As conflicts are becoming an inevitable phenomenon in people’s life, their resolution is taking the forms, in which the disputes can be settled and managed in judicial way. In that regard, mediation as one of such Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)methods, can be defined as a process in which people engaged in a dispute resolve their problem with the help of a third person, i.e. the mediator. Among the possible ways of the case getting mediation is voluntary mediation, i.e. when people voluntarily agree to bring a mediator to help them resolve their conflict. In that regard, when mediation is concerned with human services, it can be seen that participants of the dispute might require information regarding the details of mediation and the mediation processes, and thus internet pages can be seen as a useful source of such information.
This paper analyzes three internet websites, linking the mediation to human services, in term of the provided content and the type of information available on such topic. The examined websites are: National Association for Community Mediation; Community Mediation Center; Community Mediation Services.
Summary
The website of Community Mediation Center outlines its main vision as providing services enabling “youth, families, individuals, organizations, businesses, and communities to effectively resolve, reduce and prevent conflict”. The web page is representative of Community Mediation Center of South Virginia, operating since 1990, and a member of the Virginia Association for Community Conflict Resolution (VACCR), and the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM). The web page provides an overview of the types of mediation services, with corresponding links to resources and electronic documents. The page contains general information on mediation, when it is needed and its benefits, as well as providing information on volunteering and available volunteer positions. Additionally, the page provides information on how to become a mediator. The corresponding link extensively covers such topic in terms of requirements, documentation, and instances for application.
The website of Community Mediation Services indicates its main mission as promoting “community peacemaking by creating environment and opportunities”. The webpage is created with a minimalistic style, in which only the necessary information is given, such as the services provided, the types of disputes resolved, and the type of population served. The link to human services can be seen through indicating the services provided to clients, service providers and employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The type of information includes only the cases and the population eligible for mediation and contact information. The programs promoted on the website such as agricultural mediation, family consultations, and small business is part of the partnership between the Community Mediation Services and Maine Department of Health and Human Services, United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Corrections, Juvenile Justice Advisory Group and other organizations, which are the main source for funding and support for the center.
The web page of National Association for Community Mediation provides constructive processes for resolving differences and conflicts. The main feature of the website is informative through providing links, and access to articles and researches. It can be seen that the main source of information in the website is provided to members of the association or people interested in becoming mediators, or trained to be mediators. In that regard, the webpage serves as a board for the recent activities of the association and its members. The link to human services can be seen through helping the visitors find a mediator by area, through redirecting to the website mediate.com, and the association’s Reservist Re-Integration and Transitions Program (RRTP), which in collaboration with the “National Guard and Reservists, health professionals, and community mediation centers provides transitioning service members, their families and communities with mediation services, training opportunities, and referral sources for family assistance”.
All of the aforementioned websites are non-profit organizations which provide their services for free, or at low cost, which can be seen expected for the nature of their work and their target population. A common feature in all sites is the provision of general information on mediation, the cases it might be applied and volunteer participation. Accordingly, all of the web pages are not merely information portals and links directories, where all of them have organization with physical address, which activities are mirrored on the web site.
Among the differences of the websites can be seen in the way the information is provided and the reliance on external support. The latter implies the availability of advertisements on the page or their absence, as well as the donation prompts. In terms of the connections to human services, the difference lay in whether the website merely provides general information and the contact information, such as Community Mediation Services, or extensively covering the possibilities of the available initiatives, as well as providing links to external resources on the subject.
Conclusion
It can be seen that web pages serve merely as guidance for further physical cooperation with any of the mediator organizations, including the one which the web page represents. The differences between the websites lie in the extensiveness of the available information. All of the websites covered in this paper were directly linked to human services either through own initiatives, or collaboration with government organizations, which supports the centers represented on the websites.
References
Community Mediation Center (2009). Community Mediation Center. Web.
Community Mediation Services (2009). Community Mediation Services. Web.
National Association for Community Mediation Homepage (2009). National Association for Community Mediation. Web.