Mediation Northern Ireland

Many conflicts are resolved through informal discussion or negotiation by the parties involved themselves. When that doesn’t or can’t happen for any number of reasons one alternative might be mediation.  

Definition: Mediation assists communication between individuals or groups in order to manage or overcome estrangement and effect positive change.

Mediation is about helping people to have difficult conversations

There are certain Characterisitcs which are fairly common to the practice of mediation:

• An impartial third party presence among people affected by conflict
• A focus on the human dimensions of conflict (feelings, emotions, etc)
• Attention not only to the resolution of issues but also to the restoration, renewal or adjustment of relationships affected by conflict
• The application of a strategy or design to the activity of conflict intervention
• A search for a solution which the parties view as credible or relevant


There are a number of Functions of Mediation:
1. To assist communication
2. To improve understandings
3. To support creative thinking
4. To explore accommodations
5. To facilitate agreements

There are also several Methods of Mediation:
• Informal Mediation: where the mediators’ role is not formally recognised, an organic process
• Formal Mediation: where the mediators’ role is formally recognized and the parties actually meet
• Intermediation: where the mediators’ role is formally recognised but the parties do not meet
• Mediative behaviour: where the mediators’ role is not formally acknowledged and there is no recognised process, but it is understood that the mediator is in contact with opposing side
• Conflict Counselling: where the mediator is in contact with one side, encouraging inclusive thinking, but not viewed as intentionally communicating information to the other side