Mediation or Arbitration

Don't mix up the words "arbitration" and "mediation."

The terms are not interchangeable, despite what you may read in newspaper headlines, or hear from the lips of a midwest governor.

You have virtually no power in an arbitration. The decision -- the outcome -- of an arbitration will be decided by the arbitrator. That doesn't mean you don't have the right to ask questions -- and well you should.

You can be ordered by a court to participate in an arbitration, or you can voluntarily seek arbitration. An arbitration session can be binding or non-binding, heard by one arbitrator, or a panel of arbitrators. You should be told from the very beginning whether the decision is binding or non-binding. If the process is not fully explained to you -- ASK.

You have all the power in mediation. Mediation gives the parties the opportunity to create an agreement which is mutually satisfying.
Labels: arbitration, conflict resolution, dispute resolution, mediation, self-determination

WE HAVE A LOCATION.

We have a great location for the mediation classes -- in the University Center on the north edge of the UMKC campus: Room 146.

Victim/Offender Healing will be on November 3, with the basic mediation class two weeks later on November 17. Both from 7 - 9 p.m.

To register, call Communiversity at 816-235-1448, or e-mail at commu@umkc.edu . Click on the link on the right for the Communiversity website.

Two-Hour Introduction to Mediation

Would you like to learn a little about mediation, without making a big commitment of money and time?

Come to one of my two-hour Communiversity classes on mediation. That's just 7 - 9 p.m. one evening at a location in central Kansas City. I haven't seen the fall catalog, but previous classes cost only $9.00 per class. (And I don't like to advertise in advance, but everyone who attends gets a complimentary copy of Mediation Survivor's HandBook.)

The first fall class will be Victim-Offender Healing on November 3, and Mediaion for Beginners (I think that's the title for the fall class) will be on November 17. Previous locations have been on the UMKC campus and the Plaza Library.

Check out the Communiversity website at http://www.umkc.edu/commu for details on how to enroll. Locations will be posted later.

Hope to see you there.

THIRD PLACE WINNER IN ARIZONA ! ! !

Hooray!

Mediation Survivor's HandBook is the Third Place Winner in the Arizona Authors Association 2007 Published Non-Fiction Category.
http://www.azauthors.com/contestwinners.htm

Second Place was won by Outlaw Tales of Arizona, by Jan Cleere, and First Place was awarded to Traveling Indian Arizona, by Anne O'Brien.

(I might have come closer to First Place if I had named my book something like Surviving Mediation in Arizona!)

It was a fabulous event, and I was so happy to be able to be there.

FINALIST in Arizona!

Mediation Survivor's HandBook is a finalist in the 2007 Published Non-Fiction competiton of the Arizona Authors Association.

Hooray!

There are four finalists in the non-fiction category. The WINNER will be announced at a ceremony on November 2, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ah, the agony of waiting. But still, it's an honor to be one of the Final Four.

BACK IN ACTION (almost)

The gold WINNER seals have arrived, and I'm busy affixing them to copies of Mediation Survivor's HandBook.

The trip to St. Paul to receive the award from Midwest Independent Publishers Association was very exciting. Got to meet a lot of other authors and publishers. The evening was all too short, could have stayed all night networking.

I am working on Book Two, but have had to take a detour to get a total knee replacement. I'm in the recovery/rehab phase, still going to physical therapy where the therapists are pushing to restore normal "range-of-motion" (which I haven't had for more than two years previously). I'm impatient to get this behind me, and get busy again.

HOW CAN I WAIT?

How can I wait?

Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA) has notified me that Mediation Survivor's HandBook is a finalist in the reference category in the 2006 Book Awards.

What does finalist mean? Reading from the MIPA list, I think it means Mediation Survivor's HandBook has won First Place, tied for First Place, or Merit Award. The awards will be presented on May 9, 2007, in a ceremony at the Minnesota Humanities Center.

I'm also pleased that the International Association of Facilitators has chosen to list MSHB in the Facilitator's Library. A review appears on page seven of the IAF April newsletter. Check it out at http://www.iaf-world.org and follow the links.

Being a finalist in the MIPA Awards means I'll be able to apply a foil sticker to the cover. I'm trying to restrain myself, since I don't yet know eactaly which prize, but maybe I should order a roll of both, so I'll be prepared.