Relearning Political Community; Relearning Economic Community; Relearning Spiritual Community: Mediation Support Ltd and freelender.org -both are ways to work with difference, build understanding, trust and sustainability

Our future will be determined significantly by how we handle our conflicts, how we share what we have and how we learn to build systems without waste. Blame culture creates massive waste and threatens our sustainability as a species on this planet.

Other approaches to conflict and possessions generate sharing, safety and growth. Mediation Support Limited supports the development of www.freelender.org and other initiatives building trust and resilient communities.
Having spent many key years in higher education I have an imclination/specialism towards understanding and criticizing. 9 or 10 of my 13-14 years in university (studying or employed) were when I was aged 25-35
At 35 I moved into 5 years working for a national charity. Since then, aged 40 I've had some official employment in a range of locations from another charity office to a prison to door-knocking as a charity fundraiser. Simultaneously in these years since I turned 40 I've worked just as much within the context of building companies which innovate in the fields of conflict and sharing.
For background information, click the picture above to see a minute-long interview from "The Moral of the Story". On this ITV1 programme, Paul explained how ApologyPlus (-more than sorry) and Mediation Services (e.g.123 telephone mediation) can produce transformation for 'victim' and 'offender'.

As Director of Mediation Support Ltd, Paul has committed the company to putting 30% of accumulated profits to the following charities:
The Restorative Justice Consortium; (NB. I am a trustee of this UK Charity; taking a sabbatical from September 2010-2011)
The Centre for Nonviolent Communication;

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Paul set up Mediation Support Lt d in 2006 as a strategy to share and develop the work of others who work with conflict. From 2007, Mediation Support Ltd has prioritised the conflict and change involved in the transition to a socio-economic order that is less dependent on oil.

The Transition Movement is about actively reducing our use of non-renewable power in ways that increase the quality of our lives.

(Sustainable Local Communities).
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Paul intends to convert Mediation Support Ltd to a Community Interest Company within the next year, and would like to hear from you if you want Mediation Support to grow.

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The rest of this page provides background information about Paul, written as a strategy to speed up the key processes of building our (potential) working relationship. Please let me know how you want to work with me by emailing me; other working opportunities will be available on www.mediationsupport.info

Biography and Inspirations:
Since 2001 (including 5 years as Head of Restorative Justice at the national charity for mediation services, Mediation UK) Paul's work has included providing training, conferences and support to mediation services and restorative practitioners. His previous work was as a criminologist and a volunteer neighbour mediator. Paul has trained in workplace mediation and specialised as a co-ordinator of prison based restorative justice projects.

Since 2007 Paul has been in regular communication with the restorative practioner by whom he is most inspired - Dominic Barter. Dominic works both in Brazil and as an international restorative justice consultant.
Some Web-based information about Dominic's Work:

Dominic being interviewed in detail on the nature of empathy (2009)

Video 2; Video 3.

Dominic's description of restorative processes is as follows:
" We're talking about community processes based on circle-practices in which those involved in a conflict and members of their respective communities meet as equals with an explicit intention to:
- Repair harm that has been caused
- Restore a sense of dignity, security and justice.
- And reintegrate all into peaceful co-existence.
And to do that through a process of guided dialogue which empowers, heals, and connects, so that action is facilitated, both at an individual and a collective level, for mutual benefit."
(Dominic Barter)

The Complexity of Conflict from Restorative Circles on Vimeo.
(More articles about Dominic's work:

The main website about restorative circles in Dominic's main website is www.restorativecicles.org)

Paul writes, "Both Dominic and the NVC-UK Network have greatly advanced my learning about restorative processes involving substitutes. A substitute who has trained in being able to hear what's important to you and express their authentic needs can provide a process that deepens understanding. This creates opportunities to find ways to get the needs met that, whilst unmet, are causing you pain. Distance deepens conflict and meeting a substitute might be a step towards meeting the actual person(s) with whom there is a conflict. Seeing how restorative processes do not require the engagement of the other enlarges the potential of these processes greatly."

