Northern Light, Letter to the Editor

The letter below was published in the Northern Light on September 13, 2017.

Dear Editor,

The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC) is a valuable resource to our community, especially in these times of perceived escalating conflict and misunderstanding, whether in the workplace, at home, in the community and – indeed – in our country.

The WDRC promotes constructive and collaborative approaches to conflict through mediation, training, facilitation and community education. Mary Dumas, president of Dumas & Associates, is one of WDRC’s course instructors, whose workshops are designed for engagement on misunderstandings and conflict that arise, in some cases, simply because we’re all human and disagreements happen.

Dumas’ workshops, including Understanding Conflict and Tools for Tough Conversations, provide the necessary practical tips on how to apply de-escalation and communication skills to respond to and resolve conflict in constructive and creative ways. I can attest as a workshop participant that these skills have impact and positive results. A series of six sessions are scheduled for October.

Dispute Resolution Centers were authorized by the state legislature in the 1984 Court Improvement Act. Each DRC is a private, nonprofit organization or a service of local government. Most DRCs offer mediation as their primary conflict resolution service. In mediation, a trained, neutral person helps people discuss and resolve problems, or at least narrow and clarify issues. Typical cases handled by DRCs involve: landlords and tenants, consumers and merchants, neighbors, citizens, agencies, employees, employers, families, divorcing and divorced couples, youth and end-of-life choices.

Our WDRC mediates small claims cases and public policy issues, which saves our civil court system valuable dollars and personnel hours each year. They provide free services or use a sliding fee scale based on income. No one is turned away due to inability to pay. The WDRC’s services help build stronger, healthier communities. I encourage you to contact the WDRC at 360/676-0122 or whatcomdrc.org for more information.

Micki Jackson
Bellingham