CanMediate International

Ruth’s strength is her ability to understand and relate to people. This skill is an integral part of all aspects of her work. As a conflict management consultant, she works with clients to understand the nature of their ‘real’ world so that the end products ‘fit’ with their realities. Her approach is to engage the clients at all levels in the development process so that they feel that the interventions, system design processes, training courses, manuals and other program related material developed are appropriate, workable and customized to meet their needs. This approach has resulted in excellent evaluations by clients of Ruth’s work.

As a trainer and program developer she has been labelled a ‘pracademic’, by those with whom she works. She believes strongly that all learners (but particularly teens and adults) need to be able to understand ‘why’ they are doing / learning things and that all material should be relevant, practical and useful. Her sense of humour and relaxed, interactive training style provide a comfortable, safe and effective learning environment. This approach as resulted in resounding successes in the training field. As a trainer she has delivered more than 90 harassment awareness sessions (more than 1800 participants) for 1 client with fewer than 15 ‘poor’ evaluations. In addition, Ruth has designed, developed and delivered more than 150 courses in Mediation – Basic and Advanced, Negotiation, Conflict Management, Communication Skills, Anger Management, Understanding and Dealing with Organizational Conflict, Harassment Awareness, Intervention Skills for Conflict Liaison Persons, ADR, Orientation to Restorative Justice, Facilitating Group Conferences, Bullying Teasing and Harassment, Parenting Skills, Reducing Conflict between Parents and Kids, and more…

These courses have been given for clients in the government, corporate, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary school, church and community environments. She has taught numerous courses in Mediation, Negotiation and Organizational Conflict for Queen’s University and University of Ottawa in their Faculty of Arts, Department of Communication, 4^th year program since 1999.

- Workplace (both unionized and non-unionized) - abuse of authority, interpersonal conflict, inter and intra group conflicts, wrongful dismissal, severance package negotiation, personal harassment, professional interference, professional misconduct, employee / management (on both individual and group basis)

- Criminal court (post-charge referrals from the Crown Attorney) – break & enter, possession of stolen property, vandalism, assault, assault causing bodily harm, mischief, swarming, driving while impaired, uttering threats, shoplifting, theft under $5000, and more…

As a System’s design consultant, Ruth has assisted clients in the government, education, church and social service sectors to review existing systems and policies and revise and develop conflict management systems, policies, protocols and processes that will enhance their ability to respond to conflicts in an effective, interest-based manner.

Maureen Gauci is a trusted and experienced trainer, mediator, and dispute resolution system design advisor. Maureen has a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors. For the past 19 years, she has been actively providing facilitation, training, mediation, and system design services. Due to her unique background and experience, she successfully mediates in complex systemic conflict situations including discrimination, harassment, toxic working environments, inappropriate management styles, dysfunctional organizational cultures, workplace violence, and others. She is regularly called upon to provide advice and assistance with Senior Managers who are dealing with challenges in their work environments. As the former Chief, ADR with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Maureen has managed in the public service experience and successfully led and developed dispute resolution programmes.

Maureen brings her wealth of experience, knowledge, and skills into the classroom environment where she has demonstrated success in designing curricula and delivering interactive, experiential, and responsive courses to diverse student/client needs. She has an extensive résumé of training and instruction that encompasses college level courses, as well as university courses at the Bachelors, Masters, and post-graduate levels.

As an Order in Council appointee, Maureen also provides adjudication services to the Ontario Parole Board. In this capacity, she is required to use her impartiality, analytical skills, and sound judgment to fairly assess complex cases involving issues of conflicting verbal/written evidence and credibility. Her dispute resolution skills, self-confidence, and sensitivity to the diverse needs of appellants enable her to provide decision-making in confrontational and stressful situations.

In addition to numerous courses in mediation and negotiation, Maureen has obtained a Master of Law degree with a specialization in Alternative Dispute Resolution, a Bachelor of Art’s degree in Law and Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and Criminal Justice, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Regulatory and Administrative Law. This educational background ensures that Maureen has a strong, dynamic knowledge base for training as well as intervening in conflict.

Maureen currently maintains a dispute resolution practice offering mediation services and dispute resolution training to a diverse profile of private companies, Government Agencies, and individuals. She currently teaches negotiation and mediation at Queen’s University (Faculty of Law), Saint Paul University (Conflict Studies), and Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business (Professional Certificate in Conflict Management).

Michael Lang, J.D. has been a mediator, trainer, and conflict management consultant for 30 years in the areas of workplace, organizational, divorce and family, congregational and public policy disputes.

Michael has consulted with and provided conflict management trainings to a range of businesses, government agencies, not-for-profit organizations and university faculties. As well, he designed and helped implement a comprehensive workplace mediation program for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Additionally, Michael has consulted with and provided conflict resolution training programs to various government agencies, including Human Resourced Development Canada, Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, the U.S. Department of the Navy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As an educator for the past 20 years, Michael has developed and presented mediation skills and practice training courses, for beginning and advanced students, for court systems, government agencies, mediation centers, and professional associations. He has been a featured speaker at professional meetings throughout Canada and the U.S. and in the U.K., Ireland and Trinidad and Tobago.

Active in many professional activities, Michael has served on the boards of directors and as an officer of local, regional, state and national professional organizations in the field of conflict resolution. He is a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators and served for five years as a member of its board of directors.

Michael has authored numerous articles on mediation practice, and produced three mediation practice videos. He is co-author of The Making of a Mediator: Developing Artistry in Practice, published in 2000 by Jossey Bass Publishers.