Why are parties increasingly choosing institutional formats for mediation and arbitration? During this panel, we will discuss the role of rules, procedures, administrative support, and institutional trust in ensuring the quality of dispute resolution processes. We will also explore how institutional mechanisms contribute to predictability, professional standards, and trust in ADR.
This session will be of interest to mediators, arbitrators, advocates, representatives of ADR institutions, businesses, international organizations, and everyone involved in organizing dispute resolution processes.
Moderators:Elisabeth Vanas-Metzler, joined the VIAC Secretariat in October 2017; as of January 2018 she served as Deputy Secretary General and since September 2025 she is Managing Counsel. Stella-Jo Thurner, is a trained mediator with work experience in mediation and arbitration research and practice. Currently, she works as a law clerk with the Austrian courts.
Speakers:Katja Kröll, commercial mediator, CPA and tax advisor. She helps businesses resolve shareholder and family business disputes through financially informed mediation.Laura Spanitz, University Assistant (prae-doc) at the University of Graz, working at the intersection of legal sociology, legal policy, negotiation, mediation, and ADR.Hannah Tümpel is an international mediator, educator and dispute resolution specialist. She co-leads the MA Programme on Mediation at Viadrina University in GermanyMark McLaughlin is Assistant Professor of Law at Singapore Management University. His research addresses international economic law and dispute resolution.

Mass displacement caused by war and crises creates new challenges for communication, trust, and social cohesion. During this panel, we will discuss the role of mediation, dialogue, and psychosocial support in working with communities, people with displacement experience, and host communities. Special attention will be given to practical tools that help reduce tension and support mutual understanding.
This session will be of interest to mediators, psychologists, social workers, civil society organizations, international partners, educators, and everyone working with displacement and integration issues.
Moderator:Olha Pykhova, Mediator, PhD, Nonviolent Communication Practitioner, Director of a Private Ukrainian School in Batumi, Georgia.
Speaker:Gianandrea Pallich, Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Supervisor, and Trained Mediator, deployed as an MHPSS Expert with UNHCR Ukraine through Swiss Humanitarian Aid.

Community resilience largely depends on people’s ability to interact despite cultural, linguistic, and social differences. This panel will present practical cases of intercultural dialogue, social adaptation, and interaction within communities experiencing change due to war, migration, and other crises. Participants will discuss tools that help transform tension into cooperation and joint solutions.
This session will be of interest to mediators, community representatives, international organizations, educators, social workers, youth leaders, and everyone working on community cohesion.
Moderator:
Inna Ponomarenko, PhD in Philology, coordinator of conversation and integration clubs RIKA

Speakers:
Liliia Ruskulis, Doctor of Science in Pedagogics, Professor of the Department of the Ukrainian Language, Literature and Teaching Methodology Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding.
Olena Maliarenko, Writer and journalist, author of embroidery and paintings, moderator of the RIKA conversation club in Kherson.
Yevhen Kozelkov, Project Manager, CO "The Tenth of April", possessing over 7 years of experience in the humanitarian sphere, refugee protection and IDPs.
Alisa Kolesnikova, Humanitarian project manager at CO "The Tenth of April," implementing projects across southern Ukraine — Mykolaiv and Odesa regions.
Alisa Horshkova, CLead HUB Coordinator CO "THE TENTH OF APRIL"
Serhii Shevchenko, Lawyer of the project "Protection of Internally Displaced Persons, Conflict-Affected Persons, and Community Empowerment".

Is the world shifting from rigid vertical structures toward horizontal interaction and network-based communities? This panel will create a space for discussing the power of horizontal connections, the role of communities, self-organization, dialogue, and new models of leadership in modern society. We will also explore how the culture of interaction influences the resilience of societies during periods of crisis and transformation.
This session will be of interest to civil society organizations, mediators, educators, youth leaders, researchers, communication specialists, and everyone working with communities and social change.
Moderator:
Olga Golovko, Mediator, Trainer, PhD in Law, Associate Professor at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, PR Manager of the Ukrainian Academy of Mediation.
Speaker:Nataliia Kryvda, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Chair of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (UCF). Academic Director of Edinburgh Business School in Ukraine. Member of the Expert Council on Overcoming the Consequences of Russification and Totalitarianism under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Author of more than 120 academic and methodological publications.

Is the world shifting from rigid vertical structures toward horizontal interaction and network-based communities? This panel will create a space for discussing the power of horizontal connections, the role of communities, self-organization, dialogue, and new models of leadership in modern society. We will also explore how the culture of interaction influences the resilience of societies during periods of crisis and transformation.
This session will be of interest to civil society organizations, mediators, educators, youth leaders, researchers, communication specialists, and everyone working with communities and social change.
Speaker:Bruce Edwards, one of the first commercial mediators in the United States, has been a full-time mediator for over 35 years. Co-founder of JAMS and Edwards Mediation Academy, currently mediating with Signature Resolution

Effective representation in mediation requires a different set of skills than traditional courtroom advocacy. During this panel, we will discuss the role of lawyers in mediation and the balance between protecting the client’s interests and supporting constructive dialogue.
This session will be of interest to advocates, lawyers, mediators, law students, and everyone working in dispute resolution.
Moderator:Oksana Yaremko, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology and Social Work at West Ukrainian National University, Mediator, Attorney-at-Law, Member of the Mediation Committee of the Ukrainian National Bar Association (UNBA).
Speakers:Rimantas Simaitis, Professor, Former Chair of the Mediation Experts Working Group at the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice of the Council of Europe.Irakli Kandashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Bar Association, Past Immediate President of the Mediators Association of Georgia, Professor, Doctor of Law.Ana Sambold, California Attorney, Mediator, Arbitrator and ADR Professor. Former Chair of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section and current Policy Officer.Yuna Potomkina, Partner at Asters, Head of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Co-Head of Public Advocacy & Law, mediator and negotiator.Nataliia Dotsenko, Deputy Chair of the UNBA Committee on Mediation, attorney-at-law and mediator.
Event Partner – Asters Law Firm