Irvine, Calif. – The JAMS Foundation is pleased to announce the 15 Fellows who have been named to the 2023 class of the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program. Each year, the Foundation approves fellowships up to $20,000 in support of projects developed by Fellowship applicants. Fellows join in this program from across the globe, particularly in countries that do not have an established culture of ADR for cases in litigation.
“The continued success of this program, which has now been supporting individuals from all over the globe for over a decade, is a testament to the value that ADR can bring on a global scale and the commitment of the JAMS Foundation to provide individuals with skills that can be employed within their home countries. I am so proud of this program and look forward to another great year.”
Hon. Daniel Weinstein (Ret.)
The Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program is named to honor the contributions of JAMS neutral Hon. Daniel Weinstein (Ret.). Founded in 2008 and supported by the JAMS Foundation in partnership with Judge Weinstein, the program is designed to provide opportunities for qualified individuals outside of the United States to study alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes and practices in the U.S. and to assist them in their ability to advance dispute resolution in their home countries. Since its inception, the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program has trained over 125 Fellows from more than 75 countries.
“This program is deeply collaborative and creative in nature and is a unique opportunity to bring together established and emerging dispute resolution leaders from across the globe to share experiences, learn and develop new skills and perspectives. We are proud of the continued growth of this program and its ability to directly support the careers of each Fellow.”
Ellen Bass, director of the Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program
Listed below are the 15 Fellows selected for the 2023 Weinstein JAMS International Fellowship Program
Zainab Jawara Alami (The Gambia) – Justice Jawara Alami serves on the High Court, where she is responsible for developing ADR programs in connection with the courts. She holds an LL.M. in commercial law from the University of Kent and has served as an ardent ADR advocate since she led the drafting of the ADR Act in 2005. During her Fellowship, she plans to build her capacity as an ADR practitioner, especially in mediation and international commercial arbitration. Upon her return, she will use the knowledge gained during her Fellowship to continue her efforts to improve ADR processes in The Gambia.
Dima Alexandrova (Bulgaria) – Ms. Alexandrova is a mediator and attorney-at-law at the Sofia Bar Association. She further serves as a trainer with the Professional Association of Mediators in Bulgaria and at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. She holds an LL.M. from King's College London in international business law and a Master of Laws from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. While in the U.S., she intends to broaden her knowledge and understanding as a mediator, trainer and educator to assist in the development of mediation practices and education in Bulgaria.
Liliana Amione (Argentina) – Ms. Amione is the director of the Rafaela Bar Association's Mediation Institute, where she works in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, Justice and Human Rights to improve the quality of the mediation process and increase mediation demand throughout the province of Santa Fe. She is also responsible for managing operations at the International Mediation Institute (IMI). During her Fellowship, she plans to expand her skills as a mediator and mediation advocate to enhance the current mandatory mediation system in Santa Fe.
Gidey Belay Assefa (Ethiopia) – Mr. Assefa is an associate attorney at ALG LLP in Addis Ababa, where he specializes in international arbitration. In 2022, he was selected to join the inaugural cohort of the ICC's Hold the Door Open scholars program, which provides training for future leaders of international arbitration from Africa. Mr. Assefa has taught law at Addis Ababa University and Aksum University, where he led the legal aid center. He holds an LL.M. in transnational dispute resolution from the University of Manchester and an LL.M. in commercial law from Hawassa University. While in the U.S., he intends to increase his understanding of court-connected and community mediation programs to expand dispute resolution practices and peacebuilding in Ethiopia.
Mahamane Fondogoumo Djitteye (Mali) – "El Hadj" Djitteye is the founder and executive director of the Timbuktu Center for Strategic Studies on the Sahel, an independent think tank consisting of researchers, consultants and academics focused on establishing peace, security and stability in Mali. He is an Obama Foundation Africa Leaders Program Fellow, a One Young World Peace Ambassador and a Mandela Washington Fellow for Young African Leaders through the U.S. Department of State. As part of his Fellowship in the U.S., he intends to advance his understanding of mediation to further develop community-based dispute resolution initiatives and peacebuilding in the Sahel.
Caroline Nene Etuk (Nigeria) – Ms. Etuk is a lawyer and internationally accredited mediator with over a decade of experience establishing and directing the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse, the first court-connected ADR center in Africa. She has served at the vanguard of justice sector reform by incorporating ADR in the civil justice system through the amendment of court rules and other legislation. Currently the director of the Enugu State Multi-Door Courthouse, she focuses her efforts on developing the center as an ADR hub for the region. Upon completion of her Fellowship, she intends to develop a comprehensive system for service standards requiring accountability and compliance to complete the successful transition of Court ADR to an efficient alternative to litigation in Nigeria.
Josina Jackson (Jamaica) – Ms. Jackson is a certified mediator appointed to the Supreme Court of Jamaica for civil matters. She also mediates civil and criminal matters referred to mediation by the Family and Parish Courts. An internationally accredited trainer, she has provided mediation training as faculty for ADR Center's online learning academy. As part of her Fellowship in the U.S., she intends to expand her knowledge and expertise in mediation and negotiation to help contribute to law and justice reform in Jamaica through strengthening the legislative framework for domestic and cross-border mediation in the country.
