Debriefing Mediators To Learn From Their Experiences

The goal of this handbook is to enhance the practice of mediation by showing how lessons from individual mediators can be identified and made available both to their home organization (e.g., a foreign ministry, intergovernmental organization, or nongovernmental organization) and to a wider practitioner audience. More particularly, the handbook gives guidance to staff debriefing mediators who are or have been directly involved in peace negotiations. The focus here is not on self-assessments by the mediators themselves, nor on evaluations of the mediator's performance by external donors, nor on political or psychological debriefing. Instead, this handbook examines methodological debriefing: that is, interviews conducted with the goal of learning lessons about the mediation method from the experience of a specific mediator that are useful for future mediation processes. Methodological debriefing is typically conducted by individuals who have not been directly involved in the mediator's work and who do not seek to judge it but who want to learn the mediator's perspective on what was done and why it was done. Ideally, the mediator will also benefit from the interview by discovering something new through the questions posed, by having the opportunity to recount a challenging experience, or at least by having her or his experiences documented in a structured and objective manner.

This handbook poses and attempts to answer a series of basic, but complex, questions: Is there any advantage to the peace process in inviting or permitting the participation of proscribed armed groups (PAGs)? What kinds of PAGs are worth talking to and which are not? What form should the talks take and whom should they involve?Each of the following six chapters covers a different step in the process of talking to groups that use terror: * assess the potential for talks * design a strategy for engagement * open channels of communication * foster commitment to the process * facilitate negotiations * and protect the process from the effects of violenceThis handbook is part of the series the Peacemaker s Toolkit, which is being published by the United States Institute of Peace. For twenty-five years, the United States Institute of Peace has supported the work of mediators through research, training programs, workshops, and publications designed to discover and disseminate the keys to effective mediation.The Institute mandated by the U.S. Congress to help prevent, manage, and resolve international conflict through nonviolent means has conceived of The Peacemaker s Toolkit as a way of combining its own accumulated expertise with that of other organizations active in the field of mediation. Most publications in the series are produced jointly by the Institute and a partner organization. All publications are carefully reviewed before publication by highly experienced mediators to ensure that the final product will be a useful and reliable resource for practitioners."

Written by Mark Umbreit, internationally known for his work in restorative justice, this indispensable resource offers an empirically grounded, state-of-the-art analysis of the application and impact of victim offender mediation, a movement that has spread throughout North America and abroad. The Handbook of Victim Offender Mediation provides practical guidance and resources for offering victim meditation in property crimes, in minor assaults, and, more recently, with crimes of severe violence, including with family members of murder victims who request to meet the offender.

For many businesses, mediation is seen as a swifter and cost-effective alternative to conventional forms of dispute resolution. Although its acceptance by policymakers in Europe has been slow, the recent development by various EU Member States of legal and institutional frameworks for commercial mediation have been complemented by a European framework for cross-border civil and commercial mediation, the EU Directive on Certain Aspects of Mediation in Civil and Commercial Matters. This extraordinary book, the first thorough analysis of the current state of commercial mediation practice in Europe, is based on face-to-face interviews and responses to questionnaires involving the participation of 25 renowned European mediators, with complementary contributions by 20 business people who have used mediation extensively. Among the areas of interest that arise are the following: typical areas of application of commercial mediation; types of disputes where commercial mediation is most beneficial; reasons why companies opt for mediation; dispute stages at which mediation may be most useful; length of the mediation process; costs of the process; likely causes of the considerable guardedness of enterprises against mediation; the role lawyers play as gatekeepers; the power factor and other imbalances; the role of provider agencies; and various approaches to mediation style. Participants have been chosen from Austria, Germany, France, England, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, with the aim of including all the dominant European legal traditions. There are numerous case studies, including the role of mediation in such major projects as the Vienna Airport, the Eurotunnel, and the Øresund link bridge. The book contributes to the further professionalism of ADR in Europe by providing accurate information on the functionality of the process and its attainable results. In addition to describing the professional performance of European mediators working in the world of business, the author’s analysis crystallizes the processes, models, and strategies that characterize the practice of commercial mediation in Europe. With this book potential clients, practicing mediators, lawmakers, and other decisionmakers can base their actions on reliable scientific findings proven by practical experience.

