"Yurii Gagarin" 8 Street
Sofia
Bulgaria
- Democracy and community development
• Juridical Person - a non-profit association;
• sources of financing: project financing and provision of services
• Project "MEDIATION AND COURT IN SUPPORT OF BUSINESS: Popularizing fast, fair and effective dispute resolution through court referral programs to mediation"; Project "Promoting the use of mediation in Sofia Municipality, Nadezhda District"; training; seminars; team-building; civil initiatives; certifying and advanced training for mediators; negotiations; mediation procedures; consulting;
• main partners - municipalities, institutions, organizations; private individuals;
In a world filled with conflicts and differences, our mission is to show a way to overcome them. We believe in the power of dialogue. We educate communities about a type of communication that leads to understanding and accepting each other's positions and points of view. Our path between polarization and distrust is mediation. Through presence, active listening, and effective collaboration, this process allows us to reach the driving motives of each side. Its strength lies in empathy, understanding, trust, and resolving a specific dispute to a feasible solution. Applying the techniques used in mediation in various personal and professional situations enhances the quality of life for the individual. Its use in organizations and institutions strengthens the democratic principles of society as a whole and gives confidence to all people in the fairness and ability to overcome difficulties.
The main goals of the Dispute Resolution Center are:
- to inform and familiarize individuals and key groups in society with the benefits and effects of implementing mediation as a way to resolve disputes/conflicts/problems;
- to assist individuals, legal entities, institutions, organizations, and all communities and groups in resolving conflicts between them through mediation;
- to carry out all related activities that would lead to promoting individuality, tolerance, freedom, and progress for each individual and for society as a whole.
The Center for Dispute Resolution (CDR) is the first center in Bulgaria to introduce the service of "mediation in municipality": the "Sredets" district of Sofia Municipality introduced a free mediation service for the residents of the district in 2019, which is still being used to this day. Within the framework of the "Promoting the use of mediation in Sofia Municipality, Nadezhda District" Project, the mediation service is now also offered in the "Nadezhda" district of Sofia Municipality. Our goal is for more districts in the capital to offer this service for the benefit of the citizens, and for it to become accessible to residents of most of the municipalities across the country.
CDR is the organization in Bulgaria that has developed and implemented an educational program on the subject of "Basics of Mediation" in schools. The curriculum is adapted for students in the high school level of education, aiming to enhance their emotional intelligence, reduce aggression in schools, and help students develop their communication and social skills. The training is conducted by qualified teachers - mediators;
CDR organizes and hosts the annual National Students Mediation Competition. Traditionally, teams from universities across the country participate in it. They come from various fields - humanities, technical, even military. Every year, the meetings and exchange of experiences and knowledge with them allow mediation to become more popular and find its application in different professional fields.
CDR organizes and conducts high-quality training for mediators from all over the country. Its training activities as an educational organization are approved by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria with license LS-04-903/16.05.2013. The Center for Dispute Resolution prides itself on its high professionalism and commitment to quality in training mediators. Thanks to our training program in the field of dispute resolution, we have the opportunity to build strong and competent mediators who know how to successfully participate in international disputes and achieve harmonious results for all parties involved.
Within the framework "MEDIATION AND COURT IN SUPPORT OF BUSINESS: Popularizing fast, fair and effective dispute resolution through court referral programs to mediation" Project CDR is the organization that has trained about one-third of the active mediators in the Republic of Bulgaria.
CDR takes care of improving the qualifications of practicing mediators by conducting specialized training in the areas of family, commercial, and intellectual property mediation.
It organizes and hosts various types of seminars, courses, and training related to enhancing communication skills, special mediator techniques, and methods for successful negotiation management in the form of team-building activities and through the method of "experiential learning".
CDR provides the service of mediation - for family and commercial disputes; workplace disputes; disputes within organizations; disputes between individuals and legal entities.
CDR advises organizations, individuals, and institutions on the effective use of the mediation procedure as an alternative way to resolve conflicts of all kinds.
Takes part in all initiatives about informing society and promoting mediation as a primary method for finding solutions and resolving conflicts.