On the International Day of Peace, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, it is essential to talk about Mediation as a tool for the peaceful solution of social conflicts.
Difficulties are inherent to human beings and we all have to learn how to better deal with difficult circumstances., do everything possible to recover from painful events and grow emotionally. The desire to live in peace becomes an individual and collective need, as well as a fundamental right for our lives to develop under a culture of peace.
However, a world at peace is not free from conflict. Conflict is a reality of human life and wherever two or more people are interacting, discrepancies can occur that give rise to conflict, implying a real and potential cost of not agreeing with the other party and a cost of reaching an agreement. according to it, being necessary to make the cost of reaching an agreement lower than the cost of not reaching it.
Although conflict is part of human life in relationship, We must not confuse conflict with violence since there are conflicts that can be resolved without the use of violence, although it is not possible for there to be violence without conflict.
It is necessary to avoid violence as a way to resolve differences between the parties involved in the conflict. and create preventive measures that stop conflicts before they lead to violence, since the consequences left by confrontations make their treatment more difficult.
Mediation is a way to manage conflicts that does not mean defeating the other, moves away from the dichotomy of winner/winner, of who is right/wrong and allows people to air their differences at a lower cost to themselves and to society, improving personal relationships.
Mediation, which holds people responsible for their actions and the effect they have on them and others, It has very beneficial effects:
– Provides a increase in people's quality of life, since it promotes a mental change that facilitates a different interpretation and guides the parties to get out of the conflict, establishing doubts regarding the perverse intention of the other, changing the erroneous idea that the interests of one are always incompatible with those of the other and that others are the ones who attack us and we must respond in the same terms.
- HE stimulates positive thinking, which causes the desire for revenge towards the other to decrease, distance is taken and the situation is perceived in a more balanced way, being able to see the other's version, even if it is not shared.
HE facilitates recognition of one's own participation in the conflict, the doubt about the certainty of one's own version and the existence of more than one way of interpreting what happens, providing the decrease in fear and distrust, so common in the conflictive interactive process, modifying the continuous need to protect oneself and avoiding the attack as a defensive response.
Build trust and it is a useful tool for conflict resolution to be used in a multitude of fields: family, criminal, community, neighborhood, school, health. A useful resource for citizens who helps improve coexistence. A resource that promotes the Culture of Peace.
If you are interested in working as a mediator, we invite you to learn about our training programs