"I am an innovative, team-building, senior manager, privileged to be working in the context of community mediation and victim-offender mediation at local and national levels. My networking has enabled me to make presentations to government ministers, generate the resources to launch successful projects, engage in quality assurance, and publish books which have set new standards and shared practitioner experiences. This work is continuing through Mediation Support Ltd, which has pro-typed a new type of mediation service for the future:
123 Telephone Mediation.

Meanwhile, I am also developing further web-based services for ensuring that you have those important conversations in ways more likely to ensure everyone's needs are heard and addressed. For this I am seeking further funding."

"Paul is a provider of invaluable links" (Alex Turner, Health Service Mediation)

Following work with the Home Office and criminal justice agencies to produce and publish restorative practice training, assessment and Best Practice Guidance materials, Paul was invited by the Prime Minister to be personally thanked for his work on behalf of victims of crime.

Publications include
40 cases: Restorative Justice & Victim-Offender Mediation (Project founder & co-edited with Marian Liebmann), Mediation UK, 2003

Restorative Justice Reader, Professional Certificate in Effective Practice, (2003)Youth Justice (co-editor), YJB, 2003

The Police National Computer and the Offenders Index: can they be combined for research purposes? Home Office, 2002

+ Guardian on Line interview: -Noise, Hedges and other boundary disputes (2007)

Paid employment and voluntary work

Freelending CIC (Company Number 6749438) (Founded November 2008)
Founding Director (alongside Edmund Johnson) & Project Manager working on:
freelender.org - community wealth sharing

Mediation Support Ltd (Company Number 5959249)
Founding director & C.E.O.
Also:
- Trustee of the Restorative Justice Consortium (elected to RJC Board in 2008, and taking a sabbatical from September 2010-2011)
- Co-ordinator of the (prototype) mediation service - 123 Telephone Mediation

Bristol Mediation -New Approaches to Conflict Resolution Ltd (Charity No 1000641)
Restorative Justice (RJ) Co-ordinator, H.M.P. Bristol
September 2007- June 2008 (18hrs/wk)

Mediation UK
Head of Restorative Justice
(formerly Restorative Justice Co-ordinator)
September 2001-June 2006

Ealing Mediation Service
Volunteer Mediator
March 2005- August 2007

University of Cambridge, Institute of Criminology
(Faculty of Law)
Research Associate
(formerly Research Assistant)
1997-2001

Cambridge Mediation Service Volunteer Mediator
(& Trustee in 2001)
1997-2001

University of Cambridge Postgraduate Student:
M.Phil, Criminology (Scholarship)
1995-1996

University of Lancaster
Course Organiser & Research Assistant
1995-1996

University of Lancaster
Undergraduate Student: B.A. Social Policy & Administration (First Class Honours)
1991-1995

A selection of the trainings I organised, co-ordinated with trainers & participated in:

Marshall Rosenberg, Getting to the Heart in Resolving Conflict, 21st May 2006
(Marshall Rosenberg 2009 video)

Community Mediation & Anti-Social Behaviour, 2004, Manchester

Victim-centred Restorative Justice, (2 days, Mediation UK, 2005), Birmingham

Victim-Offender Mediation Skills training (each a 3 day course) 2002, 2003 (Southend), 2004 (Aston)

2001 Mediation UK Victim-Offender mediation skills training, Blackpool (5 days)

Training (solely as participant):

Making the Business Case for Mediation, 2006, London

Developing a Fundraising Strategy & Writing Funding Applications, 2005-2006 3 days, Bristol Voluntary Sector support, VOSCUR)

Workplace Mediation (6 days, Conflict Management Plus), 2005-2006, Ealing
(This training was of a particularly high standard, delivered by a trainer and mediator of rare quality, Steve Hindmarsh)

2002-2009 Nonviolent Communication Foundation Course, & subsequent courses (approx 40 days training with NVC-UK Network Trainers / Marshall Rosenberg)

2001 Victim Support volunteer training course, Cambridge (approx. 4 days)

1999 Advanced Mediation training day (SEAMS), Suffolk

1997 Cambridge & District Community Mediation Service training for new mediators (approx. 5 days)

Recommended sites to save in your favourites:
Mediation Support.info
freelender.org

email Paul Crosland
Telephone Paul on Zero-78-Zero 70 66 202

Videos about building-trust in communities through freelending, freecycling, peer-to-peer renting etc: