The project KA462 - Mediation in progress (financed under the theme
Social wellbeing) is working at full steam. The first group of Finnish volunteer mediators
got continuing education and training on restorative justice in Finland already
in January and soon the training of mediators will start also in the Russian
side of the border.
On 16th April, 2013, took place the official opening of
the first Mediation services office in the Republic of Karelia. Work on
mediation has been going on in Petrozavodsk for several years, but now the
mediators have their own office in the Republican Children's eco-biological
center. In September, mediation offices will also be opened in the areas of
Pryazha and Sortavala, where they will be offering their services in centers
for psychological, medical and social support.
In developing mediation services good connections with local
officials are essential. Specialists of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of
Health and Social Development of Karelia, Investigative Directorate of the Ministry
of Internal Affairs and the Commission on Juvenile Affairs as well as the Commissioner
for Children's Rights, actors of different NGOs and teachers attended the
opening ceremony in Petrozavodsk. Cooperation between the mediators and
officials will be supported further in joint seminars in Petrozavodsk and in
the areas next summer.
There were several journalists in the opening ceremony and the opening
of the office was reported in the news in Russia 1 Karelia and Sampo-tv. A new website on the Mediation services in the republic of Karelia was
also published in the event.
Furthermore, Russian specialists will come to Finland on a benchmarking
trip (25.-28.4.2013). During their visit they will meet the employees of the Mediation
office in North Karelia, volunteer mediators and representatives of Finnish
police force and prosecutor’s office. They will also attend the National
Mediation Seminar in Jyväskylä together with 480 other mediators!
If you want to know more about mediation itself, check out the
North-Karelia Mediation Office’s website (in Finnish
/ English / Russian). Information about the project and its future actions can
be found on the Lead Partners project page.
Sonja Kortelainen, project manager
Aducate, Centre for Training
and Development,
University of Eastern
Finland
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