On Thursday, February 12, 2026, the Professional Mediation Center (CPM) celebrated its Class of 2025 with a graduation ceremony at the François S. Bassil Auditorium on the Innovation and Sports Campus, Damascus Road.
Ms. Johanna Hawari Bourjeily, Founder and Director of CPM, opened the ceremony with reflections that framed mediation as more than a profession. Drawing inspiration from Ignatius of Loyola, she urged the graduates to engage deeply with their inner movements, highlighting that self-awareness is the bedrock of authentic mediation. “A mediator’s work starts with self-awareness,” she explained, emphasizing that understanding one’s emotions, needs, values, and even vulnerabilities is essential to guiding others through conflict. She characterized the training as “demanding and sometimes uncomfortable, but deeply human,” presenting mediation not just as a set of skills, but as a way of life rooted in responsibility, care, and commitment to both oneself and others.
The ceremony also offered a moment to reflect on CPM’s two decades of impact. Since its founding in 2006, the Center has trained more than 1,000 professional mediators, engaged 5,000 university students across Lebanon and the region, and introduced 15,000 schoolchildren to conflict-resolution principles. Ms. Bourjeily highlighted recent milestones that signal CPM’s expanding influence: the launch in September 2025 of the first University Diploma in Marital and Family Mediation, in collaboration with USJ’s School of Social Work and the Association Internationale Francophone des Intervenants auprès des familles séparées (Canada); the opening of a branch in Dubai in October 2025; and a new partnership with the Dispensaire Juridique of USJ Faculty of Law.
Adding a spiritual perspective, Fr. Semaan Abou Abdo, representing the Pastoral Office of Family and Marriage – Bkerke, reminded the audience that mediation transcends academic achievement. “In a world divided by conflict, mediation brings people together,” he said, portraying the graduates as “new builders of peace” entrusted with fostering reconciliation within families and society. He also noted the 2019 collaboration between the Office and CPM, which has trained nearly 100 mediators, embedding the practice of mediation across Lebanon’s dioceses. “Their work is particularly vital in resolving marital and family disputes while safeguarding the well-being of children,” he remarked.
Prof. François Boëdec, SJ, Rector of USJ, praised CPM as “a jewel in USJ’s crown,” highlighting its vital role in reinforcing social cohesion amid Lebanon’s ongoing challenges. He stressed the urgent need to rebuild trust within families and communities, championing dialogue and attentive listening as essential tools to counter violence, exclusion, and injustice. He further noted that CPM’s strength lies in its diversity: lawyers, instructors, engineers, social workers, psychologists, and security officers learn together, sharing professional perspectives that enrich the program and cultivate a dynamic, multidimensional environment. This diversity, he said, has not only built CPM’s reputation but also strengthened its network of national and international partnerships.
Student voices added warmth to the ceremony. Representatives Youmna Farès (CPM Beirut), Youmna Olabi (CPM Tripoli), and Rania Zablith (Pastoral Office cohort) expressed gratitude to the teaching team, celebrating the program’s human-centered approach and reaffirming their dedication to practicing mediation with integrity and responsibility.
A defining moment of the ceremony was the awarding of diplomas to 58 graduates, co-signed by CPM and the Institute of Training in Mediation and Negotiation (IFOMENE) at the Catholic University of Paris. The ceremony concluded with a group photo, capturing a moment of pride, achievement, and the promise of a generation poised to build bridges in a divided world.
Read also: Cérémonie de remise des diplômes des nouvelles promotions 2025 du CPM
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