The promise of mediation Book

My first book specifically dedicated to Mediation topic.
This was quite scientific book, full of theoretical discussion, however included very instrumental example of concrete case (dispute).

The authors of the book are evangelists of specific type of mediation - Transformative Mediation.

This practice puts on the first place the communicative transformation, rather that specific conflict resolution.

I liked the idea of this fundamental approach to conflict resolution which aims not to just fix the conflict quickly, but make shift in the level of understanding.

Authors explain quite clearly the fundamental prerequisites of mediation - empowerment and recognition.

Some perfect quotes to illustrate main ideas of the book:
"... In simplest terms, empowerment means the restoration to individuals of a sense of their value and strength and their own capacity to make decisions and handle life's problems. Recognition means the evocation in individuals of acknowledgment, understanding. or empathy for the situation and the views of the other. When both of these processes are held central in the practice of mediation, parties are helped to transform their conflict interaction - from destructive to constructive - and to experience the personal effects of such transformation..."

"it's obvious why this makes sense - Clear, confident, connected people don't hurt themselves or each other..."...

"What indeed is this phenomenon of conflict all about? To put it another way, the kind of help I seek depends on what being involved in conflict means to me - what I find most significant and affecting, positively or negatively, about this experience. If I feel that the most significant aspect of conflict is that it may affect my power over others (or their over me), I want help in consolidating power. If I feel that the most significant aspect is that it may threaten my rights, I want help in vindicating those rights. If I feel that the most significant aspect is that it may result in my needs being unmet, I want help in finding a way to make sure my needs are met.
In essence, this describes what might be called three theories of conflict, there different views of what human conflict is about - all of which are indeed found in the literature of the conflict filed: power theory (Abel, 1982), rights theory (Fiss, 1982) and needs theory (Menkel -Meadow, 1984). Arguably, people's behavior reflects all three theories; that is they see conflict in all three ways, depending on their specific situations. This is probably why they seek help from different kinds of intervenors at different times - sometimes from organizers, sometimes from lawyers, and sometimes form planners. However, from the perspective of the intervenor reflecting on what kind of help the client wants, one theory alone is generally the primary basis of answering that question: lawyers assume clients want help in vindicating rights, organizers assume clients want help in asserting power, and planners assume clients want help in solving problems to meet needs. In effect, these assumptions really represent two levels of theory, the second one being the intervenor's theory about the client's theory of conflict. To put it more precisely intervenor has a theory of client expectations, which is itself based on certain assumptions about the client's own theory of conflict. Ultimately, the intervenor's view of client expectations is what set the intervenor's own views of this or her role in the interventions, obligations to the client, and methodology of practice.
We have associated each of the there theories of conflict with a different kind of intervenor - none of them to mediators..."

So to sum up, this is great book to get deep into understanding of Transformative mediation practice. This practice promises to be very effective and with long-lasting results if practiced correctly, i.e. with gently interventions to reframe, listen and empower parties in dispute.

Highly recommended!