Last Thursday, past and current members of the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Dispute Resolution celebrated their 25th anniversary in the one place they have been so effective at keeping people out of for years: the Edgartown district court.

Formerly the Martha’s Vineyard Mediation Program, the organization trains mediators who try to facilitate peaceful resolutions between opposing parties in a confidential, constructive and empathetic fashion, before either party resorts to formal litigation, which can often turn recriminatory and divisive.

Mediation Plays Central Role in Island Courts

By ALEXIS TONTI

The Martha's Vineyard Mediation Program is the silent partner
of the Edgartown District Court. While what happens in court is public
and sometimes pyrotechnic, mediation takes disputes off the docket and
behind closed doors. It's a voluntary alternative that allows
disputants, facilitated by two mediators, to work together toward a
mutually agreeable solution.