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Show \ Learning About Med rat I o n “Mediation is a confidential, voluntary process where parties in a conflict get together with a trained mediator to resolve their differences through communication and problemsolving." With this working definition. Reese Fullerton began the June 24-26 Training Retreat for the Castle Valley Mediation Team. Reese is a Harvard Law School trained attorney who for a number of years specialized in civil rights and child abuse advocacy. Four years ago he left his legal practice to become a professional mediator. Reese and his present partners recently completed mediating water disputes between Middle East govemments. Currently they are mediating between the public and Federal government in the environmental clean up of the Los Alamos weapons testing sites. Soon Reese heads to California to mediate BLM cases. The most difficult and challenging work he has encountered involved conflicts between animal rights activists and sheep ranchers, he says. He believes the mediation process works. During the weekend of orientation, Reese spoke and 11 of us listened. Carefully. Actively. As we spoke, he reciprocated. It was a percolating experience, a bubbling forth of personalities and viewpoints and a trickling down of insights into the understanding of effective techniques for coping with EARL‘S TIMES - JULY 1994 - 5 conflict. Reese provided each team member with a 50-page notebook which included a bibliography of relevant literature, a list of community mediation centers throughout the U.S., and a series of training exercises designed to help us develop our mediation skills. Between Reese's talks, the information in the notebook, and the training exercises we gained fresh perspectives on where we might begin. CONFLICT is part of our human condition. Like stress, it doesn’t go away; the challenge is to live with it and manage it creatively. Honest and open COMMUNICATION is the key to effective conflict resolution. And it takes place at two levels: The Content Level or subject matter being discussed, and the Relationship Level, or how we value and accept the other person. If there is mutual respect and trust at the Relationship Level, it is possible to agree or disagree with equal comfort. It is imperative to acknowledge and accept the feelings of each party. That is where we must begin and how we can find our common ground in a disagreement. MEDIATION involves the use of a person in the middle who remains neutral while encouraging both parties to sit down together in a non-threatening environment and search for ways to reach agreement. Mediators DO work equally with both parties. They help keep the peace and focus on viable alternatives and future-oriented solutions. They derail personal attacks, Mediators DO NOT act as judges. They do not place blame. They will not condone violence or threats. Mediation encourages people to identify what they want from each other and what they are willing to contribute toward a solution. It allows for the expression of feelings, stimulates the identification of issues, facilitates negotiation, and, if successful, results in a written agreement specifying what‘each side'is willing to do. When mediation fails, the mediator encourages persons to “agree to disagree” and helps determine reasonable next steps. Mediation encourages flexibility, creativity, and looking at problems from fresh perspectives. During the coming months the Mediation Team will work to develop our skills in the hope that we can be of service in handling conflict effectively. Though our individual experience. training, and styles differ. we agree that when conflicts arise at home, at work, or in the community, we all have more to gain from ending the dispute rather than continuing it. Mediation training meetings are on the 3rd Saturday of each month (July 16th) at 8 am, Donovan Roberts's house on Shafer Lane. Interested parties are always welcome. —Donovan Roberts GeoWhiz in Castle Valley CRLi Foram'e Pa uefiior uoreex ‘ Canyonlands Field Institute's GeoWhlz day camp ls expanding to CV for the first time. The day camp—running from 8 am. to noon Monday through Thursday— wlll be held from July 25 to 28. The theme for the week in CV is ‘How the Earth Works.‘ and programs will focus on basic ecological concepts about how the planet operates. “was :96 ecu/ca" "rer’s Do’mnNuRe“ The cost for the week is $44 per child ($40 for children of CH members). plus $22 for each additional child in the some famlly. Advanced registration is required. For more Information or to register, please call Jon Orrls. Student Program Coordinator. 259-7750. |