Discussions On Community Mediation In The United States

In the 1970 s and 1980 s,community-based modes of regulation have(re-)entrenched themselves in numerous countries around the world.Such trends have a direct counterpart in the field of dispute resolution: community mediation.As part of a wider alternative dispute resolution movement,the rise of community mediation is an attempt to localize dispute resolution in informal contexts,outside the courthouse.The idea and system of community mediation began in America.Community mediation is a community-based alternative dispute resolution and designed to deal with minor disputes between community members.And volunteers are the primary providers of mediation services.With the development and improvement,community mediation has become one of the main mediation in contemporary America and formed a mature model and operation process,which is different from other mediation.It not only relieves the problem of the crowded courts,but make American grassroots social governance capability and cohesion greatly enhanced.China is in a critical period of social transition.With the formation of community,various kinds of social problems converge into community.When we develop traditional mediation experience,we also can get inspiration from American experience for settling our community disputes and grassroots governance.This paper analyzes development situation and organization mode of American community mediation and discusses its basic idea,historical background and so on.This paper also introduces voluntary mediator of American community mediation and three styles of mediator: facilitative style,evaluative style and transformative style.Then,the author discusses basic program,and innovative applications about community mediation.Finally,based on China,the author also thinks about community mediation's practical implications to American society and its development dilemma.In this premise,this paper analyzes American and Chinese community mediation comparatively and hopes that could use for reference the merits of American mediation experience.