Being called upon to act as mediator between parents and children is always tricky, but particularly when it’s working out and explaining to both sides why they want an extra half hour out knocking on doors!
I’ve already spent a few hours working between parents and kids this Halloween and no doubt there’ll be some more mediation during tonight’s wandering round the streets with the kids and the annual semi-legalised chugging.
In more important mediation news the African Union is consolidating it’s peace making efforts by putting into operation an MSU (Mediation Support Unit).
AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui at the Ninth High Level Retreat in Accra explained that the aim of the MSU was to provide support to all AU-led mediation on the continent, and to feedback to the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs).
The hope is to encourage closer partnerships between the AU and the RECs and RMs to ensure that all peace efforts are as effective as possible so that by 2020 guns fall silent.
600 people attended the two day conference entitled “Strengthening AU’s Conflict Prevention and Peace-making Efforts” including former heads of state and representatives from UN agencies.
Current issues for the continent include the Great Lakes Region, the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahelo-Saharan region and the Broader Horn of Africa and are complicated by occurrences in other regions including the middle east and the rise of religious extremism.
Ambassador of Finland to the AU Madam Helena Airaksinen added “The stability and peaceful, inclusive development of African countries and regions is crucial not only for the wellbeing of Africans but also for us all”.
The AU’s Minister of Planning, Professor George Gyan Baffour welcomed the collaborative activities which the Declaration adopted by the Retreat will employ to further strengthen conflict prevention and mediation.
“We are particularly pleased with the declaration that referenced preventive diplomacy and mediation as a firm stance that the African Union must take as against the invocation of the principle of National sovereignty…To fully optimise the capacity of the African Union in this regard, there is a need, as identified by the retreat, to operationalise and harmonise the activities of the Pan-African Network of the Wise (PanWise) and the Network for Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FEMWise Africa)”.
Mediators are also being brought in to resolve the problems with the Baton Rouge’s library.
Mediation is a well used and acknowledged method of resolution for disputes in the construction industry, so when the problems with the library’s signature cantilever roof led to problems it was almost inevitable that all the interested parties would end up in mediation.
How the $2m repair bill is divided will be decided at a mediation attended by representatives of the city-parish, the architect, contractor and numerous subcontractors.
The development has been on hold since April when a fault in the welding resulted in the risk of the cantilever roof falling onto North Boulevard, like something out of the mid-section of an episode of Grand Designs the roof is currently held up by four huge jacks.
Mediation can help in the most difficult matters, so this week sees Sarah Scott’s claim for sexual harassment against co-star Kip Pardue heading to mediation for resolution.
Scott alleges that during the filming o the Mogulettes Pardue touched himself in front of her
The union, SAG-AFTRA, has confirmed that it has a “zero tolerance” approach to any and all sexual harassment with “clear expectations that SAG-AFTRA members will refrain from engaging in harassing conduct.”
Scott said that when she first reported the assault she felt that the union was slow to react “The feeling I got was, ‘It’s really not worth your time”.
Scott complained to the head of the union and fellow actor Gabrielle Carteris and had to approach her a second time before there was actual movement with a #Metoo campaign funded lawyer now being provided for for Scott.
Pardue has offered a full and frank apology for “misreading” the situation and has welcomed the mediation.
Similarly the New York Times reports that in the Weinstein cases mediation is being sought to resolve the claims brought by over twelve individuals against the media mogul for various allegations of sexual misconduct including some brought by A list actors.
Elsewhere the MGM owned Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas asked for mediation to be used to settle all claims brought against it following the shootings on 1st October last year. The hotel has already applied to federal courts to have it declared not liable for any of the shootings, so the move to mediation is a sensible move to avoid both the drawn out pre-proceedings decision on whether the Hotel group can be at fault and the subsequent claims proceedings.
The claimants in the cases, from across seven states, have agreed to suspend all proceedings whilst mediation talks are carried out.
Whether you need a mediator to help out with the council’s plans in Cheshire, a commercial mediator in London, an employment mediator in Manchester, a dispute resolution for your family in Liverpool, a neighborhood mediation in the northwest, then our mediators at Northwest Mediation can help.
Mediation is cheaper, quicker and less stressful than running any case to court, it can help with any dispute whether it's an employment issue or the sale at an under value of a property, a fight with a neighbour, family issues, commercial disputes or inheritance arguments contact Northwest Mediation on 07931318347 or via email at ed.johnson@northwestmediation.co.uk
neighbour mediation; commercial dispute resolution; commercial dispute; corporate dispute; commercial mediator; family mediation; inheritance mediation; property mediator;