Description
Book SynopsisPart of the Peace Skills Set, this Manual is designed as atake-home resource to support workshop participants as they returnto their communities and both apply their mediation skills andshare their insights with others. It covers conflict analysis, therole of mediation, the stages of mediation, communication skills,and working with group conflicts and in cross cultural settings.
Trade Review"This guide is packed with information.... Any skilled leader who takes the time to carefully study it can lead successful workshops." (Provident Bookfinder, 2/02)"Offers a ray of hope for individuals and communities who long forpeace and reconciliation." (Dr. G. Douglass Lewis, president,Wesley Theological Seminary)
"A must for people who want to be change agents in society.Addresses transformation of conflict from an empowermentperspective." (Craig Arendse, director of mediation andtransformation practice, Cape Town, South Africa)
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements xiii
Introduction xv
Overview of the manual xvii
Thoughts About Peace and Transformation xviii
Section One: Assumptions about Conflict and the Role of Peacebuilders 1
1 Assumptions about Conflict 3
2 Understanding Conflict and the Role of Mediation 12
Section Two: Introduction to Mediation 23
3 Mediation: A Tool for Empowering Others 25
4 Before Mediation: Laying the Foundation 32
5 The Introduction Stage: Providing Safety 38
6 The Story-Telling Stage: Offering Understanding 43
7 The Problem-Solving Stage: Building Joint Ownership 51
8 Additional Tools for Problem Solving 66
9 The Agreement Stage: Seeking Sustainability 75
10 Moving Toward Reconciliation: Letting Go of the Past 81
Section Three: Communication Skills and Tools 85
11 Listening Skills 87
12 Language in Mediation 94
13 Emotions in Conflict 101
Section Four: Building Peace in Communities 105
14 Designing a Peacebuilding Process 107
Notes 119
Appendix: Additional Reading About Conflict Transformation 123
The Authors 125
About Plowshares 127
About the conflict Transformation program 129
Index 131
