Center for Conflict Resolution

NAFCM and Mediate.com Announce Agreement to Bring Community Mediation Programs to the Forefront of Online Case Administration and Communication (8/25/10)
The National Association for Community Mediation and Mediate.com have announced a long-term partnership to enhance community mediation programs in the U.S. and globally. This bold undertaking will place Mediate.com’s new ADR Case Manager and its innovative MeetingSpace technologies into the hands of hundreds of community mediation centers and tens of thousands of volunteer mediators over the next three years. 2010 8

Greensboro Launches Landlord-Tenant Mediation Program (5/20/10)
Keith Seat

The city of Greensboro, North Carolina is working with the Conflict Studies and Dispute Resolution Program of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to launch a program to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. The Landlord-Tenant Dispute Program has been developed with input from all stakeholders. The program is intended to reduce litigation, but depends on both sides voluntarily agreeing to participate.

Digtriad.com (March 30, 2010); Greensboro Press Release 0

Police & Community Mediation (3/22/10)
Jeff Thompson
The San Francisco Police Department's Chief of Police, George Gascon, recently met with the local Community Board to praise their efforts in helping resolve disputes. 2010 3

Randy Lowry: Growing Popularity of Mediation in Court System - Video (3/18/10)
L. Randolph Lowry
Randy Lowry describes the growth and integration of mediation and negotiation into the court system to where judges want to be trained 2010 3

David Hoffman: Concerns, Lack of Professional Diversity, and Public Funding - Video (3/17/10)
David A. Hoffman
David Hoffman emphasizes the need for more racial/ethnic diversity in the field in order to have the widest reach, broadening the movement. He also discusses the problem of community mediation programs being underfunded. 2010 3

Challenging Conventions In Challenging Conditions: Thirty-Minute Mediations At Burning Man (12/14/09)
Ron Kelly, Tim Hedeen
For the past eight years, Ron Kelly has offered mediation services at the annual Burning Man festival. The process he designed appears to bring significant help to disputing couples in half an hour, and useful conflict coaching to individuals in fifteen minutes. It is tightly formatted—and uses a kitchen timer. This interview covers the origins of his process and explores how the creativity and generosity of the festival are available to all mediators. 2009 12

The Need For Collaborative Capacity (11/09/09)
John Folk-Williams
Increasingly, leaders and managers are looking to collaborative methods for dealing with contentious policy issues. When making a first attempt, they may well recognize that success takes a lot more than bringing people together to talk. They know they need guidance. 2009 11

Maryland Community Mediation Expanding to Prisoners and Students (10/06/09)
Keith Seat

Statewide initiatives by Community Mediation Maryland are providing assistance to both prisoners and students in various counties in Maryland using volunteer mediators. Inmates within six months of release are eligible for three mediation sessions with whomever they will be reconnecting on the outside, which is helping many. Monthly training in conflict resolution skills is also being offered by mediators to inmates. In the school system, mediators are assisting with Independent Individualized Education Programs by meeting with the IEP participants and then sitting in on IEP meetings to facilitate.

Carroll County Times (September 5, 2009) 0

Fortieth Texas County Begins Mediation Program (10/06/09)
Keith Seat

The Commissioners of Hays County, Texas, voted to begin a mediation program that would provide trained mediators to assist parties seeking out of court settlements. The program will be funded from fees paid by every litigant, whether or not they use mediation. To obtain mediation services, the county plans to enter into a contract with a non-profit mediation center which was formed when the county began contemplating a mediation program. Mediations will be offered at no or low cost to parties, and are limited to cases with amounts in dispute of no more than $50,000 and family cases where the spouses earn no more than $60,000.

Newstreamz.com (September 8, 2009) 0

Milwaukee Using Mediation to Resolve Police Complaints (10/06/09)
Keith Seat

A new system for complaints against police in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, resulted in litigation by the police union, which ended with agreement over use of mediation in the complaint process. Larger issues are being sent to an outside mediator, and both officers and complainants have been very satisfied. The police chief is encouraging officers to participate in mediation whenever possible.

Fresno Bee (September 21, 2009) (Subscription Required) 0

The NYPD & The Three C’s: Communication, Community & Cricket (8/23/09)
Jeff Thompson
Often when I speak about conflict and dispute resolution I mention three words that I consider to be my mantra in regards to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Communication, Understanding and Peace are what I strive to create in all my interactions, be it as a mediator, conflict coach, consultant, or as a police officer in the New York City Police Department. 2009 8

Richard Salem: Mediating the Skokie-Nazi Conflict - Video (7/23/09)
Richard Salem
Richard Salem briefly discusses mediating the Skokie-Nazi conflict through the organization CRS (Community Relations Service). 2010 7

Simulation: A Better Way - Video (5/14/09)
This simulation discusses multiple types of mediation. It gives an example of a foreclosure, community, marital, special education, elder, and landlord/tenant dispute. It was a submission to the ABA Dispute Resolution Contest by Child and Family Services. 2010 5

