From Hurt to Healing — Family Mediation Begins a Revolution in Dispute Resolution

Hyderabad, July 16, 2025:In a landmark move for conflict resolution in India, the country’s first-ever Family Mediation Training Program was successfully conducted at the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC), Gachibowli. The 7-day, 70-hour intensive training was jointly organised by Invisible Scars Foundation and IAMC Hyderabad, and was fully funded under the CSR initiative of Centific, a global digital solutions company.

The program was specifically tailored for non-legal professionals working in the social or development sector. A total of 32 participants from across India—representing cities such as Ajmer, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Hazaribagh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nalgonda, Pune, and Warangal—completed the training. The cohort included social workers, psychologists, and law enforcement officers, all now certified as Family Mediators.

A Culture of Mediation, A Step Toward Peace

“Mediation has deep roots in Indian culture. We are inherently a mediation nation,” said Ekta Viiveck Verma, Founder of Invisible Scars Foundation. “This program marks the beginning of a new era where trained family mediators can support survivors of domestic violence and resolve disputes with empathy and dignity.”

Inaugurating the program, Ms. Shikha Goel, IPS, Director General, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau, shared her personal experience as a trained mediator and called on more professionals to embrace this transformative tool.

Training by Eminent Experts

The participants were trained by a nationally respected panel of experts:

• Susheela Sarathi – Senior Trainer, MCPC (Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee), Supreme Court of India

• Tanu Mehta – Renowned Mediator and Trainer, Mumbai

• K.S. Sarma – Founder and Director, HAMPS Bio Ltd.; Former CEO of Prasar Bharati & DG of Doordarshan

• Dr. Varudhini Kankipati – Co-Founder, Inner Connect Psychological Counselling Centre

The training curriculum covered vital areas such as trauma awareness, communication skills, family law basics, negotiation techniques, and ethical practice, with both theory and practical assessments.

Empanelment and Community Impact

Post-certification, the newly trained mediators are now empanelled with IAMC and will contribute to resolving conflicts in sectors like gender-based violence (GBV), WASH, education, and health, directly within their communities.

AJ Jawad, Lead Faculty and Registrar, IAMC, noted, “This was a national first—empowering grassroots professionals with the tools of mediation. We are proud to pioneer this initiative.”

Towards a National Network of Family Mediators

With rising incidents of domestic conflict across the country, family mediation offers a faster, confidential, and more dignified alternative to lengthy court battles. Once resolved through mediation, such disputes cannot be challenged in court—a feature that ensures closure for both parties.

According to unofficial reports, 50–60% of referred cases are being successfully resolved through mediation. Telangana, in particular, has been proactive in promoting community mediation and domestic violence response mechanisms.

Ekta Viiveck Verma shared that Invisible Scars has been receiving overwhelming interest in the program and plans to expand training efforts. The NGO is actively seeking philanthropic partners to scale the initiative across India.

Why Family Mediation Matters

India currently faces a backlog of 4.91 lakh domestic violence cases in the courts. Family mediation not only eases the burden on the judiciary but also provides timely, empathetic support to those involved.

“This is more than a legal tool—it’s a healing process,” said Ekta. “We are building a survivor-first ecosystem, and this training is a major step forward.”