San Francisco Community Board Concept (From Problem Solving Through Mediation, P 57-68, 1984, Maria R Volpe and Thomas F Christian, ed. See NCJ-96679)

• NCJ Number: 96681
• Author(s): M Volpe
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: American Bar Assoc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The San Francisco Community Boards Program, funded and directed by Ray Shonhultz, is discussed, and new mechanisms that can handle a range of disputes and conflicts wholly apart from the traditional justice system are identified.

Abstract

Community Boards serves a population of over 220,000 in 22 diverse neighborhoods divided into 6 area forums. A total of 75 percent of the Board's cases come from the neighborhood. The program's values include the following: (1) conflicts have meaning and relevancy to disputants; (2) the peaceful and voluntary resolution of a conflict are positive values; and (3) there is a strong positive value in individuals and communities that take responsibility to develop new mechanisms at the neighborhood level to resolve conflicts and reduce tensions. The aims of the program, including provision of mechanisms to help people reconcile differences which make mediation and conciliatory structures substantially different from court structures, are identified. different from court structures, are identified. Training programs operated by the Community Boards are addressed. Finally, the importance of mediators working to reduce tension at the lowest levels possible (in families, schools, and churches, for example) is emphasized.