ABSTRACT
Mediation (facilitation, according to Bush and Folger) is generally understood as an informal process in which a neutral third party, one powerless to impose resolution, helps disputing parties seek a mutually acceptable settlement. As such, mediation has within itself the unique potential to raise the level of consciousness in the disputants, which engenders personal growth by helping them-in the very midst of con—ict-to wrestle with difœcult inner and outer circumstances, better understand cause and effect, assume greater ownership of personal responsibility, and thereby bridge human differences.1
