"Understanding diversity issues is extremely important when it comes to mediating disputes between different parties," said Bernard Dempsey, executive director of Wayne County Dispute Resolution Center (WCDRC), formerly Wayne Mediation Center. "It helps people to find common ground."
Over the past year, WCDRC assisted more than 6,500 people in conflict in Wayne County and is the largest of 18 community-based nonprofit mediation centers in Michigan.
"In order to help people resolve conflicts, we seek mediators and volunteers from diverse backgrounds," added Dempsey, who points to the expertise of Siham Awada Jaafar, vice president of the WCDRC Board of Directors.
Specializing in diversity training for corporations, law enforcement, education and government agencies, Jaafar is president and CEO of 3D Consulting and Communications. She is also founder and producer of the nationally known Images and Perceptions Diversity Conference, held each year in Chicago or Detroit.
Jaafar's affiliation with WCDRC began nearly 10 years ago upon enrolling in the Center's 40 hour State Court approved mediation training. After becoming a certified mediator, she volunteered to mediate a variety of domestic, civil and neighborhood disputes for the Center.
"For me, the civil disputes were the most interesting, because nine times out of 10 you learned that there were usually underlying issues, not the issue at hand," said Jaafar. "That always fascinated me. I loved breaking through barriers, creating connections and maintaining balance."
For Jaafar, some of the most challenging, yet most rewarding mediations, involved helping families overcome major obstacles. While she found most disputes could be resolved in three to four hours, she recalled one that took almost 11 hours.
She added, "These are skills I've been able to use in my own business. People just want to be heard and receive affirmation."
Eight years ago, Jaafar accepted an invitation to serve on the WCDRC board. In addition to her role as vice president, she is also chair of the WCDRC advisory board she created to include judges, attorneys, health care professionals, law enforcement, and others who bring both diversity and valuable resources.
"We can't express enough appreciation for the hours of dedicated volunteer service that Siham and others make to enable our organization to help change the culture of conflict right here in Wayne County," said Dempsey.
For individuals interested in learning more about WCDRC, with offices centrally located in Dearborn, and to receive details about mediation services, training and volunteer opportunities, visit www.wcdrc.org. For information about the next mediator training scheduled in April, call 313-561-3500.
Published: Tue, Apr 17, 2018
