Plenary I: Reflections on the position „in the middle“

ABSTRACT

The mediator is probably in the middle, and we imagine the mediator to be fair and balanced. But what is “fair” and what is “balanced”. It not necessarily to give a concession of 50/50 to each party. Some thoughts about exploring both international political conflicts and interactions and conflicts between individuals will be tested out.  The law does not compromise on right and wrong, therapy seems to focus on understanding and diplomacy seems to focus on compromise – there are many paths to go right and wrong in the resolution of conflict. Another topic to explore is how we classify as “victim” and “perpetrator”. Today we might have a tendency to support none surviving skills by underlining the role as a victim, rather than supporting the role as a survivor of conflict or trauma.