mediation

Formally trained as a mediator, John Paul has participated in and facilitated a wide range of mediation processes. Over time, he found the dominant terminology and associated imagery did not match his experience or many of the practices innovated in settings of violent, protracted conflict. Professional mediation tends to build around formalized processes of impartial and neutral facilitation. Long-term constructive social change in settings of violent conflict requires committed relationships and the nurturing of a social mediative capacity. Often captured in the term ‘accompaniment,’ this approach requires creativity in the evolution of a wider range of roles. The content in this section spans the evolution of John Paul's practice and understanding of mediation, particularly between the late 1980s to the early 2000s, shaped by his early experiences in international high-level mediation and transformative learnings from local mediative processes in Central America.

document

Mediation in North America: An Examination of the Profession’s Cultural Premises

A paper reflecting on the premises and assumptions implicit in the interaction model generally adopted by North American mediation experts, specifically examining the mediator monologue as they are representative of mediation "doctrine."

1986

interview

Making Space for Peace: John Paul Lederach on Mediation

An interview by Amy Frykholm for The Christian Century on topics including mediation, funding, and spiritual sustenance.

2009

magazine article

Elementos para la resolución de conflictos

El propósito de este trabajo es abordar el conflicto en cuanto fenómenosocial, bajo el supuesto de que es posible regular y resolver mas eficaz y constructivamente los conflictos.

1990

journal article

Building Mediative Capacity in Deep-Rooted Conflict

An article making the case that the nature, purpose, and construction of mediation must be reconsidered toward the nurturing of social mediative capacity.

2002

journal article

Facing the Oka Crisis: A Conflict Resolution Perspective

Observations and suggestions for how the Oka Crisis might be understood emergent from the Autumn 1990 armed standoff between Mohawks and the Quebec and Canadian governments.

1991

journal article

Mediating Across Cultures

An exploration into the construction of meaning as it informs conflict resolution training.

1998

journal article

Fostering Culturally Responsive Courts: The Case of Family Dispute Resolutions for Latinos

An article focusing on how mediation services can be improved to better reflect the culture-based needs and expectations of Latino litigants.

2001

journal article

Mediating Conflict in Central America

A study focusing on how mediation has been used in conflict management within Nicaragua with particular reference to the Esquipulas peace process.

1991

interview

Entrevista a John Paul Lederach por Rolando Luque Mogrovejo

An interview by Rolando Luque Mogrovejo on the occasion of the XI Congreso Mundial de Mediación y I Congreso Nacional para la Construcción de la Paz held in Lima, Perú in September 2015.

2015

more reflections