When people think about conflict, they usually think negatively. Our work is about moving conflict concepts away from the lose-lose mentality to a win-win one, where conflict becomes...
MV Mediation is pleased to announce a $2,500 grant from the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation to support the Youth Mediation Program and Peace Curriculum. The Peace Curriculum, developed by Executive Director Sara Barnes, is a 10-week conflict resolution and positive communication program designed to teach conflict resolution to the students of Martha’s Vineyard. Using integrative and hands-on activities, students learn to apply skills to resolve conflict in their day-to-day lives.
I recently attended a national meeting devoted to Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR). In attendance were practitioners from all over the US and some other countries. We were eager to hear the research from those at the University of Nebraska in a presentation entitled "What the Public's Lack of Understanding of ADR Means."
We acknowledge that we are standing on the land of the Wôpanâak (Wampanoag) people and nation, who settled this land at least 12,000 years ago and still celebrate it as home today. Although commonly referred to as Martha's Vineyard, this island has a much older name, a Wôpanâak name: Noëpe.
Here is the four-step process toward becoming a Massachusetts qualified mediator with MV Mediation. Schedules and more information on the next pages.
Participate in either the Conflict Coaching or Conflict Essentials foundational course
Participate in Introduction to Mediation – Basics
Participate in Introduction to Mediation—Advanced
Participate in Introduction to Mediation—Practicum & Apprenticeship
Our goal with this survey is to learn more about conflicts for young people so we can better provide effective conflict resolution services through community input and collaboration.
Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program
The Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is an emergency housing assistance program to alleviate
financial stress for renters and landlords. ERAP provides rental, [utility], and moving assistance to qualifying
renters facing housing instability and financial hardship due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
For more information please contact us at Admin@mvmediation.org
Many of the past participants have stated that the training to become a mediator has helped them in their work, family, and personal lives. These skills have broad uses and the classes are fun and uplifting. Come ready to participate and interact. All classes are by zoom.
If you want to become a Massachusetts qualified mediator these are the first 24 hours of 40 hours required training.
Join Our Productive Conversations Course
Enroll in MV Mediation Program's Productive Conversations Course and work with our conversation guides to identify conflicts within your own family:
Learn about Conflict Resolution
Reflect on Family Conflict History
Use Conflict Resolution Tools to Plan as a Family
The Martha’s Vineyard Mediation Program (MVMP) announced in a press release that it is now a part of the Massachusetts Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI), an array of programs that help landlords and tenants resolve conflicts.
Working with other Community Mediation Centers through the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration, M.V. Mediation offers free mediation and other services to support those affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
“Housing is crucial. As the winter continues, we know that landlords and tenants are negatively affected by the uncertainty of the present moment,” MVMP executive director Sara Barnes said in the release. “Our mediators can help turn tough times and difficult conversations into self-determined agreements. Housing mediation promotes more effective communication through neutral facilitation as part of the mediation process. Since 1984, we have helped many Islanders resolve conflicts, often without going to court,” Barnes continues.
The new statewide housing mediation effort is part of Gov. Charlie Baker’s EDI program, which works to help prevent homelessness by working to keep tenants stably housed and landlords from mortgage foreclosures.
“We are excited to be able to help bring these services to the Vineyard and to help our community here on the Island to have access to the various organizations and programs that are part of the Eviction Diversion Initiative,” said housing mediation program coordinator Christina Simmons in the release. “We offer services in Portuguese as well.”
Reposted from MV Times
Mediator Musings: Conflict Resolution Essentials
Sara Barnes, Executive Director
Polarization. Unbridgeable divide. Entrenched separation. Hardened attitudes.
We are living in difficult times. In the world of conflict resolution there's a lot of work to be done.
Are you in this situation? Is there a friend, family member, co-worker or community member with whom you have a seemingly unresolvable break in your connection? Are you having trouble building bridges back to understanding? Here's a few ideas of how to proceed:
Tell the other person you want to try to fix things. See if the other person is willing. If they don't want to repair the connection, you'll have to wait until you have a willing partner.
Listen to understand what is happening for the other person, and how they see the conflict from their point of view. Listen without your rebuttal ready. Listen with an open mind to understand the other person's identity and values.
Reflect back what you think you heard and check to see if you have understood what the other person has shared. Be willing to amend your understanding.
Ask if the other person would like to know how you see things. Wait to hear that they are interested and receptive before you provide them with your ideas.
Speak honestly and speak for yourself.
Offer a sincere response to this interchange. You might say, "We see things quite differently. I'm really glad that we are talking. I want to keep up our connection"
Refrain from making assumptions, diagnosing, judging or condemning. Take some time to consider what you have learned about the other person.
Decide what you want to do next, knowing you cannot change anyone but yourself.
Seek support from your circle of care to handle your feelings and frustrations.
Try to keep the door open as long as you can without burning bridges.
Give yourself a pat on the back for being a brave and caring person who works to undo a conflict and to preserve a human connection.
Here's a really remarkable and optimistic list of organizations and programs working to support these kinds of conversations. Click on any of the over three hundred links to see the breadth of work on conflict resolution, bridging divides and mutual understanding. There's good news here. Help to bridge the divide
If you need help talking things out, mediation, conflict coaching, facilitation and discussion support services can help. We can help you to work things out. MV Mediation is here to serve our community. More here
We Can Work It Out!
MV Mediation Program (MVMP) Board member, Kenneth Andrichik, with the Sponsorship sign at the September 27th Big Brothers Big Sisters Golf Outing.
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches Island youth with adult mentors to help ignite their potential. The MVMP “hole” sponsorship helped raise awareness that MVMP has been helping our community, including youth and families, to resolve disputes since 1984!
