The word mediation
shares the same Greek root as meditation and medication, something which speaks
to its common goal: To find the golden mean. The middle way was a thing of beauty
for ancient western philosophers like Aristotle, who believed that harmony
existed between the extremes of excess and deficiency. And so it is with the
art of mediation, which aims to build peace by finding that golden middle
ground.
Rotary Peace Fellows
received some insights into the theory and practice of mediation recently from
experienced practitioner Jordi Palou-Loverdos, who has facilitated dialogues
following conflicts in Rwanda and Spain. His workshop
was focused on Inside out harmony,
and spoke to creating conditions for peace on multiple levels.
One of the most memorable exercises came when
the Japanese martial art aikido was
used to demonstrate the practice of mediation. The Japanese word aikido is often translated as “the way
of unifying with life energy” or as “the way of harmonious spirit.” The central
purpose behind the tradition was to create a martial art that practitioners
could use to defend themselves while also preventing injury to their attacker. The
techniques of aikido involve various
movements that redirect the momentum of an opponent’s attack or stop the action
altogether. Another important part of the practice consists of a keen and
thorough awareness of one’s immediate environment. Jordi encouraged us to think
of the martial art as a metaphor for mediation in that a practitioner has to
constantly be aware of all forces at play and always attempt to transform the
energy of an attack into a new, more positive direction.
Jordi defined mediation as: a formal or
informal process by virtue of which an impartial third, the mediator, offers a
dynamic space to the parties to make possible the settlement of disputes and/or
the transformation of a conflictive situation using cooperative, communicational
and negotiation strategies that can help to identify positions, interests and
needs of the parts, which in turn will enable the generation of creative and
satisfactory solutions reciprocally accepted as well as transformed relations.
Though the definition and successful practice of mediation is complex, everyone
came away from the training with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of the
golden mean, and how it can be achieved.
Skills and techniques for dispute
and conflict mediation:
Active listening
Observation without judgment or evaluation
Paraphrasing, summarizing and reformulation
of information
Balanced validation and appreciation of both
parties
Emphasis of connected points, shared goals
and common ground
Consistent gratitude for explanation, sharing
and vulnerability
Encouraging brainstorming and creative
solutions as a group
Taking a break or changing environments if
needed
Exploring the consequences of not finishing
the mediation together
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