http://www.groundreport.com Groundbreaking news. en-us info@groundreport.com info@groundreport.com VOLTA RSS Feed Generator <p>BEREKUM, GHANA- Student leaders and notable faculty from the Catholic University of Sunyani convened at the Holy Family Hospital in Berekum yesterday for an interactive seminar on alternate dispute resolution.</p> <p>In order to initiate the first phase of Alternate Conflict Resolution in Sunyani, a mock arbitration was broadcast live from the the Feerick Lynch MacCartney law firm in New York to onlookers in Berekum.</p> <p>Dr. Joseph Ephraim, the Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University of Sunyani, discussed the implementation of American Arbitration Association methods of alternative dispute resolution into the curriculum at the Catholic University of Sunyani.</p> <p>Citing the overload and oligarchical nature of the judicial system, Dr. Ephraim stressed the importance of alternative arbitration in addressing small scale land disputes, tribal conflicts, and family issues which are not adequately addressed by the courts. Due to the courts' inability to reach agreements suitable for all parties involved, such conflicts may go unresolved for years and fester into widespread dilemmas. Alternative Arbitration seeks to alleviate potential dissatisfaction of the losing party by promoting unity through mutual agreements.</p> <p>The student leaders will travel to New York this summer to be trained in dispute resolution techniques by the American Arbitration association.</p> http://www.groundreport.com/World/Seminar-on-Alternative-Dispute-Resolution-Held-in- Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:29:47 -0600 <p>NEW YORK-- GroundReport is set to cover the progress of an ambitious project aimed at improving the Ghanaian legal system this winter.</p> <p>In January, Fordham University students Michael Lynch, Jonathan Knight and Christina Glynn will travel to the rural region of Sunyani in Ghana acting as liasons for Project Reconciliation Ghana. They will facilitate a seminar for 30 students of the Catholic University of Ghana on dispute resolution techniques in affiliation with the Giving to Ghana Foundation.</p> <p>"This is making first contact with future mediators," says Lynch "we are going to be meeting the students for the first time and giving them a look at different methods of arbitration."</p> <p>The Ghanaian students will then travel to New York during summer 2008 to be trained in arbitration techniques of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution.</p> <p>Knight stresses the need for this type of intervention, "lawyers in Ghana are costly and are not readily available to help solve disputes in poor rural areas...dispute resolution is a viable alternative to help those who are left out."</p> <p>Once settled by tribal processes, small land disputes are not adequately addressed by the Ghanaian legal system, often due to the high cost of lawyers. Consequently, the most impoverished are the most vulnerable.</p> <p>In Sunyani, the students will be viewing a live broadcast of a mock arbitration via GroundReport, and will be able to interact with the arbitrators to ask questions as well. The idea is to establish a back and forth between the lawyers and the students in order to introduce arbitration techniques.</p> <p>Ultimately, Project Reconciliation Ghana is seeking to help aleviate the various problems in the Ghanaian legal system and provide functional, transparent and affordable alternative dispute resolution.</p> <p>Check back with GroundReport for continuing coverage.</p> http://www.groundreport.com/World/GroundReport-to-Travel-to-Ghana-with-Fordham-Stude Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:38:04 -0600