IM-Mediation Centre

Integrated mediation (IM) is an NGO and welfare association caring about all the professional and intellectual issues subjected to mediation in its broadest sense. Integrated mediation is situated in Germany. There are related sister associations in Austria, Latvia and Switzerland. Additionally we have locations in some more countries where our members are resident. What we have in common is the idea that mediation is providing all the knowledge and competence like guidance through any conflict resolution process. Integrated mediation therefore allows a broader and most effective access to cooperation and justice.

The idea behind integrated mediation

The more mediation is defined by law the more it becomes based on a mechanistic juridical view where the process has to run in linear logical manners. To make the “pure mediation” running in practice, there are some requirements to be obeyed that make the demand on mediation a challenge. Parties for example have to actively decide for mediation although there is neither a wish nor a use to cooperate with the adversary in their understanding. In many countries a pure Mediation is prohibited where the third person originally acts in a role of decision maker. For that mediation is not seen possible for judges, superiors and consultants. As a consequence parties need to split the procedure, what often appears unnaturally in regard of their own conflict strategy. Integrated mediation wants the procedures to fit the fuss more than the fuss to fit the procedure. For that mediation means to recognize the elements and factors heading to consensus in and outside the mediation and to use all the interfaces possible between different ways and different procedures of conflict resolution. Integrated mediation achieves only one single goal: the satisfaction of the parties and the contentment of all the people involved.Based on a systemic view there are many more opportunities and chances coming up to help parties reaching best results possible in and independently from the procedure they stuck in. Seen like that integrated mediation enriches the world of conflict resolution as it is the meta-procedure which is embracing all the ways of conflict resolution.

The definition of integrated mediation

Integrated mediation might be seen another approach of mediation like facilitative, evaluative or transformative mediation, able to include all the means available in conflict resolution systems heading parties to consensus. It might be seen a meta-procedure based on a psychological understanding where the steps of cognition are defined pretty well. Parties just need to step through where consensus should be the outcome.

Practical outcome

What sounds difficult, abstract and almost impossible by theoretical explanations has a very pragmatic outcome wherever people deal with conflict resolution. The knowledge and the competence of an integrated mediator allow her/him to migrate people to cooperation and to achieve a consensus outside a mediation enriching the options in any procedure available, including the mediation itself. One of the benefits will be to increase satisfaction of the parties. Another benefit is to improve the services available, to spare time, money and nerves for all the people involved in conflict resolution. It also helps to navigate through the processes more effectively.

What does that mean for our mediation centre?

The integrated mediation concept really helps to improve the atmosphere of constructive debate. Our mediation centre therefore consequently is increasing the awareness of mediation and integrated mediation. We also provide researches. The effectiveness of integrated mediation therefore is evidenced already. Since integrated mediation is much more than just using some mediation skills outside the process, it needs a highly qualified mediator who is able to mediate even in a hostile environment. For that our centre provides trainings in mediation enriched by the knowledge of integrated mediation as well as further education in integrated mediation. As we are situated in different countries we try to adjust different approaches to each country and culture where our intention is to establish standards valid in general and everywhere. Beside that integrated mediation association provides all the means any professional needs to use in order to work on conflict resolution.