Jamaicans have been playing an integral role in owning the results of conflicts through the work of the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF) for the last 3 decades.
The DRF is a private voluntary foundation to establish and promote the use of Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) techniques throughout Jamaica and in the Caribbean.
Manager of Mediation Training and Network Services at the DRF, Mrs. Sharon Young Palmer, says the use of ADR methods have been beneficial for many persons over the years.
Since July 1994, the Foundation has also worked to increase the mediation and arbitration services by the legal profession and courts as dispute resolution options.
“What you find is that persons might be apprehensive in the first instance because they really don’t know what this is all about. Then they understand that they can have their issues resolved without really being tied up in the court for long periods or using violent methods or methods that are unpleasant and uncomfortable,” Mrs. Young Palmer said.
She notes that a major misunderstanding about the ADR process is that one may feel as though they are “giving up their rights and compromising their case.”However, she notes that it is after the process, that persons realize they are owning the results and the outcome of the conflict.
Mrs. Young Palmer says individuals are not instructed by a judge or anyone else on what actions should be taken, but it is their problem and they are owning the resolution to this problem.
She also made mention of Mediation and the feeling of comfort and satisfaction at the end, because they are the ones who come up with the solutions, guided by the mediator.
DRF is managed by set objectives; public education, promoting the use of ADR techniques, and community and restorative justice practices. The DRF aims for conflict resolution without the use of violence it is also focused on establishing Peace and Justice Centres in communities throughout Jamaica.
Mrs. Young Palmer says individuals who are willing to aid in this process are trained as mediators and become professionals in the field. And assist citizens to arrive at peaceable solutions to their problems.
She also notes that this can be practiced in our own families, workplace, communities, and organisations. As people see conflict as a deterrent to progress and development, so the necessary training to have peaceful co-existence, and to understand and resolve conflicts intrigue many persons.
Other groups that find value in ADR training include guidance counsellors, teachers, business persons, community leaders, church groups, pastors, and bankers.
If you are interested in mediation training or in accessing the mediation services of the DRF, call 876- 906-2456 or 876- 908-3657
