Beyond Intractability: A Free Knowledge Base on More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict

Introduction: Do mediators have a responsibility to solve the problem at hand? Silke Hansen of Community Relations Service recommends that mediators often play more of a facilitative role.

This rough transcript provides a text alternative to audio. We apologize for occasional errors and unintelligible sections (which are marked with ???).

It Is Not Your Job To Solve The Problem
Silke Hansen
Senior Conciliation Specialist, Community Relations Service

Interviewed by
Julian Portilla
2003

Realizing it is not your job to solve the problem - it is your job to help the parties solve the problem, is a key piece. It is not your job to decide who is right or who is wrong. It is not your job to come up with the solution. It is your job to help the parties realize what they're real interests are and help them work out a solution. Inevitably when they start with the role play, they go and as an investigator. They try to sell solutions before they even understand what the issues and needs are. That is so important.

Segregation was wrong when it was forced by white people, and I believe it is still wrong when it is requested by black people. -- Coretta Scott King

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Beyond Intractability Version IV
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