BACKGROUND AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Mosaica Center for Consensual Conflict Resolution is one of three centers operating under the auspices of the umbrella organization Mosaica - Religion, Society and State. The Center for Consensual Conflict Resolution aspires to provide a new approach to conflict resolution based upon traditional universal Jewish values: mutual respect, conciliation and justice.
The Center works to build bridges between individuals and communities through dialogue and a greater understanding between parties.
What is Mediation?
Mediation is a process in which the parties resolve their conflict with the assistance of a trained and experienced mediator who assists in the process of communication and understanding between the parties, thus enabling them to reach the solution they desire. The mediator does not decide for the parties and he has no authority to impose a solution upon them.
The Mosaica Center for Consensual Conflict Resolution is committed to providing community mediation on a highly professional level. The mediation is accessible to the general public and the fee is determined according to the parties' means. The intervention in conflicts takes place at the earliest possible stage, and therefore referrals to the Center are received from within the community, from the parties themselves or from organizations and community entities.
The Center's mediators are graduates of a mediation training course recognized by the Ministry of Justice; they are experienced and multi lingual.
Programs Operated by the Center:
PROGRAMS IN JERUSALEM
Community Mediation – A program operating in Jerusalem together with residents from a range of neighborhoods in the city, in order to promote creative solutions to local conflicts which at first glance appear to be irresolvable. The Center specializes in conflicts between neighbors, condominium residents committees, consumers and providers of services, labor relations, conflicts with governmental authorities and between members of the police force and residents who have filed complaints against them. The Center also has unique specialties of mediation among persons with disabilities and special needs, the elderly and youth. The Center operates in cooperation with community organizations such as the municipality, “the Community Advocate”, “Yedid”, the community centers, the community police and immigrant organizations. These partnerships enable better understanding of the needs of each community and the provision of appropriate services for these unique needs.
Mediation and the Elderly – Recently the Center has begun to operate a program of Mediation and the Elderly. This program is based upon the understanding and recognition that mediation is particularly appropriate for the resolution of issues involving the elderly. The Center's mediators have received training in this field and a number of mediators have participated in a specialized training program for mediation and the elderly run by the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with Eshel (JDC_Israel).
Restorative Justice – Restorative justice is a mediation process between the wrongdoer and the victim in a criminal proceeding. The Center operates the restorative justice program in Jerusalem with the professional input of the Ministry of Justice. Facilitators who have completed special training under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice facilitate the processes.
Mediation and Youth – In 2007, the Center began the development of a unique program for mediation among youth who are active in youth movements and amongst "youth at risk". During 2007 the program operated in one of the Scouts troops in the city, amongst the older members of the troup. The following year, an experimental program was run for youth at risk in the framework of a program for the advancement of youth. The programs goals include the development of dialogue and encouraging direct communication as a means of resolving conflicts amongst youth and between youth and adults.
“Gishurim Jerusalem” – The Mosaica Center is active in the field of intercultural mediation. The goal of this program is to inculcate mediation as the preferable means for resolution of conflicts amongst the immigrant communities in Jerusalem and to make it accessible to them, while tailoring the process to meet the needs of these various communities. Within this program many mediations are held among immigrants, and workshops are conducted for immigrant organizations and entities working with immigrants. Additionally the Center's mediation team participates in training programs focusing on immigration and multiculturalism.
Workshops and Training Sessions – The Center holds workshops and training sessions for the public in order to inculcate dialogue and the culture of discussion into society. NATIONAL PROGRAMS:
Mediation and Disability – National Program – The Center promotes a national mediation program for people with special needs. The program operates in cooperation with community mediation centers throughout the country, making the mediation process and dialogue accessible to persons with disabilities. The Center is charged with the development of knowledge and the promotion of the process by means of training sessions, integrating mediators with disabilities into the professional team and providing various accessibilities according to the need.
Gishurim – National Program – The Center, in cooperation with the "Multicultural Center for Jerusalem", operates the national program “Gishurim”. The program provides consultation, accompaniment and guidance to mediation and dialogue centers throughout the country and provides assistance in establishing such centers. In addition the program operates to render the centers more professional and to tailor the mediation and dialogue to the varied cultural needs of the communities within which they operate. The program was founded by the Masad Klita in cooperation with Joint Israel, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, the Ministry of Absorption, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Construction and Housing.
The Center team:
Advocate Nurit Bachrach – Director of the Center - nurit@mosaica.org.il
Orna Shani – Head of Jerusalem Community Mediation - gishur@mosaica.org.il Yael Ezrati – Coordinator of Mediation and Disabilities- yael@mosaica.org.il
Nava Kedar – Coordinator of Restorative Justice - nava@mosaica.org.il
Elisheva Hacohen- Coordinator of Mediation and the Elderly elishevaha@mosaica.org.il
Ruth Nahanson-Ankri - Coordinator of the Gishurim Program - ruth@mosaica.org.il
