A few weeks ago, we told you about our one-day on-line 2024 conference, incorporating a short AGM, on Wednesday 25 September. Many of you have already booked; thank you! We would love to see as many of you as possible, so, on this one occasion, the price for members is being subsidised by FMA as we want to make sure that it is not off-putting for anyone. Now is the time to register! This is also a great opportunity for you to introduce some of your non-FMA mediator colleagues to what FMA has to offer.

Our conference theme for this year is “exploring a gender agenda” and is the start of a wider FMA conversation around diversity, inclusivity, community and sustainability taking place across different platforms and training events over the next year.

An advantage of an on-line conference, aside from accessibility, is that it offers the opportunity to incorporate speakers from further afield, both live and pre-recorded.

There will be four main sessions from 9.45am to 4.15pm, interspersed with breaks and opportunities for work in groups, and a wealth of pre-recorded material and resources to watch in advance of, or following, the conference.

Our keynote John Cornwell presentation will be delivered by Nurit Zubery, Family Dispute Provider and Academic in New Zealand, featuring her work on how different gender-related behaviours may present in mediation.

The programme looks like this, though may be further refined over the next two months. There is no need for you to do anything except book your place – there are no formal workshops to sign in for; each session will involve some wider discussion on the topic, either in breakout groups or in the main session.

Those of you approaching re-accreditation will find lots of materials to help you meet CPD requirements, including some relating to inclusivity and diversity. This focus on diversity will culminate in our 2025 conference, in-person and residential, in Liverpool on the revised dates of 18-19 June 2025.

The on-line and residential conferences are also of course a great opportunity to catch up with old and new friends and with all that is happening in the rapidly changing world of mediation. We look forward to seeing you!

FMA AGM

It is each member’s responsibility to attend this important meeting. It is not an extensive time commitment, and we try and make it more interesting with a guest speaker or additional training. But there is a danger that, if everyone assumes someone else will attend, vital business of the FMA may not be conducted. So please do put the date in your diary and we look forward to catching up with you then.

FMA operates as a company and, like any company, we need an AGM. We deal with the annual reports and financial statements and elect new board members to continue the good work. If you would be interested in joining the board (or serving on one of the committees without election to the board) you can take that forward here.