Civic mediation and social partnership

Abstract

Civic mediation is an emerging practice within the field of conflict resolution and peace-building. Drawing on the core principles of mediation in addition to wider peace-building concepts, civic mediation was developed to strengthen relations at civic leadership levels in Northern Ireland during intense conflict and societal division. It works at an inter-personal level, focusing on the relationships of people within systems that are relevant to current or historical societal discord. This paper describes the development and principles of civic mediation, and its application in peace-building and reconciliation. It explores the role of mediators in building a common agenda between affected parties and the way in which they can facilitate a process to enable an outcome that is more likely to be accepted by all. It concludes with some suggestions for the future development of civic mediation, including capacity building and evaluation.