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CANADIAN MULTICULTURAL MEDIATION SERVICE (CMMS) Canadian Multicultural Mediation Service (CMMS) offers Mediation Skills Training throughout the year. Our goal is to provide participants from diverse groups in the African/Canadian community’s backgrounds with the theoretical base and practical skills to constructively respond to conflict in various situations and contexts in the organizations/communities/schools they belong. Course formats include lectures, discussions, small-group discussions and role-plays. Experienced mediators/trainers provide coaching for role-play session. Our mediation skills training covers 21-hour training standard requirement for community mediators as set by the Ontario Coalition of Mediators Network. This training focuses on the process and skills of transformative mediation (St Stephen’s model). Conflict theory, conflict styles, communication skills, active listening skills, co-mediation and case development are with a focus on interpersonal conflict within a community context, where neighbourhood, family, friendship, and workplace conflict scenarios are simulated and discussed. The following topics are covered throughout the training. Participants are expected to complete all the training sessions in order to be awarded a certificate. Section 1: Techniques and Skills:
Section 2: The Mediation Process:
Section 3: Role-Plays
Reference:
Cost of Training: Cost of training per participant varies from individual, group and organization. The cost includes a mediation skills training manual, which shall be made available to the participants before commencement of the training. Group Rates: Group rates are available and this can be discussed
when we have people who want to train in groups. Mediation Training "Need Assessment" There are many cases of violence reported daily in both the print and electronic media and in most cases the black youth are involved. Apart from the media, many cases of violence involving the blacks are also reported in the courts daily with some cases referred to the organization for mediation. It has been observed that most of these cases evolved from unresolved differences especially among youth, friends, family members and associates. In view of the escalating gun violence among the black community in the GTA, our initiative to keep the black community and other communities in the Greater Toronto Areas (GTA) and its environs safer through mediation becomes our priority. We believe when conflicts are resolved at the beginning stage between the disputants, such conflicts do not escalate beyond resolution, and when they do escalate, they result in uncontrollable crimes/violence. As an indigenous community mediation service, which has the skills and resources to train mediators in our community, Canadian Multicultural Mediation Service has been working in collaboration with local community Organizations, Faith Groups and social services to train members of the community to become mediators who will mediate unresolved cases in order to repair and build damaged relationships among families, friends, neighbours, communities, schools, churches, etc. thereby, reducing violence within the black community and other communities, making such communities safer and more friendly by using mediation as a tool for crime prevention. That is why the organization has worked in collaboration with target community organizations such as:
The Black Action Defence Committee under the leadership of its founder, Mr. Dudley Laws approached Canadian Multicultural Mediation Service to help train mediators in the community to mediate cases in a mediation service established within the BADC (Inner City Conflict Mediation Service). The following members of BADC were trained by CMMS and became certified mediators within the Inner City Conflict Mediation Service. They are as follows:
CMMS would like to commend the efforts of Dudley Laws, the founder and Executive Director of Black Action Defence Committee (BADC) for coming up with this working collaborative initiative with Canadian Multicultural Mediation Service to train mediators within the Black Action Defence Committee. Since this initiative was born, many cases have been resolved within the Black community leading to safer and more environmentally friendly community. Gun violence has reduced within the last few years and many youth within the black community became interested in becoming community mediators when they saw the effectiveness of resolving their disputes through volunteer mediators trained by CMMS. The following members of the diverse community also received training as mediators from Canadian Multicultural Mediation Service. They are as follows:
The above-listed mediators were trained with funding provided by the City of Toronto, The Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Ministry of the Attorney General's Office. St. Stephen's Conflict Resolution Service, a Community based conflict resolution service, a founding Member of the Ontario Coalition of Mediation Network provided the training. Other Youth who were trained to become Mediators by CMMS include the following.
Again, CMMS was approached by Breaking the Cycle to help train youth in the process of mediation so that they can mediate conflicts among their peers. In order to convince the youth in embracing mediation, CMMS first of all had to conduct needs assessment within the youth group to sample their opinion about mediation. We started with Lawrence Heights and Jane and Finch Community, Scarborough, Etobicoke, and Downtown. We discovered that the youth had little or no knowledge about conflict resolution. We had to first create awareness and educate the youth about the prospects of conflict resolution and its benefits to the community. The following areas of conflict were explored with the youth during the needs assessment process: Dynamics of Conflict EscalationConflict and Needs:Usually when people are in conflict, they sense that some need or value is being violated or threatened by the complaints or demands made by the other. Consequently, they often hear the other's complaints as threats to their own needs. (When you ask me to change my behaviour, a need that I've been meeting by that behaviour is threatened). In order to defend themselves against that threat, either party might resort to strategies that can lead to conflict escalation. Having a disagreement with a neighbour, friend, business partner or co-worker can make the affected parties confused, afraid, unsecured, lose self esteem and above all, ANGRY. Sometimes, a small conflict can get worse, if not dealt with, whether domestic or otherwise. Conflicts can be made worse by bringing in other conflicts from the past. It is important to deal with conflicts as they arise. Strategies That Lead to Conflict Escalation: Defending their own case Defending their own behaviour (I'm not doing anything wrong; I'm not breaking the rules), Defending their own character (I'm being reasonable), or Get others to take their sideAttacking the source of the threat: Try to "disempower" the other by:
