Building Peace for Lasting Resolutions

Afsana Gibson-Chowdhury Q.Med, is a qualified mediator and Distinguished Fellow at the International Academy of Mediators. She is based in the UK and Canada, providing international conflict resolution services.

Recipient of the ADR Institute of Ontario, Star Awards, 2021.

CONTACT

"Courage to listen, humility to learn and commitment to protect everyone's human rights can build the foundations for peace."

Afsana Gibson-Chowdhury is a trailblazing figure in Dispute Resolution and Training. As the founder of GC Mediation and Training Ltd., Afsana has become a prominent international Mediator, based in the United Kingdom and Ontario, Canada.

Afsana has a multi-disciplinary practice in Human Rights, Commercial and Civil Law and works across commercial, public and private industries, including workplaces, governmental bodies and the education sector. She facilitates multiparty dialogues and mediates processes on anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and all forms of hate and violations.

Afsana is an ADRIC designated Qualified Mediator and a Distinguished Fellow at the International Academy of Mediators, which ranks her as 220 “world’s most experienced commercial mediators”.

An important aspect of Afsana’s practice is applying a diverse and culturally aware lens to ensure her services are accessible to all. Her creative approach to dispute resolution enables her to craft strategies that lead to mutually agreed solutions. She believes that a non-court form of dispute resolution is the best approach to peace of mind.

Human Rights Facilitation

Are you currently in a conflict at work, in your community or anywhere else based on your Human Rights? Speak to Afsana to see how she can help.

Civil and Commercial Mediation

Most Civil and Commercial issues can be resolved outside of court. If you are considering mediation as a way to resolve your dispute, find out how Afsana can help.

Workplace Mediation

Workplace conflicts can affect your mental and physical health and if left unresolved, it could lead to life changing impact. Seek to mediate with Afsana.

Mediation

Mediation is one of several forms of non-court-based dispute resolution and is the most commonly used. Clients often opt to mediate because mediation is a shorter process, less costly than a trial, fully confidential and allows them to retain control over the outcome. In certain cases, in the UK and many parts of the globe, mediation is often mandated. For Example, in the UK, any cases under £10,000 in the Small Claims Court must be mediated before proceeding to court. Since the Court of Appeal decision in Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council [2023] EWCA Civ 1416, courts also have the power in appropriate cases to order the parties to engage in alternative forms of dispute resolution without obstructing their right to a fair and public hearing under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”).

With significant court backlogs and average waiting times of approximately 18 months to three years, mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution represent the future for clients seeking timely and effective justice.

Afsana offers mediation in English and Bengali in the following areas:

  • Human rights discrimination
  • Workplace Disputes
  • Employments Disputes
  • Contract Disputes
  • Insurance Defence
  • Personal Injury

Dispute Resolution

BOOK NOW

Learn and Grow

Professional

Training

Afsana is a thought leader and a world-renowned trainer in ‘culture and mediation’. Widely respected for her dedication to fostering inclusive practices and advancing cultural awareness among practitioners. She has designed and delivered a range of courses on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) for lawyers, mediators, and cross-sector professionals.

Afsana offers two types of training. Her flagship program, ‘Cultural Competence in Mediation’, launched in 2020 quickly gained recognition for its innovative approach. Since then, Afsana has provided cultural awareness training to numerous clients, including government agencies, universities, and professional associations. This training equips practitioners with the skills to recognize and respond to cultural differences, ensuring mediation outcomes reflect a holistic, culturally informed perspective.

Afsana’s ‘Mediation for Lawyers’ training is a UK based program, which helps lawyers understand the new changes in the Civil Procedure Rules about mediation and how lawyers can effectively help their clients have the best chance of success at mediation. Many lawyers in the UK have never attended mediation. Now that mediation is a part of our justice system, it is up the lawyers and law firms to ensure they are equipped to support their clients. The course provides key skills and tips for lawyers from all areas of law and at all levels. It can be taken when the course is on offer by GC Mediation and Training Ltd., or on request by law firms.

For details about the training programs, please visit the Workshops page.

LEARN MORE

Fully Qualified & Registered

Internationally qualified and fully insured to mediate

Distinguished Fellow

Fellowship award among top ranked Commercial mediators

Solicitor & Barrister

Qualified and experienced lawyer in England and Wales

ADR Institute
IAM Member

Feedback From My Clients

A Very Skilled Presenter

Afsana led a workshop on cultural competence in mediation for our membership of ADR professionals. She assembled a rich mixture of research, anecdotes, and interactive exercises that all worked in confluence to produce a highly effective and meaningful presentation. Our attendees used words like enriched, inspired and informed to articulate how her workshop made them feel. Beyond being a skilled presenter of complex, critical and delicate concepts, Afsana brings a level of professionalism to the collaborative planning process of the event that I most sincerely appreciate. It was a joy and honour to work with her and I look forward to our next opportunity for collaboration

Tommy Lam

Excellent

The program presented by Afsana was very informative and practical. She drew on her experience as an immigrant and trained mediator in discussing diversity issues and how to accommodate clients. Excellent.

Trish Mongeon

An Excellent Program

The program Inferences and Differences in Practicing Law should be a mandatory watching for all people working in the judicial or mediation field. An excellent program.

The Honorable B.T. Granger Q.C., Lawyer

Very Helpful

Afsana covered a very sensitive topic in an easy and helpful manner. She prompted interaction with those in attendance and caused me to do some reflection on my own biases and perceptions of others. I would recommend this to anyone who would like to learn more about the importance of being self-aware and ways to change, or at least challenge, your pre-existing beliefs.

Ron De Paola

Susan Koprich

I recently had an opportunity to use Ms. Gibson-Chowdhury’s services when a client brought a matter to me that she was scheduled to mediate. Ms. Gibson-Chowdhury is one of the finest mediators I have used.  I have used mediation several times and her experience, knowledge, and charm help the parties have realistic expectations so they can get to a reasonable settlement for all parties.

Very Competent – Thank you

Afsana successfully mediated the matter to a settlement… Afsana was very competent in handling the mediation and the issues therein. She used her skills and knowledge to her best ability, which positively influenced the claim

Toronto Lawyer

Thank you Afsana!

Thank you Afsana for making my client feel at ease during the negotiation. Your help and ideas for settlement has been invaluable!

Toronto Lawyer