Article written by: Alicia Perez, social worker, mediator and social expert. Co-author of Civil and Commercial Mediation Course from Didactic Foundation XXI.
lNowadays, mediation has become a great commitment from different levels such as the Public Administration, but also from other private spheres, with the aim of building a new citizenship based on dynamics of conflict resolution different from other more well-known ways of resolving conflicts. the conflicts.
Mediation is considered as a communication process that allows conflict situations to be addressed, which with the intervention of the mediator (a neutral and impartial third party) helps the parties to voluntarily achieve a positive situation in the face of the conflict. This is built from some fundamental principles that lay the foundations to differentiate it from other methods of conflict resolution, such as the ordinary judicial system.
These fundamental principles are the voluntariness of the parties and the impartiality and neutrality of the mediator. On the other hand, when the parties find themselves in a situation of stagnation, with the help of the mediator, they try to find different alternatives in a coordinated and consensual manner that allow them to optimize agreements capable of responding to the interests that each one has. with a collaborative sense between both.
Mediation emerges as a magnificent way to make it possible to transform obstacles into opportunities.
With these agreements, in most cases a reduction in emotional cost is achieved; reestablish communication between the parties that had been lost or deteriorated in many cases, thus benefiting their relational environment and especially that of their children, lasting over time; and you also get that the parties get involved in the resolution of their conflicts, which translates into greater satisfaction with the solutions adopted and a higher degree of voluntary compliance with the agreements.
In the areas of social relations, the presence of conflict is not only a common fact of daily coexistence, but also, through its positive management, it can be a phenomenon that stimulates the growth and maturity of constantly evolving social bonds, as well as the ability of people to generate new forms of communication, based on dialogue, the exchange of opinions and the cooperative spirit. From this perspective, key to generating a social fabric capable of making our cities more humane and comfortable, mediation emerges as a magnificent way to make it possible to transform obstacles into opportunities.
From the point of view of Social Work, mediation allows the incorporation of learning capable of preventing situations that may destructure the social and/or family environment and at the same time generate attention to conflicts.
Without a doubt, in addition to skills, the training of mediators is also necessary, since a mediation course It allows the student to study the circumstances that turn out to be most relevant for those professionals or people who are dedicated to conflict management through mediation. The theoretical approach must be reflected in practical issues, which will allow for a more clarifying perspective regarding how the mediator should apply the learning techniques and skills that have been learned for their subsequent professional practice.
