MV Mediation is a founding sponsor of the Building Bridges Coalition. In partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, the Martha’s Vineyard Agriculture Society, Communication Ambassadors Partnership, Islandwide Youth Collaborative, and numerous individuals and organizations, the Festa Junina event is the first initiative for the Building Bridges Coalition. Would you like to get involved? Here is the link. O Programa de Mediação de Martha's Vineyard é um dos fundadores e patrocinadores da "Aliança Construindo Pontes". Atuando em parceria com a Câmara do Comércio, a Sociedade dos Agricultore ..read more

by Sara Barnes & Kiki Homer Did you know that along with providing direct dispute resolution services, we have grown into a fully realized conflict resolution school? Looking back at the first homegrown Intro to Mediation course in 2017, it is astounding to discover that in 2023 we provided over 320 hours of teaching and learning experiences. Today in the third month of 2024 we run a one-hour weekly drop in Mediator Check-In Wednesdays at 4 p.m. for mediators, coaches, facilitators, and anyone else who can benefit. On Thursdays, Conflict Management Essentials ta ..read more

There are all kinds of time and we’ve each developed a diverse menu of time types. How each individual handles time and how time decisions affect others are often a source of conflict. Time causes conflicts. Time can resolve conflicts too. Consider the variety of what the word late means. In one culture showing up an hour past the time is not late, especially for a social occasion. In another culture folks line up at the door to ring the bell at the exact invited moment. These time norms creep into interpersonal interactions with misunderstandings arising. Conflict resolvers are well advised t ..read more

It’s Women’s History Month! As MV Mediation is also celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, we are putting a spotlight on some of the amazing women who have contributed to MV Mediation’s history of service to the island community. Courtney S. Brady, who died January 15, 2024, was drawn to what might be called urgent situations.     As her family members recount, she felt intuitively that she had what it took to deal with emergencies and conflicts in the world around her, and shortly after moving to the Island as a year-round resident in 1975, she trained to serve as an ..read more

MV Mediation is pleased to announce a $2,500 grant from the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation to support the Youth Mediation Program and Peace Curriculum. The Peace Curriculum, developed by Executive Director Sara Barnes, is a 10-week conflict resolution and positive communication program designed to teach conflict resolution to the students of Martha’s Vineyard. Using integrative and hands-on activities, students learn to apply skills to resolve conflict in their day-to-day lives.   In the 2023–24 school year, MV Mediation is looking to work with all third graders on Martha’s ..read more

You know about lanes. The remarkable thing about street lanes is that they are understood, respected, and effective for drivers as we all go about our lives. People stay in their lanes without a whole lot of fuss and bother. We count on lanes to keep things simple, safe, and predictable. I’ve been asking mediators I meet lately about the concept of a mediation lane. One recounted a lawyer instructing him that what he was doing was “not mediation” ––the mediator had brought a hypothetical solution forward––and “you’re not supposed to suggest anything.” Another mediator recalled a client who cl ..read more

How and when and where did you learn about how to handle conflicts? Most of us have learned our personal conflict management approaches from the modeling of others. Throughout your life you were watching, observing, considering, and trying out new methods and developing your own style as a conflict resolver.  The idea is to trace your conflict learning history throughout your life, take a step back and see if you understand yourself better. “No one ever asked me to trace my conflict learning steps throughout my life. What an interesting process. I’m going to have my sisters do ..read more

It’s rough out there. Wars, atrocities, mass shootings, global warming, toxic polarization, free-floating anger and anxiety. We are often asked at MV Mediation about what we can do about world problems. Global conflicts and intractable societal problems weigh heavily on conflict resolvers’ minds just as they do for everyone. I thought that I’d offer approaches that have helped me, thinking they might help others during difficult times. Look for the Helpers Mister Rogers suggested for parents how to talk about tragedies and disheartening events with young children. “When I was a ..read more

In recognition of Veteran’s Day: 5 veterans’ skills to apply to conflict resolution In recognition of National Kindness Day: How to show kindness in professional settings Making tough decisions with compassion Here are some reflective questions that might facilitate kindness when in conflict Kind conflict resolution in the classroom Preparing for family and holiday conflicts: Dealing with difficult relationships Conflict-free visits: Is this realistic? Managing unresolved conflict Other: Don’t take it personally Learni ..read more

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