%0 Journal Article
%A Blanco Carrasco, Marta
%T Community mediation: a tool for citizen participation in public policy
%D 2016
%@ 1613-8953
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/119338
%X Significant new legislation has been enacted regulating access to the professional practice of mediation, the mediation process and its potential outcomes. However, we should not make the mistake of believing that mediation is the answer to any dispute. This study is based on the firm belief that, while mediation is appropriate in certain cases, it is not a panacea. We need to defend the discipline by defining the limits of mediation, even if by doing so we may reduce its potential scope and outcomes. Attempting to adapt mediation to every dispute can only result in diluting its impact to the point that it loses credibility.The paper critically examines the evolution of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism and its future challenges. It first examines the differences between mediation and various other forms of ADR in order to define the boundaries of the former. The paper then analyzes the different subfields within civil and commercial mediation in order to clearly define the position of community mediation within the wider field thus, hopefully, according it true identity and credibility as an independent profession. Finally, the paper examines the role of mediation as a tool to encourage citizens to participate in and take responsibility for community life, especially in the context of conflicts in the community. In this sense, community mediation extends well beyond the traditional scope of mediation, which merely seeks to resolve conflicts
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