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Writer's pictureEd Johnson

Change - at the heart of challenge and mediation

With the continued backlog of cases mediation is now more than ever the best choice to find a resolution for your dispute.  Get your dispute resolved now so you can really concentrate on what’s important and what deserves your time and energy.


Northwest Mediation continues to use Zoom, Skype and FaceTime as well as the phone and emails to resolve disputes should we add we also do live in person mediation too!  So please do not feel that you cannot contact us if you would like to mediate but wish to do so remotely.

And we’re back.  It’s an exciting week (not just for me in terms of a bit of glad handing and schmoozing) but in terms of a new more hopeful government, if the polls are correct and please don’t let them be wrong this time, by the time I’ve finished typing this we will be a day away from a new government.


In place of cronyism and liars, crooks and dissemblers, chancers and climate deniers, we should have Labour, a force for change with the slim possibility of a Lib Dem opposition (but I don’t think we could be quite that lucky).


Change is difficult but a necessary part of life, it’s what creates conflict but also creates opportunity for growth.  How we deal with change dictates how we live, we can deny it, rage against it or accept it, this time round I will be delighting in the change, but in terms of mediation change happens in how clients deal with each other.


We encourage clients to think about how they have acted and why they acted that way, explore the emotional drivers of decisions and see if the clients can find a different way to work in future.


If they can embrace change immediately – great – if not then further work is often necessary, few people thrive on conflict (far fewer than claim they do) and most people want to move forward with a minimum of fuss and sometimes that takes change in how they address life’s challenges.




Internationally how countries deal with each other (and changes of government obviously has an impact here) is equally important. His week Turkey is mediating with Somalia and Ethiopia.


Ethiopia agreed with the quasi autonomous region of Somaliland to have a naval port from which the landlocked country could operate, Somalia was les than pleased and it’s president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called for his people to “prepare for the defence of the homeland”, seeing the agreement as an insult and a danger.


Turkey stepped in and agreed to help train Somalia’s naval forces and has historically had good relations with both countries, talks now focus on whether given Ethiopia access to the sea via Addis Ababa would assuage all fears and serve the purpose for which Ethiopia had agreed to use Somaliland’s water access.




A bit closer to home, but north of the border, Fife local authority is rolling out a peer mediation training programme to all schools.


In a forward thinking approach to helping youngsters (I know how old do I sound?) deal with issue in a non-violent progressive manner.


The roll out is now moving into secondary schools having worked in primary schools previously, one hopes as the primary students become senior students they carry the emotional training with them, though it’s a lot to take on for children who have faced pandemic and cost of living crisis it’s important they are given the continuing support by Fife Counsil and Scottish Mediation.


It’s a brilliant scheme, but don’t take my word for it listen to what principal teacher for enhanced provision at Balwearie, Patsy Wright-Davis has to say “Peer mediation is crucial because young people really need to be equipped with these skills…We’re finding time and time again that young people just don’t have these skills to resolve issues, and I think the young people realise there’s a need because we had so many volunteers who have come forward and want to get involved in the project.”


Having just worked with one local school I know how important this kind of work can be so good luck to all involved.


And if change is coming governmentally here for the good I rather fear that the opposite might happen in the US, with Joe Biden seemingly struggling and the former Commander in Cheese looking set to retake the White House.


The current president is also being asked to step in to help mediate a collective bargaining agreement between interested parties Gate Gourmet and the Employee Representative Council, comprised of UNITE HERE and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.


The president has the ability to step in (I mean if a president can’t now be held accountable of any crimes the least they can now do is step in and help out disputing transport bodies) and it’s o shock that it’s a republican calling on the president to step in (or take the blame as some cynics might say).


Arguably Bill Cassidy is looking to stop the impact of strike action on travel as we move into holiday season but the timing of asking for an intervention does make me wonder if it isn’t more political than altruistic.


The three pillars of mediation remain it’s voluntary (at the moment), it’s confidential, the mediator is impartial and independent, by using those pillars to support your work the parties keep control, save costs, save time and energy and reduce stress. 


In person or via electronic media as we’ve said before choose to mediate early and resolve your issues effectively, timeously, and with less stress and costs than going to your solicitor so you can get out choose a different path, not quite the road less travelled but perhaps the path less adversarial. You have an interest in the outcome the sooner you get round the mediation table the quicker you can move forward and avoid the grilling a cross examination in court would put you through.


By having a deep and meaningful discussions with parties the mediator elicits what the true “red-lines” are and where there is the potential for compromise, it is with this structured period of reflection that the parties are then able to reach an accord.


The flexible nature of mediation and the possible outcomes make it an ideal way to resolve disputes in an ever-changing world and the open nature of discussions in mediation whilst remaining confidential allows all sides to engage fully in the process and understand the needs of all involved allowing parties to reach a conclusion which both sides can live with and move on.


There are so many situations which could have been resolved by early intervention of mediation it continues to surprise me the lengths the public will go to avoid referral.


Whether you need a mediator to help out with a construction matter in the Northwest, or council’s plans in Cheshire, a civil mediator in London, a commercial mediator in Manchester, a dispute resolution for your family in Liverpool, a neighbourhood mediation in Stockport, 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, civil mediation or inheritance, wills and probate arguments contact me at Northwest Mediation on 0161 667 4418 or via email at ed.johnson@northwestmediation.co.uk


neighbour mediation; commercial dispute resolution; civil mediation; commercial dispute; corporate dispute; commercial mediator; family mediation; inheritance wills probate mediation; property mediator; civil mediator; civil litigation; fast track mediation; injury mediation

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