GRAND MEDIATION GATHERING IN CZESTOCHOWA –CELEBRATION OF ENERGY, DIALOGUE & UNDERSTANDING

On the International Day of Mediation, October 16, 2025, Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa became the heart of Polish mediation. Within the university’s walls, the Great Congress of Mediation took place, bringing together over 300 participants and speakers from all over Poland – representatives of academia, the judiciary, public administration, business, mediators, as well as students and pupils.

It was a true celebration of mediation - full of inspiration, knowledge, and mutual exchange of experience. The sessions were held in eight parallel thematic blocks, covering civil, criminal, family, peer, administrative, commercial, labour, and collective dispute mediations, as well as a special block moderated by trainee legal counsels and advocates.

Among the distinguished guests were, among others: prof. Marek Konopczyński – Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Justice for Juvenile Affairs; dr Marek Michalak - Ombudsman for Children in 2008–2018; Magdalena Rams – Deputy Director of the Department of Funds and Free Legal Aid at the Ministry of Justice; as well as mediation coordinators and representatives from major Polish courts, experienced mediators, and scholars from leading academic centres.

During the event, the first graduates of the Young Mediator Academy – a pilot project jointly implemented by Jan Dlugosz University, the Czestochowa City Hall, and the District Court in Czestochowa – were ceremoniously awarded.

The Congress was more than just a conference – it was a gathering of people united by passion and a belief in the power of dialogue. Together, they shared good practices and proven models for promoting mediation in various social and professional environments.

As the event’s initiator, Judge Ewa Drzewiecka, put it:
“For years, promoting mediation was like lighting single candles – their flame faded when enthusiasm waned. The goal of the Congress was to ignite a great bonfire that will burn continuously, gathering many partners around it – people ready to add more wood and warm themselves together in the glow of mediation. And that’s exactly what we saw in Czestochowa.”

Despite an intensive programme, the participants stayed until the very end, and as they departed, many could be heard saying that “it was worth coming from so far” – from Szczecin, Olsztyn, Rzeszow, Zakopane, Wroclaw, Poznan, Lodz, and Warsaw. The Congress gathered representatives from all regions of Poland, as illustrated by a graphic showing participants and their places of origin.

To all the participants, speakers, and event partners – thank you!
It is thanks to you that the Great Congress of Mediation truly lived up to its name – great not only in title, but in spirit.