On November 5th, 2016, just three days before the 2016 Presidential Election, as my term as President of the Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA) was nearing its conclusion, those attending SCMA’s 28th Annual Fall Conference had the honor and privilege of hearing the keynote address of Senator George Mitchell, former Majority Leader of the United States Senate and that year’s recipient of SCMA’s prestigious Cloke-Millen Peacemaker Award.
In his remarks, Senator Mitchell noted just how divisive the 2016 presidential campaigns had been, and emphasized the need to change the political climate.
With the 244th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence just days away and the next presidential election a mere 125 days away, it struck me that portions of Senator Mitchell’s remarks are as relevant today as they were in 2016 — arguably even more so, given the virulent rancor that permeates today’s political environment:
“Our politics are polarized and dysfunctional. One devastating consequence is that many Americans don’t trust their leaders, especially including the two major candidates for President today. Our newly elected President must address that reality, and many other issues, early and aggressively.”
“We simply must act to offset the corrosive distrust of our political leaders if our democracy is to function. Public service as a public trust must be more than a slogan. It must be a reality.”
“The winner, I hope, will take the high road before entering the Oval Office and make sure that everyone in the new administration takes — and stays on — that same road.”
“In organizing the new administration, in formulating policies and in drawing up the budget, the President-Elect should invite and consider — seriously and in good faith — all points of view. Each is the candidate of one party. The winner will be the President of all of the people. I don’t suggest they surrender principal, but in our large and diverse country, no one — not even a newly elected President — gets 100% of what they want.”
Politics is often described as “the art of compromise” — an equally apt description for mediation. Just as incivility, name-calling, finger-pointing, distrust, hubris and the absence of empathy make for a toxic political climate, rendering compromise virtually impossible, they are likely to poison the environment in mediation, as well.
It never hurts to be reminded — by the architect of the peace accords in Northern Ireland, no less, while we confront the confluence of a global pandemic, economic turmoil and impassioned protests in support of equality and civil rights — that all points of view deserve to be heard and considered; that no one gets 100% of what they want; and that changing the climate in mediation — just as in our political discourse — can be the difference between perpetuating conflict and resolving disputes.
As always, It would be my pleasure to assist you and your clients in the dispute resolution process. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of service.
Best regards,
Floyd J. Siegal