Faith-based Mediation

by Delilah van Tol

INTRODUCTION     

 In a mediation process, the main aim is to resolve a dispute between parties in a way that is guided by the parties’ preferences and needs. Someone’s lifestyle, which includes being religious and/or spiritual, can be of great importance and, therefore, we are going to look at the emphasis of religion in mediation. The Western conflict resolution approach has shown us that it is not as successful as wanted.[1] Thus, it is of importance that the mediation fits the parties.[2]

FAITH-BASED MEDIATION

Faith-based mediation refers to the mediator’s efforts “where religious creed, objects (i.e. symbols, texts, images, principlesetc.) and institutions play an important role”.[3] The use of faith-based mediation is not a new development. An example of a case where faith plays an important role is the following one: in Sierra Leone, religious actors such as the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL) have taken active role when it comes to promoting reconciliation and mediation efforts and they were instrumental in the negotiation and signing of the Lome Peace Agreement.[4] One of the main reasons why IRCSL got involved was that the mosques and churches were important players in the development of Sierra Leone before and after its Independence.[5] Both parties, mosques, and churches, urged their religious leaders to participate in a more active manner to put a stop on the violence.[6] In 1997, the IRCSL leaders managed to peacefully reconcile this dispute.[7]

 FAITH-BASED MEDIATION’S DIMENSIONS

 Faith-based mediation is a multi-dimensional model comprising of three main aspects.[8] Firstly, technical competence.[9] This dimension is based on knowledge and skills for the mediation part itself.[10] Secondly, the human element.[11] This dimension is the dimension that focuses on the ability to recognize the problem in the eyes of the party.[12] This helps with understanding the parties, understanding the problem, and, thus, it paves the way to a more productive seeking of the best solution on an ad-hoc basis.[13] The last dimension is the transcendent factor.[14] This dimension is relying on the religious belief system and pursues divine intervention into the dispute to move the parties from conflict to reconciliation and peace-making.[15]

GROWTH OF RELIGIOUS MEDIATION

In the Western world, mediation was mostly lead by the mind or with other words science.[16] However, lately, we observe a shift to more religious and spiritual concepts.[17] In mediation, emotion plays a more significant role in the process, and science and/or the mind does not prevail.[18] People often seek a remedy and this does not necessarily mean monetary compensation. It usually means that they want the fault to be admitted and recognized.  Which will contribute positively to moving on. Thus, faith-based mediation helps the parties come closer and reach more sustainable solutions, producing better, long-lasting results.

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[1] Jones, Debra and Georgakopoulos, Alexia (2009) "The Promise of Spirituality in Mediation: The Significance of Spiritual-Based and Faith-Based Approaches in Mediation," Peace and Conflict Studies: Vol. 16 : No. 1, Article 2.

Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/pcs/vol16/iss1/2

[2] Ibid.

[3] J. Bercovitch and S.A. Kadayifci-Orellana / International Negotiation 14 (2009) 175–204, p. 183.

[4] Organizational Members include: Islamic Council, the Sierra Loene Muslim Congress, the Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Sierra Leone, the Council of Imams, and the Sierra Leone Islamic Missionary Union, Roman Catholic Church, the Pentecostal Churches and the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (an umbrella for eighteen Protestant Denominations);

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ricardo Padilla, “What is faith based mediation” (Mediate, 2020) https://www.mediate.com/articles/PadillaR1.cfm > Accessed 11 April 2020

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Jones, Debra and Georgakopoulos, Alexia (2009) "The Promise of Spirituality in Mediation: The Significance of Spiritual-Based and Faith-Based Approaches in Mediation," Peace and Conflict Studies: Vol. 16 : No. 1, Article 2.

Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/pcs/vol16/iss1/2

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.