Kent Law School Lecturer Janie Clement-Walker has described a surprise opportunity to coach a team of Syrian refugees for a mediation tournament in Greece as one of the ‘most emotional and heart-warming experiences’ of her life.

The request was sprung upon Janie on her arrival at the American College of Greece (ACG) in Athens by competition organiser Elena Kolsaki, a Greek based mediator and board member of the International Academy of Dispute Resolution (INADR).

Janie is an accredited practitioner with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) in the UK and works closely with INADR in support of mediation competitions organised around the world. The young men she coached had all had their studies interrupted by the war in Syria. They were selected by Elena for the annual Greece Mediation Tournament from amongst a pool of English-speaking Syrian candidates living in refugee camps in and around Thessaloniki.

Mohammed, Ibrahem, Mutasem, Geema, Ahmed and Ebrahim were offered clothes and hotel accommodation by INADR for the duration of the competition. Sadly, after the first day of coaching with Janie, a serious bombing incident affecting a family member in Syria meant Geema, Ahmed and Ebrahim had to return to their camp.

Ibrahem, Mohammed and Mutasem remaind in Athens and continued their intensive coaching sessions with Janie. They went on to compete in three separate rounds of the tournament, reaching the semi-final and earning themselves a trophy and ‘Spirit of Mediation’ medallions.

Janie, who has also been invited to coach and judge at the International Negotiation Competition in Switzerland next month, said: ‘For the boys it was an amazing opportunity. But for me too, it was one of the most emotional and heart-warming experiences I have ever had.’

Sent in by A.P.Shieber@kent.ac.uk