In honor of Conflict Resolution Day 2014, Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center is hosting an open house from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday at The Hilo Lagoon Centre, 101 Aupuni St., Suite PH 1014 B-2.
In honor of Conflict Resolution Day 2014, Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center is hosting an open house from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday at The Hilo Lagoon Centre, 101 Aupuni St., Suite PH 1014 B-2.
The event is free and open to the public.
Ten-minute educational presentations will be interspersed throughout the day. The talk “What is Mediation? Who Are We?” is scheduled at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The talk “Foreclosure Mediation” is scheduled at 10:15 a.m., 2:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.
“The highlight of our open house is a one-hour brown bag lunch from noon-1 p.m.,” said Ku‘ikahi Executive Director Julie Mitchell. “We will conduct a mock mediation session so that the public can see a live-action demonstration of a mediation in process.”
Additional activities include “Ask A Mediator,” in which the public can sit down and talk-story with one of Ku‘ikahi’s professionally trained volunteer mediators. On display will be proclamations in honor of Conflict Resolution Day 2014 from Mayor Billy Kenoi and Governor Neil Abercrombie.
“The public is invited to meet our staff, watch mediation videos, browse literature, explore the office, make a donation and more,” Mitchell said.
Open house visitors also will have a chance to sign the “Hawaii Mediation Pledge,” an aspirational document stating that signers will strive to resolve all disputes outside of litigation using alternative dispute resolution processes such as negotiation, mediation, ho‘oponopono or other appropriate non-legal processes.
“We hope community members, parents, teachers, professionals, social service agencies, businesses, civil servants and others will join us at our open house,” Mitchell said.
Conflict Resolution Day is an annual international celebration set for the third Thursday in October and sponsored by the Association for Conflict Resolution.
It promotes awareness of peaceful means of resolving disagreements and encourages the use of conflict resolution in schools, families, businesses, communities, government and the legal system.
For more information, call 935-7844 or visit www.hawaiimediation.org.