Simulation: A Brother's Dispute - Video (5/14/09)
This video is a simulation submitted to the ABA DR contest. It shows a dispute between two brothers that is resolved through mediation. 2010 5

Simulation: Elder Mediation - Video (5/03/09)
Elder Mediation-a Solution for Families at War (3 minutes) looks at a typical family conflict over the care of an aging parent, and shows how a mediator can help bring disputing siblings together to work out a solution. This brief video illustrates how a court battle can be avoided through using mediation. A vulnerable senior's choices and quality of life are at stake in this volatile battle for control between his adult children. 2010 4

Ken Cloke: Objective of Training - Video (4/29/09)
Kenneth Cloke
Ken Cloke describes how the goal of training is to provide the student with structure and steps, enabling them to have the courage to face the moment when the steps are no longer necessary. 2010 4

Texas Legislation Proposes Pretrial Victim-Offender Mediation Programs (4/29/09)
Keith Seat

The Texas House of Representatives passed, without any opposition, legislation that would authorize cities and counties to establish pretrial victim-offender mediation programs for misdemeanors and certain felonies. Under H.B. 2139, mediation would only occur with the consent of both victim and defendant, and would result in charges being dismissed against the defendant if an agreement was reached which included an apology along with restitution or community service by the defendant. The mediators need not be trained and the programs may charge defendants up to $500 in fees. The legislation was amended before passage to also include a juvenile victim-offender pilot program.

Texas H.B. 2139; Amendment for Juvenile Pilot (April 24, 2009) 0

Barking Dogs Need Mediators – Mediation Helps In Neighbor Disputes (4/27/09)
Steve Mehta
A city in Arizona is reintroducing a mediation program to help people resolve neighbor to neighbor disputes. In particular, the city of Scottsdale, Arizona is primarily introducing this program to assist neighbors resolve their barking dog problems. 2009 4

Simulation: Roommate Co-Mediation - Video (4/23/09)
This is a role play produced by students of a mediation in which roommates are having difficulties figuring out their problems. This is a co-mediation that illustrates well how two mediators can work together to facilitate a mediation. 2010 4

Simulation: Community Property Dispute - Video (4/22/09)
This is a video produced by Lowell Steigler about a community property dispute. It shows a mediation about two neighbors who are arguing over a dog. 2010 4

John Helie: ACR Award and Words of Wisdom - Video (4/06/09)
John Helie
John Helie receives the ACR Mary Parker Follett award. The introduction discusses the history of the mediation field and the part that John Helie played. In his acceptance speech, John shares his wisdom with those just entering the field and those who are long-term mediators. 2010 4

States Using Mediation to Provide Consumer Restitution (2/17/09)
Keith Seat

The Consumer Affairs Mediation Center of the Nebraska attorney general’s office handled over 4,100 complaints and recovered almost $1 million for consumers in 2008. With fifteen full-time staff members, the Nebraska Mediation Center also helps consumers avoid scams and sends consumers on to counsel in the attorney general’s office if the circumstances warrant litigation. Similarly, in Iowa, the Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa attorney general’s office obtained benefits of over $1.3 million for consumers in 2008.

Lincoln Journal Star(January 4, 2009) (Subscription Required); Omaha World-Herald (January 23, 2009) (Subscription Required) 0

Peer Mediation Useful to Reduce School Bullying and Even Liability (2/17/09)
Keith Seat

Peer mediation of schoolyard disputes by trained student mediators is a helpful solution to reduce or prevent acts of bullying and other forms of conflict and lack of respect among students. Society increasingly is finding schoolyard bullying and violence unacceptable, and schools increasingly are being held legally liable. Peer mediation helps address minor disputes before they escalate and boasts success rates of 65 to 75 percent. Further, peer mediation programs help reduce potential liability by showing that school districts are doing what they can to prevent problems among students.

New Jersey Law Journal (January 5, 2008) (Subscription Only) 0

'Street' Mediation Works to Curb Homicides (1/07/09)
Keith Seat

CeaseFire, an anti-violence program in Chicago, has been successfully using mediation to reduce homicides since 2000. When shootings occur, trained mediators reach out to try to break the cycle of violence and prevent retaliation. Many of the paid mediators were former gang members who have access to and credibility with current gang members. The CeaseFire program has expanded to 15 Chicago neighborhoods and five other Illinois cities, and has been replicated in Baltimore, Cincinnati and Newark, New Jersey. Kansas City, Missouri has been working to develop a similar anti-violence program with a mediation component to address increasing homicide rates, but daunting organizational and funding challenges have thus far hampered the pilot project.

Pitch Weekly (November 20, 2008); CeaseFire Website 0

Small Lessons for Lawyers and Business People in Building Community (12/01/08)
Victoria Pynchon
Restorative justice is the criminal version of civil mediation. It stresses accountability, admission of guilt, forgiveness and reconciliation. It is the basis for Truth & Reconciliation Commissions that address harm done by one group of people to another that is rarely redressable by a criminal justice remedy. 2008 12