Originally from Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation

PAGE PREVIEW

Mediators are all human, and most, indeed, share a commonality among peacemakers for the natural empathy and compassion felt for people traumatized by conflict.

Master Mediator Cliff Hendler of Toronto’s ADR Chambers observed many years ago that most mediators have an aversion to conflict and either avoid it or quickly try to resolve it.

So, what happens when instead of feeling empathy for a disputant, the mediator feels dislike? I posed this question to a number of mediators who have been practicing the craft for decades.