The Trainers

The Peaceworks training team have over 50 years of public speaking and training experience between them. They are experienced mediators having been instructed to intervene in employment, family, housing, community group and management conflicts, and are Recognised Members of the College of Mediators. Over the past ten years, they have provided training for local authority officers, teaching staff and school children, health professionals, lawyers, community, youth and inclusion workers and church groups. They have trained over 350 delegates in a 35-hour approved community mediation course.

Chris Seaton
Chris practiced as a solicitor in Chichester after taking Law at the University of Kent at Canterbury and Solicitors' Finals at the College of Law, Guildford. For 12 years he worked as a Christian minister, based with Revelation, a Pioneer church. He established Revelation's congregation in Bognor Regis where he continues to be an agent for local church unity and community cohesion. Chris has also served in leadership training, advising church leaders and writing. Always passionate for social justice and sustainable peace, Chris has travelled to places of conflict like Bosnia, Belfast, South Africa, Angola and Albania. He has worked over a number of years on faith-based reconciliation initiatives including critical reconciliation events in Wales and Ireland and most particularly as chair of the Europe-Africa Reconciliation Coalition.

Chris trained as a mediator with Bridge Builders in London in 1999, Chris & Micha established Peaceworks that same year. They gained experienced in mediating a variety of disputes in the community, through both voluntary and statutory organisations until in 2002 they began training themselves in mediation skills. By January 2006 their course had received the approval of Mediation UK, then the umbrella body for community mediation nationally. This approval has been adopted by the College of Mediators, of which Chris has been a Recognised Member since 2008. He has gone on to gain experience in niched areas of mediation. For example, Chris has been trained in local authority Code of Conduct regulations to assist with disputes referred to the Standards Board for England 

Micha Jazz
The majority of Micha's career has been spent working in the voluntary sector. Following a Master's Degree in Modern History from Oxford University he worked for seven years with Youth For Christ, a national youth organisation, creating a position for himself as director of strategic planning. He was also in 1979 one of the founders & was then appointed the first CEO of Spring Harvest, Europe's largest interdenominational training conference. This was followed by 12 years providing innovation & leadership in a significant UK charity, Evangelical Alliance UK. Here Micha developed & led the Social Affairs & International teams. He provided the strategic leadership & direction in developing a constructive response to issues of religious liberties. This identified the need for a global response & Micha was asked to help found & subsequently invited to become the first director of a global Religious Liberty Commission with World Evangelical Alliance.

After this Micha established & operated as a director of his own company, Successful Solutions, providing consultancy in re-imagining a number of non-profit organisations in Britain & the USA. In 1999, following an extensive period of involvement in mediation work through this consultancy, he worked with Chris Seaton to set up Peaceworks.  Micha is an accredited CEDR (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, www.cedr.co.uk)mediator & a member of the College of Mediators. From this base Micha has been in great demand as a helper of other people in development, strategic planning, & as a life coach. He is particularly effective in operating in a participative, non-threatening style. He has also had extensive experience in the international, multi-cultural context including Europe, Africa, Asia, & North America as well as organising a series of International consultation processes. Micha is a competent trainer, speaker, & lecturer & also has written a number of books & articles. In 2000 Micha returned to his academic studies on a part time basis. He completed his MA in Jewish History & Culture at Southampton University in 2003 achieving a distinction. He then completed his PhD (again at Southampton) in 2009.

Annie Sneller
Annie Sneller originally trained as nurse and worked part time as a community RGN whilst bringing up her family. She has always been heavily involved in community projects such as setting up a children's playscheme in her local rural area, serving on the Community Voluntary Services Committee for a number of years, participating in a community planning groups, serving as a school governor and is currently Chair of a voluntary management committee for a local playgroup. In her role as part of a local church leadership team she has worked to build links between community and church and also trained in pastoral care and counselling. On leaving her nursing career in 2001, Annie pursued her interest in community and family matters by working as a Family Link Worker for West Sussex County Council for 2 years.  

Annie began her mediation training with Peaceworks in 2003 and joined the Peaceworks schools education team in 2004. Her interest in conflict resolution and mediation led her to undertake an advanced certificate in Conflict Resolution and Mediation studies at Birkbeck College, part of the University of London, in 2008 and she is continuing her studies at present working towards an MSc in the same subject. Alongside her work as lead educator for Peaceworks schools team working in school schools across West Sussex, Annie is involved in a community mediation project with Peaceworks and as well as having gained experience in mediation in a number of other settings.