI, significantly contribute to the broader global mediation domain.

In response to the remarkable expansion of IMI’s CMTP network, the surge in applications, and the heightened interest from organizations worldwide, combined with IMI’s regular biennial audits to maintain program quality, it became imperative to enhance the capacities of the IMI CMTP Appraisal Sub-Committee.

In a collaborative effort with existing members, IMI strategically reinforced the current Committee by recruiting six additional volunteer appraisers. This approach aimed to fortify the Committee’s ability to review, approve, and audit programs effectively and timely.

After undergoing thorough training and shadowing with seasoned committee members since December 2022, we are delighted to announce the inclusion of six dedicated and highly experienced individuals to our esteemed committee in 2023. Their induction not only expands the committee’s expertise but also highlights our commitment to a collaborative and efficient evaluation process, further elevating the excellence of IMI’s appraisal procedures.

Our sincere gratitude extends to all who dedicated their time, effort, and commitment throughout this process. To appreciate the dedication of our existing committee members and the newly welcomed ones, we invite you to explore more about the Appraisal Committee here

As we welcome these six new members to the CMTP Appraisal Sub-Committee, we do so on International Volunteer Day, marked by the theme “If Everyone Did” as announced by UN Volunteers:

“This year’s theme — “If everyone did…” — underscores the importance of collective action, cooperation, and people-led solutions to global challenges like poverty, inequalities, conflict, the climate crisis, food insecurity, and more… Let’s re-commit to ensuring that all people can lend their energies to shaping a better future for all people and the planet we share. Let’s stand with volunteers, everywhere.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

On this day, we salute all our Appraisal Committee and Task Force members, interns, and collaborators for their dedication and pro bono contributions to further IMI’s vision of Professional Mediation Worldwide: Promoting Consensus and Access to Justice.

Join us in celebrating, thanking, and shining a light on the impact of all the IMI volunteers and in welcoming our new six appraisers.

Anwar Kashif

Mr. Anwar Kashif Mumtaz is a CEDR-accredited mediator and also one of the founding members of Pakistan Mediator Association (PMA). He is a Senior Partner of M/s. Saiduddin & Co., a Tax and Corporate Law Firm in Pakistan. He is a Certified International Trainer on Leadership & Personal Development and also CEDR accredited Master Trainer. He has served as a Secretary General, Vice President and President of Karachi Tax Bar and Secretary General of Pakistan Tax Bar. Presently he is President of Pakistan Mediator’s Association. He is also an Executive Committee Member of Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan (PILAP).

Elizabeth Solomon

Elizabeth Solomon is an Industrial Court Judge and an experienced mediator in a wide variety of political, post-conflict and commercial contexts around the world. She is a Director of the Mediation Board of Trinidad & Tobago, former Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Centre and the Caribbean Centre for Human Rights and then Founder of Dialogue Solutions. Elizabeth had a full career in journalism before joining the United Nations, spending the next 20 years as a conflict prevention and peacebuilding practitioner in various conflict contexts, including in the role of Deputy Co-ordinator of the UN Good Offices team in Cyprus.

James Mang'erere

James Mang’erere is a senior advocate of the high court of Kenya, as well as Commissioner of Oaths and a notary public. He is an experienced international & East African based professional mediator, trainer, and arbitrator, and a certified Public Secretary with more than 15 years experience. James is an IAM distinguished fellow and President of the Mediation Training Institute International (MTI) of East Africa.

Joel Lee

A graduate of Victoria University of Wellington and Harvard Law Schools, Joel is an associate partner with CMPartners (USA) and a principal mediator with and the Training Director of the Singapore Mediation Centre. Professor Joel Lee co-pioneered the teaching of Negotiation and Mediation in the Singapore Universities and has played a significant role in furthering the development of mediation in Singapore, not just in education, but also in practice. He is an adjudicator with the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre and was a member of the International Mediation Institute’s Independent Standards Commission and Intercultural Taskforce. He was also a key member of the Ministry of Law’s Working Group on International Commercial Mediation. Joel is presently the founding Chair of the Board of the Singapore International Mediation Institute.

Sevdalina Aleksandrova

Sevdalina Aleksandrova is one of the leading mediation trainers in Bulgaria, dedicated to promoting mediation for over 18 years, having trained more than 1/3 of the Bulgarian mediators. She also has extensive experience as a lawyer-mediator with hundreds of mediation and ADR sessions. She participated in the establishment of a national network of court mediation centers, and has been involved in the process of legislative changes related to mandatory mediation in Bulgaria (in effect from 2024). She also served as an expert and author in international projects focused on promoting cross- border mediation. Most of all, she has been involved in the organization of series of events including students competition, Events for managers, lawyers, etc. encouraging the use of mediation in every field and profession.

Sofia Giannopoulou

Sofia Giannopoulou is a certified Civil and Commercial Mediator accredited by the Greek Ministry of Justice and holds UK and Simi accreditation. She serves as the Associate Director at the European Institute for Conflict Resolution and the Resident Representative of ADR ODR International in France, Luxemburg, and Belgium. Sofia is an accredited trainer, providing mediation training and conflict resolution services. Actively involved in national and international competitions as a coach and judge, she holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Fluent in English, French, and her native Greek, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Cognitive Psychology since September 2022.

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