Perhaps the biggest lesson I have learned is that 'Conflict Resolution' is a myth. This might shock some readers - a bit like a doctor saying he doesn't believe in health. Actually, this suggests a useful metaphor. I might go to my doctor for help with a bout of influenza. Like most people, I shall, in all likelihood, live my life in less than perfect health, but that's life.
Conflict is the same.
It does not always need to be perfectly resolved, indeed is often incapable of being much improved. Therefore, mediation must be tailored to the desires of those engaged in conflict. I sometimes like to think of our conflict in terms of a relay race. The first leg was the troubles, from 1969 to 1994. This was the period of Conflict Maintenance when the relationship between opposing sides was one of enmity.