Consultancy

We believe that every city across the world should have a community mediation programme, and we want to help make it happen.

Conflicts in neighbourhoods are natural part of life, particularly in cities dealing with increasing degrees of difference and change, and we are convinced that community mediation programmes are uniquely equipped to promote positive and effective resolutions

True, as the UK’s largest community mediation programme we might be biased, but here are just some of the reasons, why we are committed to improving and extending the work of community mediation programmes both nationally and internationally;

Increased early intervention capacity

Mediation services are not enforcement agencies, and they therefore do not need hard evidence or a certain level of offensive behaviour to take place, before they can act. This allows them to intervene early and diffuse conflicts at an early stage.

Greater local resilience

A key characteristic of community mediation is that it is carried out by locally recruited and trained volunteer mediators. The mediators naturally use their conflict resolution skills in their actual mediation work, but their skills are highly transferable and allow them to deal more effectively with conflicts in their own families, workplaces and communities. Furthermore, the mediation experience also develop the ability of disputing residents to handle future conflict better – a recent independent survey showed that 60% of our users felt more comfortable dealing with future conflict after using our service. So have a community mediation programme, and you will gradually have a more resilient city that is better equipped to handle difference and change.

More vibrant local democracy

Because mediation supports the relevant stakeholders to a dispute or decision to produce the own ideas and reach consensus, it helps foster public decision-making based on direct citizen deliberation, negotiation and agreement. In this form of democracy, direct participation by diverse citizens leads to peaceful cohesive communities and thoughtful decisions, without a heavy reliance on public agencies.

Are you interested in starting a mediation service in your city?

Are you already receiving consultancy from Community Accord?

If you are already working with us to establish a mediation centre in your city, you can always access our latest resources online. Click Here