Mediation Institute Membership Update: November 2021

I’ve completed my move from Melbourne to my new home in Gippsland and on my first week in my new home had a three day blackout resulting from a major storm reminding me of the joys of regional living!

With no power my town’s phone communication was also cut off so I was unable to host the International Mediation Awareness Week meeting to organise hosts for our speakers and provide an update prior to the week which will be next week. Fortunately the support team of Feeby Fong, Lee Lee and Anna Hanson stepped into the breach based on a text I managed to get out before all phone communication was lost!  As they say “It takes team work to make the dream work.” 

One of the presentations at the International Mediation Awareness Week is on the Mediators Green Pledge which is a global initiative by mediators to do our bit to contribute to a slowing of global warming. I and Mediation Institute are signatories and doing what we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels as one of our initiatives. After our recent experience without power a Tesla battery is the next purchase so we are independent from the electricity grid when it is down. 

With the Melbourne Cup unofficial long weekend in Victoria, the merging of Melbourne and the rest of the state so that families and friends can re-connect we are feeling a sense of optimism not felt in Victoria for a while.  Hopefully with high vaccination rates the resultant infections and deaths from COVID will soon start to sustainably fall and when those states with closed boarders eventually open up again the impact will be manageable.  

As we move into November with the end of the year in sight it will be time to start planning for 2022. We’ll be sending out a survey soon to ask you what you want from us to support you professionally in the coming year. Please take the time to tell us! 

Regards

Joanne