CMC is now in the 28th year of our corporate existence, not counting the 3 years run-up of collaboratively developing the early community programs that became united in the corporate CMC in 1994. CMC’s Mission is to bring people together to find lasting and effective solutions to conflict, using excellent volunteer mediators. Vision CMC’s Vision is to be the primary community resource for creating opportunity from conflict, and where repairing harm is valued over punishment. CMC services are based on a core belief that individuals of all ages and backgrounds are capable of resolving their own ..read more

Rule 31 Mediators in Tennessee have a revamped Rule 31.  The Rule recently got a big overhaul and is now two rules: Rule 31 and Rule 31A.  The Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission (ADRC) worked on the restructure and changes for close to two years, submitted its petition in March, 2018.  The Supreme Court requested comments on the proposed rule changes, received 73 pages of comments from mediators.  The ADRC adjusted the final version and the Court approved it in early October, 2018. Rule 31 is for mediators only, and Rule 31A is for all other neutrals (all of whom mus ..read more

Five Books Every Mediator Should Read ..read more

Welcome, Mid-South Community Justice & Mediation Center!  Tennessee has a new nonprofit community mediation center, and it’s in Memphis.  I am so excited about the news.  The need is so great.  Here is CJAM’s mission statement: The Mission of the Mid-South Community Justice and Mediation Center (CJAM) is to promote a civil and just community by providing Mid-South residents with high quality and affordable mediation services, conflict resolution, education and training.CJAM provides an array of educational opportunities ranging in topic, length, and cost which develop i ..read more

CMC’s annual Winter mediation training will be a Rule 31 approved General Civil Training, 40 hours in length.  Embedded within the 40 hr training will be a Crossover training, 16 hours in length, for those who have been trained as family mediators and would like to train as civil mediators. (Note: CMC does not require Rule 31 listing to become a volunteer, but our trainings are approved by the ADR Commission of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and can be used to make application to be listed as a Rule 31 mediator.) We co-train with the University of Tennessee College of Law’s Mediation Clinic ..read more

Here is a downloadable pdf from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) called “What Should We Tell the Children: A Parent’s Guide” You can find parents resources for mediators, from a wonderful mediator-mentor, Forrest “Woody” Mosten, on his website. Check out this set of videos and resources from Sesame Street, divorce seen from a young child’s point of view, and possibly useful in helping parents talk to their child about the parents’ divorce plans. Here are some books with links to Amazon* (for those of us who are book groupies!): Two homes by Claire Masurel Mom and D ..read more

“Peace is not just about the absence of conflict; it’s also about the presence of justice.  …  A counterfeit peace exists when people are pacified or distracted or so beat up and tired of fighting that all seems calm. But true peace does not exist until there is justice, restoration, forgiveness. Peacemaking doesn’t mean passivity. It is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice, the act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer, the act of finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice ..read more

CMC Executive Director, Jackie Kittrell, was pleased to serve on the Advisory Committee to the Downtown Knoxville Rotary Club, to help select the recipient of the inaugural 2017 Peace Award given by the Rotary to the Beck Cultural Exchange Center.  Accepting for the Beck Center was their executive director, Renee Kesler.  The presentation was made on May 23 at the Knoxville Museum of Art’s Bailey Hall.  But for the beautiful drizzly Spring weather, the ceremony would have taken place in the adjacent Rotary Peace Garden.  Presenting the Peace Award for the Rotary were C ..read more

This is National Volunteer Week! CMC wants to celebrate our talented volunteer mediators without whom we could not do what we do. Volunteers are essential for CMC to provide mediation services to those regardless of their ability to pay and to mediate in a way that allows ordinary people to make decisions and resolve their own disputes on their own terms.  At any given moment, CMC is lucky to have 50 or more mediators who send us their availability every month and stand ready to mediate when a case is set. In our photo, you will see two of our best and most prolific mediators, Emil ..read more

This weekend CMC held its annual Peace In The Valley fundraiser at the Historic Southern Railway Station/Blue Slip Winery.  Much fun was had by all: refreshments, wine tasting, dancing to the Chillbillies rock and roll with Judge Irwin singing lead, from “I saw her standing there” to “Free Bird!  We had a lovely wine-themed silent auction, all items in their new homes, and a blind wine auction where guests bought a bagged bottle of wine, sight unseen. Besides our amazing Board of Directors and Staff, I’d like to draw your attention to our list of sponsors.  We appreciate them so ..read more