Meet the Team – Martha Clarke
Meet the Team: Martha Clarke
This series introduces members of the CMC Team – get to know the Directors and staff to learn about their experience in mediation and plans for the organisation.
Martha Clarke is the CMC’s Communications Officer. She speaks about what drew her to mediation, her vision for the CMC and how you can get involved as well.
Who are you and what is your experience in mediation?
Like many of you out there I am passionate about mediation! It’s an amazing process that brings about huge transformations allowing people to resolve their difficulties and get on with their lives.
It never ceases to amaze me that just by giving people the opportunity to talk to each other and facilitate a conversation such a great outcome can be reached. When I walk out of a mediation where the parties have shaken hands or hugged after months or sometimes years of hurt, pain and anger I want to shout about it and share the power of mediation with the whole world …and that’s why I joined the CMC.
On a more mundane note….I’ve been working as a mediator for nearly 15 years and have worked across Civil Commercial, Workplace, Community and Intergenerational mediation. But my primary focus is Workplace mediation and conflict coaching. I also train mediators and run courses on how to have difficult conversations – of course like many I still find them hard to have!
How long have you been with the CMC? What are the responsibilities you have taken on?
I’ve been on the Board of the CMC for four years and take the lead on our communications. As a former journalist and Director of Communications, I understand the importance of getting our messages out to the right audiences and want the CMC to be a voice for mediation. It’s quite a task, but over the past few years the CMC has become more and more high profile. It engages with a wide public audience through social and traditional media, and with key stakeholders and the government through discussion and consultations. There is much to be done and I am always open to help and support with our communications. So if you’d like to contribute blogs, podcasts, or comments we can use just send them through to Charitybod who support the CMC in all matters marketing.
Where do you see the CMC heading? What are your hopes for the future of mediation and (Alternative) Dispute Resolution?
I think mediation has come of age, its use has been growing steadily since I started practising. I see it on the same trajectory as coaching. Twenty years ago coaching was seen as fringe but now it is mainstream. Mediation isn’t quite as common as coaching yet but in years to come I am hopeful that it will become the go to intervention to resolve disputes. People will begin to see that it is much less costly in terms of time, money and emotional energy.
I think it is really important that we as mediators that we work hard to spread the word, and for the CMC to maintain standards and remain the leading regulatory body for mediation.
This series introduces members of the CMC Team – get to know the Directors and staff to learn about their experience in mediation and plans for the organisation.
