Training Format: Hybrid

This is a hybrid mediation training. In-person and virtual participants will be trained together in the same room. 

Spring 2024 Training: Every Thursday, from 6 PM to 9 PM Eastern Time, March 7 – May 30, 2024

• March 7, 14, 21, 28; April 4, 11, 18, 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30.

Fall 2024 Training: Every Thursday, from 6 PM to 9 PM Eastern Time, September 5 – November 28, 2024.

• September 5, 12, 19, 26; October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; November 7, 14, 21, 28.

Fall participants will be given free access to the Annual International Conference on Ethnic and Religious Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding held every year in the last week of September. 

You have an academic or professional background in peace and conflict studies, conflict analysis and resolution, mediation, dialogue, diversity, inclusion and equity or in any other dispute resolution area, and you are seeking to acquire and develop specialized skills in the areas of tribal, ethnic, racial, cultural, religious or sectarian conflict prevention, management, resolution or peacebuilding, our ethno-religious conflict mediation training program is designed for you.

You are a professional in any field of practice and your current or future job requires advanced knowledge and skills in the areas of tribal, ethnic, racial, cultural, religious or sectarian conflict prevention, management, resolution or peacebuilding, our ethno-religious conflict mediation training program is also right for you.

The ethno-religious conflict mediation training is designed for individuals or groups from diverse fields of study and professions, as well as participants from different countries and sectors, especially those from government agencies, the media, the military, the police, and other law enforcement agencies; local, regional and international organizations, educational or academic institutions, the judiciary, business corporations, international development agencies, conflict resolution fields, religious bodies, diversity, inclusion and equity professionals, and so on.

Anybody who wants to develop skills in the resolution of tribal, ethnic, racial, community, cultural, religious, sectarian, cross-border, personnel, environmental, organizational, public policy, and international conflicts, can also apply.

Read the course description and schedule of classes, and register for the class of your choice.

The registration fee for Ethno-Religious Mediation Training is $1,295 USD. 

Accepted participants can register here. 

To be conferred a Certified Ethno-Religious Mediator certificate at the end of this program, participants are required to complete two assignments.

Participant-Led Presentation:

Each participant is encouraged to select one topic from the recommended readings listed in the course syllabus or any other topic of interest on ethnic, religious or racial conflict in any country and context; prepare a PowerPoint presentation with no more than 15 slides analyzing selected topic using ideas drawn from recommended readings. Each participant will be given 15 minutes to present. Ideally, the presentations should be done during our class sessions.

Mediation Project:

Each participant is required to design a mediation case study on any ethnic, racial or religious conflict that involves two or multiple parties. After completing the mediation case study design, participants will be required to use one mediation model (for example, transformative, narrative, faith-based, or any other mediation model) to do a mock mediation during the role play sessions. 

Upon successful completion of the training, participants will receive the following benefits: 

• Official Certificate designating you as a Certified Ethno-Religious Mediator
• Inclusion on the Roster of Certified Ethno-Religious Mediators
• Possibility of becoming an ICERMediation Instructor. We will train you to train others.
• Continuous professional development and support

This ethno-religious conflict mediation training is divided into two parts.

Part one, “ethnic, racial and religious conflict: understanding the dimensions, theories, dynamics, and existing preventive and resolution strategies,” is a study of the topical issues in ethnic, racial and religious conflicts. Participants will be introduced to the notions and dimensions of ethnic, racial and religious conflicts, their theories and dynamics across sectors, e.g. within the economic and political system, as well as the role of the police and military in ethnic, racial and religious conflict; followed by critical analysis and assessment of the preventive, mitigation, management and resolution strategies that have been used historically to ease civic/social tensions & reduce ethnic, racial and religious conflict with varying degrees of success.

Part two, “the mediation process,” aims at studying and discovering alternative and practical strategies for participating/intervening in resolving ethnic, racial and religious conflicts, with a focus on mediation. Participants will be immersed into the mediation process while learning the different aspects of pre-mediation preparation, tools & methods of conducting a productive mediation, and processes of reaching a settlement or an agreement.

Each of these two parts is further subdivided into different modules. In the end, there will be an evaluation of the course and a professional development orientation and assistance.