Civic Fusion Mediating Polarized Public Disputes

Bringing together the forces of political debate, this book outlines civic fusion and the process of successful public policy mediation. To help mediators understand how powerful the tool of mediation is and help them reach their full potential, this guide outlines what civic fusion is and provides real world examples of cases with positive outcomes. The book examines what mediators aspire to do, what they actually do, and outlines what needs to be done to bring disparate groups of people together to reach agreements on complicated public policy questions.

To help you understand, achieve and sustain civic fusion, this guide:

• Will help you construct the metaphor of civic fusion and describe how passion, power, and conflict provide the energy for it;
• Discusses three projects: the Chelsea charter consensus process; the construction cranes and derricks negotiated rulemaking; and abortion talks;
• Describes what it takes to build a foundation for civic fusion; and
• Much more!