Types of Disputes Suitable for Community Mediation

- Neighbourhood disputes.
- Resident’s Associations.
- Committees in the Community & Voluntary Sector and the Local Development Sector.
- Inter-Agency conflicts.
- Disputes among ethnic groups or between ethnic groups and other communities.

Benefits of Community Mediation

Mediation is considered the least costly of other approaches to conflict such as litigation. It considerably reduces the involvement and investment of Local Authority Staff, An Garda Siochana, Agency personnel and Community representatives in the dispute.

Mediation contributes to short-term and to long-term solutions that are workable because they address the interests of both parties. The mediation process allows parties to have ownership of the process and, because of this, the parties consequently take responsibility for the development and implementation of their agreement. This then leads to their satisfaction with the outcome and to sustainable resolution.

Mediation allows parties to maintain dignity and respect and therefore leads to better relationships between the parties in the long term – it is a ‘win-win’ situation for all. It builds the skills of parties so that they will be able to handle any future conflicts more effectively.

Disputing parties can enter into mediation without jeopardising their other legal or dispute resolution options. The risks in employing mediation are low and the potential for a successful outcome is high and privacy and confidentiality is maintained.

References

References will be supplied upon request