About the Asia-Pacific Mediation Forum
History
The idea for the Asia-Pacific Mediation Forum was first mooted in 2001 by Assoc Prof Dale Bagshaw, Coordinator of the Centre for Peace, Conflict and Mediation at the University of South Australia, with support and encouragement from the World Mediation Forum Steering Committee.
The Inaugural Forum was held from 29 November to 1 December 2001 at the University of South Australia, Adelaide. The theme of this forum was Reconciliation: Conversations Beyond Cultural Boundaries. Some 300 participants attended from 21 different countries in the region and the conference was a great success. The second conference, Developing a Mediation Culture, was held in Singapore in November 2003, the 3rd conference was held in Suva, Fiji in June 2006, and the 4th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in June 2008.
APMF Constitution (Word 294 kb)
Membership
Membership of the forum is open to individuals and organisations that are interested in or involved with the resolution of conflicts or disputes through mediation, arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution. We invite you to apply for individual or organisational membership of the APMF and to also encourage your colleagues to apply. Your membership will assist us to move forward, to keep you informed and to consult when appropriate.
Benefits of membership include free registration in the APMEC directory, the opportunity to list your forthcoming events and notices on this site, an discounted membership of the Association for Conflict Resolution (US).
Membership form (Word 51 kb)
Objective
The main objective of the APMF is to facilitate the exchange and development of knowledge, values and skills of mediation in any form including inter-cultural, interpersonal, inter-institutional and international, within and between the diverse countries and cultures in the Asia-Pacific region. To fulfil this objective, conferences will be held in the Asia-Pacific region every two years, with a different country taking responsibility for hosting each conference.
Sponsor
The APMF is formally sponsored by the World Mediation Forum (WMF), which was established in Spain in 1995. The WMF Steering Committee is encouraging the establishment of similar regional forums around the world. Where possible, the regional conferences will take place in the years between the bi-annual WMF conferences. Members of the APMF who are attending a WMF global conference will be invited to join an APMF delegation, which will have voting rights at the General Assembly of the WMF.
The Asia-Pacific Mediation Forum Peace Prize
An APMF Peace Prize has been awarded bi-annually at each of our conferences in the region. Dr Jose Ramos Horta, East Timor, was awarded the inaugural peace prize in 2001; the Peace Foundation, Melanesia, PNG was awarded the second peace prize in 2003; and the third peace prize was awarded to Dame Joan Metge, a widely respected social anthropologist from New Zealand, in 2006.
Online bulletin
APMF Online Bulletin No 1, May 2004
This site is managed by
Dale Bagshaw and sponsored by the
Centre for
Peace, Conflict and Mediation,
Hawke Research Institute, at the
University of South Australia.
Direct comments and feedback to
Dale Bagshaw.