Collaboration Between Community Mediation Centers and Municipal Entities

This study examines the effect of the partnership between community mediation centers and local authorities in Israel on the management of the mediation center and on conflict resolution within the local authority. Surveys were completed by 45 community mediation centers managers to guide our project and select centers for more in-depth analysis. Our focus is on five community mediation centers whose managers were interviewed, and data from interviews with 22 local authority officials. All five centers had at least a low level of partnership with local authorities that was characterized by an “awareness and exchange of ideas.” Four had a higher partnership level that included “alternative actions and coordinated resources.” Only two of the five centers had a yet higher of partnership level of “shared ownership.” Twice as many mediation cases were referred to them by the local authorities than in the other centers. Local authorities that recognized the benefits of the mediation center, created higher levels of partnership than those that did not.