Community Mediation in Nagybörzsöny, Hungary
Hungary is suffering from a large number of ethnic-based conflicts, the majority of which involve Roma people.
Recognising this as a serious problem, Foresee Research Group together with its numerous consortium partners, ran a three-month-long experimental project in Nagybörzsöny, Hungary, funded by the Hungarian Crime Prevention Committee.
The project combined community building and mediation methods in the small rural Hungarian village. Throughout the project, the research team provided training to local people including: ‘tolerance’, ‘mediation’ and ‘implementation’ training. This training involved how to implement the learnt techniques and apply them in a sustainable way; organised group activities for children, young mothers and local volunteers; and offered Alternative Dispute Resolution services in which trained members of the community participated as co-mediators alongside the team’s mediators.
Although the project was of short duration, some successful outcomes were perceived: several successful mediations were conducted, the community cohesion was significantly improved, and the newly trained locals are committed and willing to provide ongoing support as mediators and volunteers. Their work is largely supported by a community mediation protocol (a kind of handbook) compiled by the research team at the end of the project.
One of the most important lessons learnt during the project was that community building and mediation are mutually interrelated. Mediation cannot become a trustworthy and successful activity in a locality with weak social cohesion. The community must therefore be prepared and strengthened beforehand or parallel to community mediation. Also, if successful mediations are conducted in a community, it can rebuild bonds and relationships, thereby leading to a stronger sense of community which may pave the way for further structural development efforts.