How mediation can be used to resolve conflicts between neighbors, in non-profit organizations and in other situations in which the parties have common interests.
We will begin this article by saying that, perhaps, one of the areas where mediation is most necessary is the community/neighborhood level (We wrote about the differentiating nuances between community and neighborhood mediation a year ago in our blog).
And, with so many and varied “names” for mediation, for example family mediation –Alma mater of this method of conflict management - so much potential, you might ask yourself, is community/neighborhood mediation such a priority? Well, we understand that this is so for several reasons:
- In childhood/adolescence, one does not choose the place where one is born and/or grows, instead, it can mark the personal, educational and socio-affective development of the person, forging our character and future behavior.
- In adulthood, however, when that possibility of deciding where to settle appears, an important decision is being made. Sometimes temporary, although generally with a view to the future, regardless of the way in which it is executed (rental or purchase of a home, with the current problems that both options present for young people). A decision that is not irreversible, but one that no one thinks about going back on when they make it.
- During old age, when we have “put down roots” in a place and established a HOME (that is, a place of peace, security and calm), the last thing we want is for the foundations of that home to shake, since that we are in a moment of balance and stability.
- Finally, at a business level as well, one of the key decisions to adopt in a business plan is the location, which undoubtedly influences the possibilities and progress of the project. That the business is well received by the environment is very important.
In short, the reasons that lead us to settle in a certain place are diverse, but the truth is that, for one reason or another, we end up being part of a community where people with thoughts, principles, values, concerns, interests, projects coexist. and different aspirations, in life stages that are usually different.
And, normally, it is not easy to stop being part of said community, and we can become tied to it from the personal-emotional to the economic. So much so that, at times, we can affirm that it is easier to cut off relations with one or another family member than with the neighbors whom I will have to see and with whom I will have to coexist day to day, even depending on the consensus with them. making decisions that affect us.
Given this panorama, only collective thinking (the basis of respect and coexistence) allows us to overcome the individualisms that generate selfishness and conflicts. Thus, mediation becomes a fundamental tool to promote this collective thinking, empathy, respect and the search for common interest.
Community/neighborhood mediation involves intervening in conflicts through dialogue, minimizing their impact on personal relationships and guaranteeing a work dynamic that is transformative. But it also entails an important preventive task: we do not have to wait for the conflict to arise to act at the community level. Hence, the ideal project is one that is linked to educational mediation, associations and, since we are talking about social well-being and peaceful coexistence, to the Public Administration, guarantor of the predominance and achievement of the general interest.
This is why community mediation projects must be supported from the public sphere, without prejudice to neighborhood mediation initiatives being developed at the private level. Aware of this reality, we recently analyzed how the electoral programs included commitments related to the commitment to mediation.
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