AMINZ Scholarship Recipient 2024: Insights and Reflections from the Conference
Zar Sinclair, the AMINZ Determinative Scholar for 2024 had the opportunity to attend our annual AMINZ Conference. Zar’s participation was both enriching and inspiring, offering her valuable insights and networking opportunities within the ADR community.
Read below to hear her thoughts on the experience and the impact it has had on her professional journey.
I began my legal career fresh out of University in 2020, which as it turned out, was not a good year for in-person conferences. As part of my AMINZ scholarship, I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2024 AMINZ conference (my first ever!). I wanted to provide some insight (and encouragement to attend) for anyone in same conferenceless boat, by sharing my three highlights:
The people: This was an easy highlight. It is daunting to walk into a room when it feels like everybody must already know each other, but at the end of day, a little bit of fear is always worth the opportunity to take a seat at the table. Luckily for me, everybody in attendance was friendly and the structure of the conference (which was held in one room over the course of a day) meant that there was a lot to speak about in between sessions. I enjoyed having the chance to meet people from different professions who had a shared interest in alternative dispute resolution. I learnt just as much from my post-session debriefs over coffee as I did from the sessions themselves (which is saying a lot!).
Good food: I mean this really genuinely. The food was awesome. For me, the opportunity to connect with people over good food is the best way to form friendships and lasting connections. It also demonstrated the care AMINZ took to ensure its people were looked after on the day.
The focus on connection: Over the course of the day, we heard from three panels (ADR and the Māori Economy, Resolving Governance Disputes, and ADR and the Green Economy). We also enjoyed a talk on humanity in advocacy by Daniel Kalderimis KC and a fireside chat with the Chief High Court Judge, Justice Sally Fitzgerald.There was a lot of good stuff to take away – the speakers each had a wealth of experience in different areas, and it was interesting to hear their various anecdotes and reflections.However, for me, the connecting theme across the day was the acknowledgement that behind every dispute (and behind each legal professional) are people wanting to be understood.This theme manifested in many different ways: in hearing about mediation solving community grievances; in learning how governing bodies have had to adapt to meet the specific needs of their communities; and in hearing Justice Sally Fitzgerald speak about the moments of (surprisingly relatable) learning, generosity and blind courage that led her to her role now. Overall, the day served as a good refresher on the potential of ADR to draw out the humanity in disputes, and how essential it is to have processes that facilitate communication and understanding when resolving conflicts.
Speaking at a conference was definitely a step out of my comfort zone, but it was an apt reminder that on the other side of comfort there is learning, there is kindness and there are people. Congratulations (and thanks) to everybody involved. I look forward to attending in years to come.
The AMINZ Scholarships are designed to promote diversity and leadership within the dispute resolution sector in New Zealand. Established in 2021, these scholarships support future leaders by providing opportunities for mentorship, observation, speaking engagements, and financial assistance. Each year, two scholarships are awarded: one focused on arbitration (Determinative) and the other on mediation (Consensual). These awards not only benefit the recipients but also enrich the AMINZ community by fostering growth and learning across the sector. For more details, visit AMINZ Scholarships.