Praise for The Handbook of Conflict Resolution "This handbook is a classic. It helps connect the research of academia to the practical realities of peacemaking and peacebuilding like no other. It is both comprehensive and deeply informed on topics vital to the field like power, gender, cooperation, emotion, and trust. It now sits prominently on my bookshelf." —Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate "The Handbook of Conflict Resolution offers an astonishing array of insightful articles on theory and practice by leading scholars and practitioners. Students, professors, and professionals alike can learn a great deal from studying this Handbook." —William Ury, Director, Global Negotiation Project, Harvard University; coauthor, Getting to Yes and author, The Third Side "Morton Deutsch, Peter Coleman, and Eric Marcus put together a handbook that will be helpful to many. I hope the book will reach well beyond North America to contribute to the growing worldwide interest in the constructive resolution of conflict. This book offers instructive ways to make this commitment a reality." —George J. Mitchell, Former majority leader of the United States Senate; former chairman of the Peace Negotiations in Northern Ireland and the International Fact-Finding Committee on Violence in the Middle East; chairman of the board, Walt Disney Company; senior fellow at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University "Let's be honest. This book is just too big to carry around in your hand. But that's because it is loaded with the most critical essays linking the theory and practice of conflict resolution. The Handbook of Conflict Resolution is heavy on content and should be a well-referenced resource on the desk of every mediator—as it is on mine." —Johnston Barkat, Assistant Secretary-General, Ombudsman and Mediation Services, United Nations

Mediation Theory and Practice, Third Edition introduces students to the process of mediation by using practical examples that show students how to better manage conflicts and resolve disputes. Authors Suzanne McCorkle and Melanie J. Reese help students to understand the research and theory that underlie mediation, as well as provide students with the foundational skills a mediator must possess in any context, including issue identification, setting the agenda for negotiation, problem solving, settlement, and closure. New to the Third Edition: Expanded content on the role of evaluative mediation reflects the latest changes to the alternative dispute resolution field, helping students to distinguish between various approaches to mediation. Additional discussions around careers in conflict management familiarize students with employment opportunities for mediators, standards of professional conduct, and professional mediator competencies. New activities and case studies throughout each chapter assist students in developing their mediation competency.

“Incontrovertibly the most important book on mediation published in English in recent years (possibly EVER?)” Hew Dundas, Former President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators “Great attention to detail, bringing together a life time experience! I will certainly be recommending it to people in Ireland who come on my training courses.” Geoffrey Corry, Mediator and Trainer “Put simply, it is a masterpiece.” John Sturrock, Core Solutions Group David Richbell is ranked fifth, internationally, in the top ten “Most Highly Regarded Commercial Mediators" by Who's Who Legal 2014 How to Master Commercial Mediation guides commercial mediators through every stage of their development, from novice to the aspirational standards of the master mediator. Moulding, maturing and mastering Split into three sections, this new title covers the essential skills and processes of effective commercial mediation for three levels of competence: Moulding for novices; Maturing for practising mediators and; Mastering for those who are at the top and wish to maintain their excellence. Section one covers basic skills and process. It includes a case study that covers each phase of a typical mediation, and also covers typical challenges that may be encountered. Section two builds on these basic skills and covers psychology in mediation, specialist sectors, ethics and intercultural mediation. Section three looks at the personal and external development needed for mediators to become experts in their field. It includes contributions from mediators in every European jurisdiction describing the state of mediation in a particular jurisdiction and its place within that respective legal system as well as discussing further intercultural skills. It also looks at skills beyond mediation that can be used to help in dispute resolution. Written by an experienced commercial mediator with specialist contributions from other renowned mediators How to Master Commercial Mediation is filled with expert, practical advice and tips. It also includes bullet point summaries, checklists, scripts of actual commercial mediations together with questions and answers.

Learning to Teach Geography in the Secondary School has become the widely recommended textbook for student and new teachers of geography. It helps them acquire a deeper understanding of the role, purpose and potential of geography within the secondary curriculum, and provides the practical skills needed to design, teach and evaluate stimulating and creative lessons. This fully revised and updated second edition takes account of new legislation and important developments in geography education, including literacy, numeracy, citizenship, and GIS. Brand new chapters in this edition provide essential guidance on fieldwork, and using ICT in the context of geography teaching and learning. Chapters on teaching strategies, learning styles and assessment place the learner at the centre stage, and direct advice and activities encourage successful practice. Designed for use as a core textbook Learning to Teach Geography in the Secondary School is essential reading for all student teachers of geography who aspire to become effective, reflective teachers. Praise for the first edition of Learning to Teach Geography in the Secondary School: 'This is a practical and visionary book, as well as being superbly optimistic. It has as much to offer the experienced teacher as the novice and could be used to reinvigorate geography departments everywhere. Practical activities and ideas are set within a carefully worked out, authoritative, conceptual framework.' - The Times Educational Supplement 'This is a modern, powerful, relevant and comprehensive work that is likely to become a standard reference for many beginning teachers on geography initial teacher training courses in England and Wales.' - Educational Review