Author Archives: abfifer

Christian Mediation in Nigeria

December 14, 2016 – 9:36 am

The Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria (“CLASFON”), the oldest and largest Christian lawyers association in Africa, is leading the way in bringing mediation to Nigeria. Two years ago, CLASFON invited Iowa attorney and Christian conciliator Laurie Stewart to teach a five-day course on inter-personal biblical peacemaking to over one hundred CLASFON lawyers in Nigeria. These […]

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Safety in Mediation

October 13, 2016 – 2:39 pm

A colleague recently did a business mediation here in Michigan where he discovered after the fact that both parties were carrying concealed weapons. As this becomes more commonplace in the U.S., it behooves us as mediators to do what we can to ensure party safety in mediation. One way to ensure that no one brings […]

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Apology 101: Find a Period

October 8, 2016 – 7:34 pm

A basic tenet in constructing an effective apology is not to say too much. As author Darrel Puls says, “By limiting the scope of the apology, we enhance the probability of success.” In my own experience, it means quickly finding a period, and stopping. Finish the sentence, and wait for the response. Only after the […]

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Pastors as Public Mediators

October 4, 2016 – 11:08 am

As conflict continues in Flint between its city council and its mayor, an unlikely group has stepped in to mediate: concerned pastors. That’s actually the group’s official name: Concerned Pastors for Social Action. They are a group of local pastors who has worked for years “to ensure that the voice of the people is heard […]

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Kill Them With Kindness

September 13, 2016 – 10:51 am

A man who overheard women in the next booth talking pejoratively about members of his race decided to fight back – with kindness. The man, an aboriginal in Australia, had a pot of tea delivered to the ladies’ table, along with a note on the receipt that the tea was “compliments of the two aboriginals […]

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