In our social history, the people closest to those in conflict played a key role in peacemaking. Perhaps it was an elder, an aunt, a close friend, or a spiritual guide who would step in to help resolve conflicts. A trusted ally brought people together to talk and see the other side of the issue.
Those days are long behind us.
From those without a home to neighbors arguing about a property line – rarely do we, as a society, work together to overcome those challenges. Instead, we resist the challenge to be vulnerable. We keep to ourselves. We need new guides to aid us in coming together. And that is what makes the Center for Dialog & Resolution such a critical asset in our community.
In 2022, more than 20,000 people requested the Center’s services to avoid going to court, to improve communication with people in their lives, to end small claims challenges – to engage in dialog and find resolution. Now, consider how many more than those 20,000 people reap the benefits of conflict resolution from the Center.
When conflict exists, those around the people in conflict suffer too. The children caught in the middle of their parents’ disagreements, the family and friends whose loved ones have stopped returning calls because they feel ashamed of not being able to pay their rent – these individuals are also impacted by conflict. In 2023 we expect more conflicts will arise with the end of pandemic-related assistance programs.
Can you imagine how much effort it takes to serve the community? The cost to conduct mediation still outweighs the amount of people able to pay to receive services. From an equity perspective, the Center’s goal is access to services for everyone who needs them.
The Center also relies heavily on volunteer mediators to do our work and it is the Center’s responsibility to ensure each mediator has the tools, knowledge, and expertise to resolve thousands of conflicts each year. That worthwhile investment costs a lot of money and resources.
Wouldn’t it be incredible if our society valued conflict resolution enough that it once again became part of our ethos – where more people had the tools, knowledge, and skills to resolve conflicts, which in turn brought peace to our everyday lives?
The Center for Dialog & Resolution is asking you to support the vision of a Pierce County that values peace, which is the ability to navigate productively through conflict. Our partner foundations have committed to match dollar-for-dollar every new donor or donor who pledges to increase their past donation amounts. By increasing your donation, you are supporting the parents who seek our services to develop parenting plans, landlords and tenants coming together to find solutions, and community members who are willing to mediate conflicts. You are honoring every mediator who donates many hours of their time to make our community more peaceful.
Will you join us? Support the Center For Dialog & Resolution today!
Read the full Winter 2022 Resolution Newsletter