I firmly believe that we are the Mediation Generation. As a community and as individuals, we are looking for a change from the old status quo of going to battle when we have disagreements. Instead, we want to try to work things out, find mutually agreeable solutions, reduce our stress, and minimize needless expenses. To that end, many people are now seeking out alternatives to court battles.
In particular, Mediation is getting a lot of exposure and attention. In contrast to the last decade, I’m finding a lot of people are now actively seeking out Mediation services; particularly, when they are considering separation, divorce or parenting plans. Therefore, it is gratifying to see the concept of Mediation getting local and national attention.
In 2005, the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR)’s Board of Directors designated the third Thursday in October as the annual Conflict Resolution Day to promote peaceful conflict resolution worldwide. This year, Conflict Resolution Day was celebrated on October 20. Nationally, the American Bar Association (ABA) celebrated the strides we have made in utilizing mediation by declaring the third week in October “ABA Mediation Week.” Here in Phoenix, Mayor Phil Gordon officially recognized October 16 to October 22 as “Mediation Week” in order to celebrate the progress of mediation as a successful alternative dispute resolution process.
I applaud these efforts and sincerely hope we continue to embrace our new Mediation Generation as we all strive toward ways to bring more contentment and peace into our lives.