| Posted: Mar. 04 2005,12:13 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
Quabbin
Mediation is a small, non-profit community mediation organization. The
North Quabbin region where we work saw a disturbingly high rise in
rates of interpersonal violence during the 1990s. In response, the
500-member North Quabbin Community Coalition, to which Quabbin
Mediation belongs, created a violence prevention task force, a
community-wide effort to shift the culture of violence here.
Quabbin
Mediation added three school districts to the two we worked with in the
1990s. We now teach conflict resolution and mediation to over 1,500
school children each year in this mostly rural region.
Quabbin
Mediation has trained over 100 community members as mediators. We
provide mediation services to residents of 24 towns, up from 9 previous
to 2000. Cases are referred from District, Juvenile and Probate courts
and also from the community.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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Two
obstacles are, of course, adequate resources to support our efforts.;
and general denial on the part of many people that we have a
community-wide problem with violence.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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A
group of teens called Talking on the Edge, convened a community-wide
effort to fold 1000 peace cranes and send them to Pres. Bush prior to
the invasion of Iraq. Our Congressman had them hand-delivered to the
White House. That same group created a conflict resolution workbook,
The Adventures of Inky, that is given to 4th graders in all the schools
where Quabbin Mediation teaches and has been donated to all area
libraries.
Over 100 Peer Mediators in 12 schools, who have been
trained by Quabbin Mediation, help us to teach conflict resolution and
problem solving skills to 1,500 of their fellow students.
We convene
a group called Problem Resolution and Anger Mangement for
court-involved teens and hold non-violent communication seminars for
adult probationers.
Quabbin Mediation provides mediations services
to thousands every year. Neutral mediators help people find their own
solutions to conflicts. In taking part in the process, people learn
they have the ability to solve their own problems without resorting to
violence and without the intervention of authority figures.
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
Please
do more to counter the bellicose message from powerful governments that
pre-emptive strikes are acceptable. Hurting someone before they hurt
you, whether in kindergarten or on the international front, is not
appropriate, civilized behavior.
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
Quabbin Mediation is a member of the
Association for Conflict Resolution
National Association for Community Mediation
North Quabbin Community Coalition
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
Expand trainings to include more school children, police, people returning to the community from prison.
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Postal address of organization
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Quabbin Mediation
P.O. Box 544
Athol, MA 01331
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E-mail address of organization
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info@quabbinmediation.org
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Website address of organization
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Quabbinmediation.org
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Education for a culture of peace
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Understanding, tolerance, solidarity
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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United States
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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