What is the Community Mediation Program?

Community mediation is one of the most prominent peaceful tools for addressing conflicts. It involves facilitating an organized communication process between conflicting parties by a neutral third party, with the aim of reaching mutually acceptable solutions that take into account the interests and needs of all sides. This program focuses on deepening participants’ understanding of mediation as part of a broader set of peaceful methods, including negotiation, arbitration, and dialogue.

Target Group:

The program is directed to community leaders.

Building Core Concepts:
Participants are introduced to the principles and ethics of mediation, as well as the role of the mediator as a neutral party. The differences between mediation, negotiation, arbitration, and dialogue are also explored.

Effective Communication Skills:
Participants learn how to actively listen, ask constructive questions, and manage dialogue in a way that helps create a safe environment for all parties involved.

Understanding Conflict Dynamics:
Participants are trained to analyze conflicts, understand the interests and needs of the parties, and study the factors that contribute to either escalation or de-escalation.

Practical Mediation Techniques:
Through interactive sessions, participants practice techniques for managing sessions, organizing joint meetings, and crafting consensual solutions through role-playing exercises.

Managing Challenges and Common Mistakes:
Real-life examples are presented to demonstrate how to handle common obstacles during the mediation process, with a focus on maintaining flexibility and rebuilding trust.

Designing Community Mediation Initiatives:
At this stage, participants work on planning local mediation initiatives that can be implemented in their communities to promote a culture of peace.

Evaluation and Closing:
The journey concludes with a comprehensive evaluation of the knowledge and skills acquired, the awarding of participation certificates, and the development of plans for continuing community-based mediation efforts.

Program Expected Outcomes:

Here are the expected outcomes of the program:

• Deepening understanding of community mediation as a key peaceful tool for conflict resolution within the Syrian context, focusing on the importance of dialogue between conflicting parties.
• Improved skills in facilitating organized communication between conflicting parties by a neutral third party, helping to overcome tensions caused by the conflict in Syria.
• Understanding and applying various peaceful methods such as negotiation, arbitration, and dialogue as part of a comprehensive approach to resolving conflicts in Syria.
• Development of essential skills like active listening, interest-based analysis, and trust-building, which are crucial for crafting consensual solutions in Syrian community contexts.
• Increased capacity to craft mutually acceptable solutions that consider the interests and needs of all parties involved, helping to build a more cohesive society.
• Strengthening the role of mediation in fostering local environments based on mutual respect, contributing to resolving the internal divisions within Syrian communities.
• Empowering local community leaders to effectively engage in conflict resolution using sustainable and peaceful methods, thus enhancing their role in the rebuilding process in Syria.
• Promoting a culture of peace within Syrian communities through a deeper understanding of peaceful conflict resolution strategies, contributing to greater social cohesion in the face of the challenges the country faces.