Issues open for public dialogue might include landlord-tenant complaints, threats, and vandalism. Schools, probation agencies, and courts refer cases for resolution. Volunteer mediators and discussion leaders help disputants recognize areas of concern, accept responsibility without threats, and identify ways to resolve the conflict.
Formal hearings lend structure and credibility to the grassroots process.
Some groups use a more informal system of discussion leaders and work through established community organizers. Youth can serve as vital partners in mediating school-related disputes. Examples Schools, courts, public housing councils, police, juvenile corrections facilities, and other local government agencies refer cases for mediation to the Community Board Program in San Francisco. The cadre of 300 mediators, adults and youth, work out of more than 80 donated sites, mostly in neighborhood settings. Requests for mediation and other services have grown steadily, and the Community Board has expanded its services to meet the needs of diverse groups.