theMAC recognizes that mediation can refer to various Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) activities and we encourage the use of all such activities; however, for many people the term refers to a process in which two or more parties involved in a disagreement work with an NEUTRAL third party, the mediator, who helps them generate their own solutions to solve the dispute. The parties can shape a solution that works for both sides – unlike when a judge or an arbitrator makes the decision with a higher likelihood of one party wins and the other party loses.
Other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) activities are preferable and often less costly in the long-run than people relying first on courts or violence for a resolution. For example, Restorative Justice (RJ) seeks to heal the harm inflicted by one party by helping all of the impacted parties shape a resolution.
