MBB partners with S.T.A.R.S. of Romania for Congress

The 7th MBB Congress is being organized with partnership and support from Romanian organization STARS: Social Training and Antreprenorial Research Society. The MBB Congress will be located in Bucharest, Romania on April 23-26, 2015.

Madalina Calcan 02-09-15Madalina Calcan, Vice-President and arbitrator at S.T.A.R.S. sits on MBB’s Congress Working Group, (chaired by US-based MBB member, Dana Moldovan). In addition to her position at S.T.A.R.S., Madalina is busy a Senior Partner at FMMM Romania Training School; editor-in-chief of the only professional magazine for mediators in European “Mediation Technique and Art”, a member of the Directors Council and Director of PR Department of U.M.C.R.

S.T.A.R.S. Romania is an established organization, with a team of highly experienced and dedicated members. The organization promotes peace through community and entrepreneur training, offering mediation and dispute resolution services and conducting social science research to further the goals of increasing individual and civic responsibility.  S.T.A.R.S. Arbitration Court is the first integrated service for mediation & arbitration services in Romania. STARS is currently considering opening a new MBB regional group  in Romania.

The local conference organizing work in Bucharest is taken on by a volunteer team of S.T.A.R.S. mediators whom Madalina coordinates. The team are diligiently working on the ground to help get MBB’s 7th Congress launched in April. The dedicated members of the Bucharest S.T.A.R.S. organizing team include Mugur Mitroi, Izabela Trifescu, Agata Stefan, Flori Chivu, Camelia Similea, Mirabela Robatzchi, Simona Jeles, Melinte Cristina and Sorina Popescu.STARS 02-09-15

Madalina describes S.T.A.R.S.’ partnership with MBB for this endeavor as ”a natural continuation of STARS activities for social responsability and social peace, and an exciting challenge for the organization to be involved at a new level of building a ”peace-able” world and community”.

When asked to share some of the hilights of her experiences so far in hosting and co-organizing the Congress, Madalina described, ”The best part of the work is the amazing opportunity we all have to learn and share our values. Almost on a daily basis we are in contact with peacebuilding professionals around the world”.

What about the most challenging parts? She chuckles, ”Coordinating communication over different time zones! Working with volunteer peacebuilders and mediators from different continents, on different time zones, transforms our organizational marathon into a challenge.”

”We started the organizational proceedings of 7th Congress a year ago, in February 2014, and we meet in videoconferences almost weekley to coordinate our activities.”

”I am sure all participants will find at the 7th Congress in Bucharest a world class event, with a strong Romanian mediator community and located in a beautiful warm city and country, with much to explore.”

If you would like to contact the Congress Working Group, please connect with Chairperson, Dana Moldovan, (danamol@gmail.com).