IIAM Launches Mediators’ Wellness Program

The project founder, Ms. Iram Majid, Director of Indian Institute of Arbitration & Mediation (IIAM), emphasized the importance of addressing the mental health of mediators, as neglecting their mental health can lead to significant and worrisome consequences such as chronic fatigue and loss of patience, among others. The Mediators' Wellness Program has a stellar Advisory Board, including Justice Madan Lokur, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India; Professor James Coben, Professor & Senior Fellow, Mitchell Hamline’s Dispute Resolution Institute, USA; Mr. Goeff Sharp, International Mediator – New Zealand and Singapore; and Mr. Anil Xavier, President IIAM and Chairman APCAM.

Justice Manmohan emphasized the importance of prioritizing mental health in our daily lives and highlighted the unique challenges that mediators face. He noted that parties often bring negativity to the mediation process and sometimes even direct their anger toward the mediator. This can make mediation a stressful job and can cause mediators to experience different wavelengths of emotions. To remain effective in their work, mediators must not get caught up in the sense of right and wrong and must remain detached from the outcome. Justice Manmohan shared a personal story of another judge who broke down due to the emotional impact of a case, emphasizing the need for early detection of mental health issues.

Launch of the Mediators' Wellness Program marks an important step in promoting the mental health of mediators in India, recognizing the fundamental right to mental health under the Indian Constitution. The program will help address the mental health concerns faced by mediators, promote collaboration and networking practices, and ultimately improve the quality of mediation proceedings.

The launch program can be accessed at https://youtu.be/Gc-N30qjPOE