Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

Mediation can be thought of as a ritualistic process. While some may argue that each mediation presents completely different circumstances, the various stages followed in a mediation procedure usually adhere to a standard formula and are always aimed at producing the same result: healing. The completion of this healing process relies on repeated cycles of conciliation and reconciliation. Without such mutual efforts, the best that can be achieved is settlement of a dispute, rather than a resolution that relieves the parties of their hurt and enables them to renew their relationship and transform into something better than they were before. Traditional China provides some interesting examples and contrasts.

It was a little after dark and Elder Carey Moore, a young American missionary, was riding his bicycle. He was on his way to a small farming village near Chengqing Lake, outside Fengshan, Taiwan. The lane was narrow and unlit, winding its way between rice paddies. There were few automobiles on the road that night, and Moore didn’t recall hearing the taxi speeding up behind him. All he saw was the sudden flash of the car’s headlights just before it hit him from behind. The impact of the collision threw him across the hood of the taxi and through the windshield.