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"SWEET JUSTICE"

Getting to the heart of mediation

Concept

GENEVACCORD Alternative Dispute Resolution SA is putting restorative justice in the spotlight. Audiences is introduced to the mechanisms of conflict mediation and the power of a win-win approach through a play based on real life situations.

Throughout the 47 Council of Europe states, more than 85% of disputes, which go through mediation, reach an agreement acceptable to all parties within three months. The approach is rapidly gaining ground, proving immeasurably faster and more cost effective than going through the courts [1].

Guy A. Bottequin, a mediator certified by the Republic and Canton of Geneva and a frequent trainer and   speaker at international conferences, meetings and symposia on mediation, has long wondered how to raise public awareness of this conflict resolution process.
With his 880 hours’ experience of continuing training in mediation, he wanted to fully unveil its mysteries through the medium of theatre.

"SWEET JUSTICE" gives the audience the unique experience of observing a "live" mediation. The play is based on a real case.

How will the mediator, as an assistant and facilitator, manage to restore communication between the parties? What means will he use to help them recognize their common interests? How does mediation, which is always strictly confidential, play out in reality? The drama provides the answers.

Mediation is more than simply a conflict resolution process; it is a demanding art. Independence, impartiality, neutrality and strict confidentiality are essential qualities for a mediator. Like a skilled conductor, the mediator gets the best from his instruments: uninterrupted listening, effective questioning, reformulation, positive silences, appealing to the parties' experience and emotions, interpreting non-verbal messages, and also using specific tools such as systemic applications and asides.

[1] Source: Ve Assises Internationales de la Médiation Judiciaire, Biarritz – July 2014