Cycle of Conflict EscalationEach of these strategies by one person can elicit a defensive and hostile response and therefore similar strategies, on the part of the other. Neither person may realize their own contribution to the other’s behaviour. Each may take the others behaviour as an indication of hostility, and conclude that continued and intensified aggressive and defensive moves are required This can lead to a cycle of conflict escalation. Effects of Conflict EscalationThe effects of conflict escalation include:
Turning Things AroundIn order to build a cooperative problem-solving climate, one or both parties need to engage in behaviours that either prevent or reverse the spiral of conflict escalation. WHAT IS CONFLICTConflict is a disagreement between two or more people. Conflicts occur inside individuals, within on-going individual and group relationships, and also between different individuals and groups (may be gangs related). Conflicts affect relationships. People get angry and frustrated when their relationships fail. Miscommunication leads to wrong assumption and entrenched positions. People need help to break the cycle of violence and escalation that often sets in with conflict. Conflicts can be made worse by bringing in other conflicts from the past. It is important to deal with conflicts as they occur. Conflicts can develop over time. Usually there could be some incident that would trigger the conflict to come out openly. SUGGESTED REACTIONS TO CONFLICT WHEN THEY OCCUR
WHAT WE MUST NOT DO AT CONFLICTS
ROLE OF CONFLICT MEDIATOR IN CONFLICTSA mediator in this setting is a neutral third party who has been trained and assigned to facilitate a mediation process between two aggrieving parties in a conflict in such a way that is fair, safe and satisfactory for both parties. Here the mediator uses the interest-based approach, which asks what problems underlie or cause the conflict, what the parties need and want. The mediator uses good communication skills such as attentive listening, restating and clarifying what has been said by both parties, asking neutral and open ended questions, become sensitive to cultural, language, power differences, putting into consideration the socio-political dynamics of the parties' culture, language and power-base. The mediator should not be afraid to name differences and talk about power imbalances, such as inequalities. The mediator should be able to detect the underlying cause of the conflict through interaction with both parties without telling the parties what the conflict is. Validates each party and help each party or person to see the other's point of view. Helps the parties to identify the points of disagreement and common interest. Diffuse anger while developing empathy between the disputants or rival parties or gangs Strives for Win-Win-Win Resolution always. By this the mediator focuses on finding solutions that meet the interests of both parties or gangs or individuals. Using this approach, the mediator tries to facilitate the process of finding solutions that meet all parties' needs and wants. This approach generates the Win-Win Negotiation, which takes the interest based approach to solving the parties' differences. By looking at what both parties want to achieve and finding creative ways of coming to a solution that both parties are happy with, you have nip the conflict in the bud (parties in this case could be rival gangs, neighbours, friends, associates, team mates, etc.) WHY MEDIATION?Mediation or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is fast becoming the option of choice for managing conflicts, and preventing it from escalating to violent behaviour by the conflicting parties or gangs. When mediation is effectively used, it becomes a tool for crime prevention in our community. ADVANTAGES OF RESOLVING CONFLICTSMediation can turn conflict into advantages if explored. Mediation can also turn conflict into benefit for those who are in it. Conflict could become a lesson for those who are yet to be in it as well. Below are some benefits that mediation could bring into conflicts. Benefits of Mediation:
Therefore, Conflict Resolution through mediation or Alternative Dispute Resolution, if explored, becomes a tool for peaceful co-existence among individuals, groups in our communities. Helpful and Harmful Behaviors in a GroupHelpful: Listen, accept useful suggestions, and be open to new ideas Harmful: Judging, blaming, labeling others, disapproving others Helpful: Assertive, direct, positive, encourages others to contribute Harmful: Aggressive, bullying, sarcastic, name-calling, personal attacks, hatred Helpful: Honest, tries to get people to work together Harmful: Deceiving, gossiping, spreading rumours Helpful: leads, uses rules only to help Harmful: Domineering in group discussions, needs to get own way Helpful: Actively involved, expresses feelings positively, interested in others Harmful: Avoids involvement by withdrawing, forgetting, has no opinion Helpful: Takes responsibility in group activities and encourages others Harmful: Complaining, whining. Follows, but has no enthusiasm Helpful: Sincere, real sense of friendship and concern for others Harmful: Says nice words, but not sincere, always jokes around Helpful: Supportive in helping others, compassionate Harmful: Protecting and defending (as if other person wasn't capable) FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTSAfter the above exercise with the youth in various locations within the GTA, evaluation survey was distributed at the end of each exercise. Majority of youth indicated interest in becoming a mediator. In the preceding paragraph, we had said that CMMS was approached by Breaking the Cycle to train youth who were assessed and found suitable for training as mediators. In 2010 the following youth participated in the above-mentioned mediation training program and graduated with certificates in Conflict resolution as follows:
Other graduands from the Scarborough "Breaking the Cycle location" includes but not limited to the following:
Since the above accomplishment through working collaboration between Breaking the Cycle and Canadian Multicultural Mediation Service, many more youth have indicated interest in being trained as a youth mediator to resolve conflict among their peers. Pending more funding availability to conduct more training, more youth will be enlisted for the next training opportunity. The organization's target community is the 13 priority neighbourhoods identified by the City of Toronto and the United Way of Greater Toronto. Please view the photos of some youth proudly displaying their certificate of achievement in the above mentioned conflict resolution training below. The general content of this website are All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Canadian Multicultural Mediation Service |
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| 1110 Finch Ave West, Suite 224 North York, Ontario M3J 2T2 Tel: (416) 203-2869 Fax:(416) 203-1881 CMMS@bellnet.ca |
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