BELIEFS ABOUT CONFLICT

There are many different beliefs about conflict that come from our childhood and early upbringing;

That it is good - that it is bad;

That I should avoid it - that I should wade right in;

That I need to protect myself - that I need to take a strong stand.

Certain beliefs and assumptions tend to contribute to more successful handling and resolving of conflicts. These positive assumptions are;

Conflict is neither good nor bad.

Conflict is a part of human nature and is to be expected when people live and work together.

In some cases conflict can be good for us. It can teach us new skills, it can give us energy,it can help us develop our creative problem solving abilities.

There is no one way to handle all conflict situations; there is a range of methods that can be useful.

WHAT IS MEDIATION?

Mediation is a voluntary meeting between the people involved in the conflict. A neutral third person, the mediator, will help the parties in conflict work out their own agreement.

The mediator facilitates communication between the parties to assist people in reaching their own agreement.

When the parties reach an agreement that's acceptable to them, we'll encourage them to put in writing as a sign of their commitment to make it work.

MEDIATORS WILL NOT:

Make any decisions for the people involved.

Provide legal avice.

Provide counselling or psychotherapy.

Judge or determine guilt.