Mediation is a way for families who are splitting into parts to learn to deal with the changes in roles, duties and opportunities and to face those changes with emotional balance. To many, mediation is a special form of family counseling handled by licensed family counselors and therapists. Mediation is a part of the civil court system where parties to law suits are aided in settlement negotiations aimed at helping them find their own best interest. To most bar associations, mediation is something practiced by attorneys who have been through a 40 hour program and who accelerate negotiations. Mediation is a part of community action and conflict resolution, a place where volunteers, often with the Better Business Bureau or Community Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers, resolve conflicts and problems that otherwise would end up in small claims court.
Mediation is a labor conflict resolution tool aimed at finding a better way.
Drawing from a wide pool of talent and skills, labor mediation seeks to end conflict and improve feelings in the workplace. To many, mediation is a way to get to the bottom line and to find compromise without fighting using a group of mediators who defy definition other than experience. Institutional mediation is conflict avoidance, a form of human resources management that aims to resolve conflict and improve communication between those served and the institution and between the different members of the institution. To many in large hospitals, churches and other diverse organizations, mediation is a method of ensuring communication and that problems are resolved rather than ignored, cured rather than allowed to fester. Mediation is what diplomats do to prevent countries from going to war or to help countries at war find peace.