Who is a Mediator?

• Facilitating Communication: The mediator helps create a safe and respectful environment for dialogue, enabling parties to express their views and concerns openly.
• De-escalating Conflict: Through various techniques, the mediator works to lower the intensity of the dispute, making it easier for parties to engage in constructive discussion.
• Identifying Obstacles and Needs: The mediator skillfully identifies and addresses barriers to agreement, while also bringing to light the underlying needs and interests of each party.
• Encouraging Collaborative Problem-Solving: The mediator encourages parties to work together in finding solutions, fostering a cooperative rather than adversarial approach.

1. Maintaining Impartiality: A crucial aspect of mediation is the mediator’s impartiality and neutrality. They do not judge, assign blame, or act as a judge issuing a verdict. Instead, their role is to remain unbiased and facilitate a fair process.
2. Emotional Support and Management: Mediators are adept at managing emotions in the room, helping parties to ‘cool down’ their emotions, which is vital for a productive dialogue.
3. Assisting in Solution Development: While mediators do not impose their solutions, they support the parties in exploring and developing their own resolutions.

The success of mediation largely hinges on the mediator’s ability to maintain neutrality and create an environment conducive to open and effective communication. The final decision, however, always rests with the parties involved, emphasizing the voluntary and self-empowering nature of the mediation process. This approach ensures that any agreement reached is not only fair and equitable but also owned and valued by those who have created it.