The Paradox of Popular Justice

In the past decade mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution have emerged as a challenge to the prevailing modes of resolving conflicts. In their efforts to capture a legitimate space many proponents of the community- or popular-justice movement engage in a rhetoric of community empowerment and social transformation. The question posed by the current set of essays is whether a transformation toward popular justice and social empowerment is indeed taking place. As practitioners in some aspects of this movement we respond to that question from an insiders’ view. Based on our experiences we argue that the movement faces external and internal paradoxes that mitigate against its success, unless they are explicitly embraced by the movement in creative ways.

There are two ways we might approach such an assignment. We could paint a broad picture based on our extensive but largely impressionistic view and experience throughout the United States, reflecting what we think is happening out there. Or, we could narrow our reflection…