The community mediation field can feel vaguely Benjamin Button-esque -- simultaneously old and young.  While mediation itself has been around in some form since time immemorial, the community mediation movement is only in its 40's.  Which makes us a kid, as far as movements and professions go.  In that sense, maybe we're getting in on the ground floor of the next big thing.

On the…

Well, sort of.  This is my dear friend Kiki T , astrologist (or astrosexologist, as she prefers), who writes relationship-oriented horoscopes for all kinds of publications and was the featured astrologist on the Tyra Banks Show.  With Mercury in Libra, apparently it's a…

JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide, today announced the addition of Hon. Frederic N. Smalkin (Ret.) to its panel. Judge Smalkin will be based in the JAMS Greenbelt Resolution Center. He will serve as an arbitrator, mediator and special master for disputes in a variety of areas including Admiralty, Antitrust, Aviation, Banking, Business/Commercial, Construction, Employment, Environmental, Healthcare, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Personal…

JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide, today announced the addition of Commissioner Eric B. Watness to its panel. Commissioner Watness will be based in the JAMS Seattle Resolution Center. He will serve as an arbitrator, mediator and special master for disputes in a variety of areas including Business/Commercial, Construction Defect, Education/Schools, Estate/Probate/Trusts, Family Law, Government/Public Agency, Personal Injury/Torts and Tribal…

There is a famous book titled “Three Cups of Tea” and it tells the story of an American man and his many journeys to Pakistan to build schools for children.  The tea reference is to the custom of having tea while communicating with others.  This occurred during lively discussions, friendly and informal talks, and during negotiations for him through the book.

The book specifically refers to the American coming to the…

JAMS International, the European arm of JAMS, the world’s largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services, announced today that it launched more than 40 mediators and arbitrators as part of its European panel. The launch of the panel, which brings together some of the most seasoned Alternative Dispute Resolution specialists in the world, cements JAMS International’s growing presence in the global ADR community.

JAMS International provides a valuable option…

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/peacetones/wanito-biyografi-mwen-album-release

Internet Bar Organization's PeaceTones project is launching Wanito's debut album in another few weeks.  We are pre-selling the album and other cool merchandise using a Kickstarter platform. We have 4 days to go and need your help!!

As school boards, state and local governments draft legislation to respond to increased reports of bullying, the term “zero tolerance” often comes up. When New Jersey recently implemented its sweeping “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights,” the “zero tolerance” formula appeared in several news reports.

I posed a question to a restorative justice…

JAMS, the largest private provider of mediation and arbitration services worldwide, today announced the addition of Hon. Rick Sims (Ret.) to its panel. Justice Sims will be based in the JAMS Sacramento Resolution Center. He will serve as an arbitrator, mediator and special master for disputes in a variety of areas including Administrative Law, Appellate, Business/Commercial, Class Action/Mass Tort, Civil Rights, Construction, Employment, Engineering and Construction, Government/Public…

(Originally published at www.NonverbalPhD.com & www.EnjoyMediation.com)

I came across the following article recently which explored the use of body language in a…

Coming Face To Face With Emotion Behind Office Conflict

Restorative justice has found favour in the workplace, writes Kelly Burke.

Bullying, violence, greed, sexual…

As this is posted, I should be just about to land in Glasgow, Scotland.  I am once again fortunate enough to be part of an interfaith delegation trip sponsored by the Interfaith Center of New York who’s purpose is to bring interfaith leaders from Glasgow, Barcelona, and New York City during a 3 year-3 city tour to share their ideas, best practices and explore ways…

The Science & Art of Nonverbal Communication: What Mediators Need To Know…

(Originally posted at Absolution Mediation) 

Ok...you got me, the saying is actually "Rome wasn't built in a day" so I changed it to something more relevant; "Rapport wasn't built in a day."  Right? Well, here's the thing...I don't really believe that either... Rapport can be built with someone within the first 5 minutes (Not a scientific fact...but something that I know). So I…

In the late '90s, I went to Bulgaria to set up a conflict resolution center for Partners for Democratic Change.  Here are some highlights of the junket:

-- Led Zeppelin was on tour in Eastern Europe, and Robert Plant and Jimmy Page were staying in the same hotel as me.  I spent an awkward hour sitting with them in the lobby. The hotel was…