SIMI is proud to present our first book "Contemporary Issues In Mediation Volume 1"!
CIIM Volume 1
SIMI's first book "Contemporary Issues in Mediation Volume 1" was officially launched at The POD, National Library on 29 August 2016.
The pieces in this volume come from the top 10 entries of the inaugural Singapore International Mediation Institute Annual Mediation Essay Competition.
The winning submission by Ng Wan Qing explores the issue of power imbalance through the lens of culture. Ng's work provides innovative nuance to this by examining it in the context of the Power Distance Index as well as against the interaction of Confucian values and the Individualism/Collectivism Index.
The submission that came in second place is Valencia Soh's piece on the ethical obligations of a responsible mediation advocate. In it, she explores and assess the various duties in the context of mediation.
Javier Yeo's piece on the Facilitative and the Evaluative Divide deserves honourable mention. Yeo takes this age-old debate and critically examines the real differences between these two positions and provides a way to reconcile them.
The other seven pieces provide unique insights into a wide range of topics that the editors feel readers with an interest in mediation or even dispute resolution in general, will find thought-provoking and valuable.
List of essay topics
- Could Power Imbalance be Power in Balance? Looking at Power Imbalances through a Singaporean Cultural Lens
By Ng Wan Qing
- Mediation Advocacy: Doing Good, Doing Right and Doing Well
By Valencia Soh Ywee Xian
- The Facilitative- Evaluative Divide: Have We Lost Sight of What's Important?
By Javier Yeo
- Mediating the ASEAN Way: An ASEAN Perspective on Mediation
By Jaime Lye
- Faces of Singapore & Mediation
By Joey Lim Yue Tow
- Manipulation in Mediation
By Koh Zhen Yang
- The SIAC-SIMC Arb-Med-Arb Protocol: Enforcing International Commercial Mediated Settlement Agreements (MSAs) through the New York Convention
By Chng Teck Kian Desmond
- Shall we Medi@?
By Phua Jun Han
- Good Faith Participation in Mediation
By Chan Min Hui
- Bridging the Concepts of Neutrality and Power Imbalance
By Tan Ting Wei Kelly
E-copies of the essays are also available through our publisher here.
Read the book review by Assistant Professor Dorcas Quek Anderson here.
Foreword
By William Ury, co-author of Getting To Yes
It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The Singapore International Mediation Institute is taking that first step to inspire the youth of today and encourage them to engage in scholarship about mediation. It provides them the platform and the opportunity to plant seeds for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. As the first of its kind in Singapore, I look forward to seeing this book series not only continue to flourish, but also to show the way forward through innovative and thought-provoking work. And I take this opportunity to wish you much success in getting to yes! (pdf)
Endorsements
"I commend the editors for undertaking this project. It is
a valuable piece in the matrix that mediation
stakeholders in Singapore are steadily forming together.
Having promoted mediation as an ADR for the past 20
years, I consider education as a key platform to propel
mediation to the next level. University students who have
caught the vision will be our flag-bearers and champions
in the next 5, 10, 20 years as Singapore evolves into a
regional ADR hub. This publication and the following
volumes will spur them on!"
Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee
Former Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs
Chairman,
Community Mediation Advisory Committee
(MinLaw)
"An insightful and refreshing collection of essays that
challenge the conventional paradigm of mediation – in
every way! This book showcases bold new voices for the
mediation field."
Dr Nadja Alexander
The University of Queensland, Australia,
Senior Fellow, Dispute Resolution Institute, Mitchell Hamline
School of Law, United States
"Practising mediators, educators, academics and policy-makers will benefit greatly from these fresh insights and in developing them further."
Ms Dorcas Quek Anderson
Assistant Professor, Singapore Management University
Former District Judge, State Courts Singapore
Our Editors
"CIIM is premised on a vision that wisdom is not necessarily a function of age or experience and pieces that can meaningfully contribute to the development of the field can come from students. CIIM seeks to provide students the opportunity to showcase their work."
Joel Lee
SIMI Chairman
NUS Associate Professor
"We trust you will find this a valuable addition to your collection, be it to augment your toolbox as a mediation professional or to spread the good word on furthering interest in mediation academia and research."
Marcus Lim
SIMI Executive Director
Special Thanks
This publication is the product of the efforts of many. We would like to take this opportunity to thank:
Our better halves, Pearl and Li Jing, for their unending patience and understanding;
Mr. William Ury, for kindly agreeing to write the book series' foreword;
Members of SIMI's board, past and present, for supporting the project (Mr Poon Hong Yuen, Mr Han Kok
Juan, Dr Nadja Alexander, Ms Josephine Hadikusumo, Mr Michael Leathes and Ms Irena Vanenkova);
The Singapore Ministry of Law, for being a firm advocate of mediation in Singapore.
The Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, for providing our students and us this opportunity.
Phua Jun Han, for tirelessly assisting us in preparing the preliminary drafts for publishing;
Our publishers, World Scientific Publishing for their guidance and partnership in running the project, and
Our students(past and present) from the Mediation Workshop, Faculty of Law, National University of
Singapore, for encouraging and inspiring us.
Finally, we would like to thank you, the reader, for supporting the mission of this book.
(An excerpt from Editors' Note)