[WikiEN-l] Re: Arbitration Commitee Seeking Comment

Mon Jun 6 03:38:26 UTC 2005

On 6/6/05, Michael Snow <wikipedia at earthlink.net> wrote:
> I don't think the problem with mediation is a lack of training or skills
> (no offense, but by and large I wouldn't call the arbitrators
> professionally trained either). Mediation can be handled by anybody with
> good sense, patience, and the ability to resist getting over-agitated by
> the emotions of the disputing parties. We actually have had quite a few
> instances of successful mediation, but many of them have happened
> outside the formal process, often handled by people who are not part of
> the Mediation Committee.

I think you're partly right there - mediation can be handled by anyone
with those qualities, and in many cases, has indeed worked. I know of
many instances of successful mediation outside of the formal process.
The problem, though, is that a) the formal process hasn't been working
- people haven't been able to get mediators to a particular dispute
when its needed to prevent it from going any further, and b) some of
the disputes are just too heated for all but the best mediators to do
- and we don't have very many of those. It's for the latter reason
that I'd really like to see someone like Ed Poor put together a guide
to help those of us who aren't quite so good at it.

> [skipped a bunch of stuff that is very true]

>  As a result, I think that for us mediation is more likely
> to be useful much earlier in the process, as disputes are only beginning
> and before they have really had a chance to heat up. This would require
> watching more closely for situations where mediation can help, and a
> more interventionist approach from the mediators, rather than waiting
> for cases to come to them.

Once again, I think that's very true - but how can we get a system
where these conflicts are actually attended to that quickly?

-- ambi