The Western Justice Center Foundation encourages the resolution of conflict. At the heart of conflict resolution is the work of a disinterested, or neutral, party who seeks to bring disputants together and sustain their efforts to resolve differences.
Mediation is the most familiar form of conflict resolution.
It is a structured conflict resolution process in which a neutral third party assists disputants in reaching a negotiated settlement of their differences. The neutral party, called the mediator, helps the parties communicate, negotiate, and reach agreement. There are many forms of mediation. Public policy mediation, for example, brings together affected representatives of business, public interest groups, and government to negotiate on policy development, implementation, or enforcement. Neutral parties play roles in other forms of conflict resolution which have such names as collaborative problem solving, consensus building, facilitation, and fact finding.