Community Mediation in Ireland. From theory to practice in community mediation centres
Community Mediation in Ireland. From theory to practice in community mediation centres
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Date
2021
Authors
Javiera Carrasco
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Abstract
Community Mediation is a practice in the Alternative Dispute Resolution field that aims to tackle
conflict inside communities, prevent escalation, and contribute to building peaceful and more
democratic spaces. Studies on the area describe the potential of mediation to empower communities
and the difficulties of maintaining the schemes in the long term due to financial problems or the cooptation risk of the practice by the legal system.
The present research looks to learn about Community Mediation in Ireland and explore the tension
between the theory and potential of mediation with the difficulties of its implementation and
limitation given by the Irish context. To achieve this, the researcher collected qualitative information
from people working on three Community Mediation Services currently operating in Ireland:
Community Law and Mediation, Ballymun Community and Law Centre, and Mediation Border
Counties. The information was gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews, which then
were transcribed and analysed through thematic analysis.
The main result of the research shows the relevance given by the services to the principles and values
of the Community Mediation in their practice, the motivation for promoting non-adversarial ways of
solving conflict, and the value that these initiatives can have on the communities. Also, it highlights
the systemic difficulties that the schemes find to broaden their work and grow the services, mainly
given by lack of awareness of community mediation, absence of institutional support by mediation
bodies and the constant struggle for funding.
Overall, the research systematises the centres' experiences to contribute to the debate about
Community Mediation's place in Ireland and proposes possible areas for discussion and reflection
about its future.
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Carrasco, 2021