What first drew you to MBB? Many roads have been traveled in bringing our group together. We’re not all world renowned mediators, but as Stacey Schamber has proved there is a role for every member to fill.

Stacey was introduced to the MBB website after a 2010 mediation training in Boston, by one of our many loyal ambassadors. Armed with that training, a career as a hospital social worker, and a passion for international peacebuilding Stacey took it upon herself to reach out and ask MBB for something to do.

Over the last few years Stacey and MBB have been on a remarkable and mutually beneficial journey. When MBB needed help coordinating the logistics for the International Training Institute (ITI) at the 2013 Istanbul Congress, Stacey’s initiative and passion brought her to the front of the line.

After months of reading the participants’ stories and responding to their emails Stacey was moved and touched beyond words when the participants walked up and hugged her as she welcomed them to Istanbul at the airport. She says she will never forget the moment when the 22 women ITI participants, trainers and staff were seated together for their first dinner.

Stacey’s commitment to MBB goes beyond simple altruism. She could have stayed a hospital social worker if she just wanted to do some good deeds. But Stacey has answered the call to build a more peace “able” world. Today, she is transferring the skills developed by volunteering with the ITI to help the MBB team assessing a potential project in Uganda – a place which has a special significance to her personal life and development.

We should all heed Stacey’s advice: “If you’re unsure about what to do [in MBB], reach out and express an interest, someone will point you in the right direction.” You never know where it may take you.

Ever wonder what’s in it for you? Or want to get involved, but not know how? Many members and volunteers have faced the same quandary. In 2013 Alicia Kuin resolved that dilemma by volunteering to chair the inaugural MBBI online auction.

Surrounded by friends and colleagues in her Toronto living room, anxiously watching the final seconds of an online auction tick down, was not exactly what Alicia imagined when she contacted MBBI regarding the Climate Change Project. But, as the auction came to a close, excitement gave way to the realization that her months of hard work had truly helped MBBI. As MBBI board member Jean Kling notes “we have Alicia to thank for the tremendous success of our first online auction.”

Alicia’s enthusiasm and commitment to MBBI are not restricted to the auction. In fact, she is well known on the Membership Engagement Committee for making the work a bit more fun for everyone.

Although she is currently completing her L.L.M. in ADR at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, for nearly the last decade Alicia has honed her ADR skills by teaching mediation workshops, working alongside one of Canada’s top mediation firms, participating in international peace negotiations and working for the United Nations. But, the skills, such as project management, she developed working on the auction are already aiding in her design and implementation of an ADR course at Western University.

So ultimately, to paraphrase the immortal words of President Kennedy: ask not what MBBI can do for you. Ask what you can do for MBBI. Alicia did and created that often elusive win-win we mediators constantly pursue.