What You Should Know
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SMP?
Set up in 2015 by a group of mediation advocates and peacemakers, the Society of Mediation Professionals (Singapore) or “SMP”, sought to advance the interests and perspectives of mediation and ADR advocates in Singapore, a lacuna at that time. Birthed from conversations, SMP commits to keep conversations going because ideas, plans and movements result. SMP seeks to provide the necessary platform to mould the standards necessary for mediation to be a thriving profession, and to provide the cross-pollination of views and perspectives between professionals and various stakeholders.
How is SMP different from other mediation institutions, such as SMC, SIMC, SIMI and SIDRA?
SMP is a ground-up initiative by like-minded practitioners coming together to share, empower and influence how mediation is practised, developed and nurtured. We share concerns and find solutions, dialogue and hone practice for each other by each other regardless of institutional affiliation or area of practice. In short, we are pretty much a society as Aristotle would rightly say, in which the ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts’, because when we organise ourselves, we are better together.
What are things that you do apart from organising events?
We are duty-bound to advance the field of mediation in Singapore. In so doing, we have invited speakers from other jurisdictions to speak about their extensive experience in order to glean from their wisdom. We have also organised town hall discussions regarding national and international initiatives such as the passing of the Mediation Bill, and the Singapore Convention on Mediation.
Our members are currently working with various stakeholders to develop a code of professional conduct and ethics that will raise the practice standards of mediation in Singapore. With you, we can do more.
Do you invite non-members to events?
It depends. Some of the more intimate events and gatherings are only for members, as we do want to keep the group small, and do want to reserve the more exclusive events for those who have committed to the organisation.
While some of our other events are open to non-members, members are of course given priority for registration and pay a significantly discounted fee for such events. Membership, of course, has its privileges!
Why are there membership categories for the SMP?
We have tiered membership categories because members join us at different stages of their journey, and we want to help them reap the necessary benefits where they are at, yet ensuring that nobody gets left out. New to mediation? No problem, we still want to include you, share the space and grow with you. Generally speaking, those who qualify to be SIMI (Singapore-International Mediation Institute) accredited will qualify as members under the SMP Constitution. We want to be inclusive, as much as possible, so diversity helps us meet various needs!
Can I apply to be considered as an ordinary member (as opposed to an associate member) by pure virtue of my experience?
As mentioned above, those who qualify to be SIMI (Singapore International Mediation Institute) accredited will qualify to be members under our Constitution. However, if you feel that by virtue of your experience, you should be considered for full membership, we’d be more than happy to hear you out by emailing us at secretariat@smp.org.sg
I want to sign up – where do I go?
Please pop by our membership page, which can be found here. The membership page gives you a sense of the options available for joining us.
I have other questions; where do I direct these to?
We would be happy to hear from you! Please do feel free to email us at secretariat@smp.org.sg if you require more information. Alternatively, if you prefer to communicate via snail mail, you can drop us a note at:
Society of Mediation Professionals, 28 Maxwell Road, #04-05, Maxwell Chambers Suites, Singapore 069120.