Muhammad Quraish Khan (Pakistan) – Dr. Quraish Khan is the assistant inspector general in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Department in Peshawar, where he is the focal person for the police-annexed Dispute Resolution Councils (DRCs). He is also a resource person on ADR for the School of Local Government and the Department of Criminology at the University of Peshawar. A senior police officer with 20 years of experience, he has served on command, staff, investigation and training assignments, and as a national policing specialist for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Pakistan. As part of his Fellowship in the U.S., he plans to develop new training modules for DRCs and support the creation of community online dispute resolution (ODR) initiatives.
Stephen Lungu (Zambia) – Mr. Lungu has practiced law in Zambia for over 30 years and is a partner at Shamwana and Co., where he specializes in international law and banking, intercultural management, leadership and sustainable development. A former president of the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), he is an accredited mediator and has served as the commissioner of the small claims courts, where he mediates pro bono small claims cases. During his Fellowship in the U.S., he plans to develop his mediation skills while observing how cases are managed and resolved. He will continue his efforts to improve mediation practices both in and outside the court system upon his return to Zambia.
Christine Maksoud (Lebanon/United Arab Emirates) – Ms. Maksoud is an internationally certified mediator and senior associate with the law firm of Al Tamimi & Co. in Dubai. She is a solicitor of England and Wales and holds a diploma in mediation from the Center for Professional Mediation (CPM) at St. Joseph University in Lebanon. While in the U.S., she intends to deepen her practical knowledge in mediation and negotiation through skills-based learning and observation to assist in the development of a high-standard mediation practice in the Emirates and throughout the region.
Piotr Marciniak (Poland) – Justice Marciniak serves on the Regional Court in Poznan, where he has led mediation developments as the mediation coordinator, contributing to the expansion and awareness of mediation among judges, lawyers, entrepreneurs and the residents of Poznan and neighboring areas. A recognized leader in promoting mediation in Poland, he participated in a specialized exchange program on mediation as part the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) in 2022. During his Fellowship, he will study best practices in court-connected ADR programs in the U.S. to implement and expand court-connected mediation programs in his district while contributing to the development of mediation in Poland.
Anh Tuan Nguyen (Vietnam) – Mr. Nguyen is a certified mediator and the founder and director of the Vietnam Commercial Effective Mediation Center (VEMC). A graduate of the MBA program at the University of Warwick Business School and Hanoi National University Law School, he serves as the managing partner at ANT Lawyers, which has offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. During his Fellowship, he hopes to obtain advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of ADR, including innovations in online dispute resolution, to assist in ensuring that ADR legislation meets international standards in Vietnam.
Emmanuel Ekundayo Roberts (Sierra Leone) – Justice Roberts serves on the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone and is vice-president of the Residual Special Court and the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, representing the West Africa region. He holds an LL.M. from Duke Law School and is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree at the University of Nevada. He is a Fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute (CJEI) and is also a member of the Law Reform Commission, director of the Judicial and Legal Training Institute in Sierra Leone and a judicial educator. As part of his Fellowship project, he intends to contribute to his ongoing judicial reform work to increase access to justice in Sierra Leone by studying how mediation services within the court system and related institutions have been established in the U.S.
Gergely Varga (Hungary) – Mr. Varga is a lawyer specializing in high-value litigation and arbitration cases. In addition, he works as a mediator and arbitrator at the Conciliation Board at the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry to resolve consumer protection disputes. During his Fellowship in the U.S., he intends to gain insight into and experience in the theory and practice of organizational ombuds services to expand the awareness and availability of ADR processes in Hungary. He further aims to develop his dispute resolution understanding and abilities through mediation training and other professional skill-building programs in the U.S.
Wendell Wallace (Trinidad & Tobago) – Dr. Wallace holds a Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice from the University of West Indies, where he teaches in the undergraduate and graduate law programs and oversees the mediation studies unit. He is a certified mediator and trainer and frequently mediates civil and family disputes at the Family Court of Trinidad and Tobago. A former police officer, he is focused on strengthening his mediation skills, especially in the context of mediating community-police disputes, as part of his Fellowship project in the U.S. Upon returning to Trinidad and Tobago, he intends to implement a community-police mediation program to address citizen complaints involving police officers.
About the JAMS Foundation
The nonprofit JAMS Foundation was established in 2002 by JAMS, the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide. The mission of the JAMS Foundation is to provide financial assistance for conflict resolution initiatives with national and international impact and to share its dispute resolution expertise for the benefit of the public interest.
The Foundation is funded entirely by contributions from JAMS neutrals, executives and associates, and by a substantial annual donation from JAMS. To uphold the company’s core value of neutrality, the Foundation accepts no donations outside of JAMS. The Foundation is currently comprised of 300 principal benefactors and has provided more than $11 million in grant funding since its inception.
About JAMS – Local Solutions. Global Reach.
Founded in 1979, JAMS is the largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution services worldwide. JAMS successfully resolves and manages business and legal disputes by providing efficient, cost-effective and impartial ways to overcome barriers at any stage of conflict. JAMS offers customized in-person, virtual and hybrid resolution services locally and globally through a combination of industry-specific experience, first-class client service, the latest technology and highly trained mediators and arbitrators.
With a roster of over 400 neutrals and 30 locations, JAMS resolves thousands of the world’s important cases every year. JAMS neutrals are adept at managing the resolution process whether they are conducting in-person, virtual or hybrid hearings.
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