On September 5th, 2023, the Peace Channel, in collaboration with the North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research (NEISSR), embarked on a transformative journey by conducting a comprehensive Peer Mediation training program. This initiative signifies a bold step toward empowering youth in colleges and universities as peer mediators, uniquely equipped to address a diverse spectrum of issues within their academic communities.
Addressing the trainees Dr. Fr. C. P. Anto said that it's an urgent need to empower our youth as peer mediators and peacebuilders for bettering our society. Through Peer Mediation the youth are able to find solutions to all issues faced by the youth in the colleges and universities, like relationship issues, social media related, groupism, drug and substance-related, classroom-related, and even their career issues. Well, peer mediation stands at the forefront of the Peace Channel's mission, concentrating on the youth in colleges, universities, and localities across the region to be capacitated to be peer mediators. This innovative approach, now integrated into NEISSR's best practices, entails empowering each and every student with an arsenal of essential peace-building and conflict transformation skills. These encompass effective communication, empathy, mediation techniques, problem analysis, and active listening. Ms. Livino the trainer capacitate the youth with the concept of peer mediation and guided by a structured process comprising seven pivotal steps—Introduction, Discussion, Clarification, Rectification, Resolution, Transformation, and Evaluation, using SWOC analysis to understand the strength and weaknesses of the group and transform the weaknesses as strength. The students emerged from this training empowered to resolve issues through non-violent means.
NEISSR's Peer Mediation Forum is uniquely positioned to address a wide range of issues that can impact the college community. Beyond resolving conflicts, the Peer Mediation Forum at NEISSR champions a holistic approach to fostering peace and understanding. Activities such as mental health awareness campaigns, cultural sensitivity workshops, and community-building events exemplify the commitment to unity and cooperation among students.
The recent training program culminated with practical demonstrations from each student group, showcasing their newfound mediation skills and unwavering dedication to creating a more inclusive and harmonious academic environment.
NEISSR's adoption of Peer Mediation as a cornerstone practice signifies a transformative leap toward empowering its students and building a resilient, conflict-ready academic community. By endowing youth with these indispensable conflict resolution skills, NEISSR is nurturing a generation of leaders dedicated to propagating peace and understanding in colleges and universities nationwide. Ms. Linoka, Ms. Teresa, and Ms. Hravine too part of the training team.