The evolution and evaluation of community mediation: Limited research suggests unlimited progress

Building meaningful community capacity and changing conflict patterns are the most powerful tools provided by community mediation programs.Many of the elements of true democracy are present in the work we do. I believe that if, in any given situation, there is a community and a conflict, placing everyone together in one room and working through the mediation process will result in the most equitable and elegant solution possible. ommunity mediation in the United States is the product of thirty years of inspiration, innovation, and improvisation. A broad array of players—working often in concert, but sometimes at cross purposes—have constructed a remarkable field that handles an estimated 100,000 conflicts each year (National Association for Community Mediation, 2003), prima- rily through the services of highly trained volunteer mediators. While domestic community mediation builds on traditions from around the world and across many generations (Auerbach, 1983), the contemporary field is a uniquely American experience. The goals for community mediation are many, and they are lofty. With its emphases on individual self- determination, community self-reliance, and equal access to justice for all, community mediation is truly dispute resolution "of the people, by the people, and for the people." This article seeks to present the structure, accomplishments, and unfin- ished work of community mediation centers in the United States. Following an overview of the evolution of the field and consistent with the other