Mediation/Arbitration

Mediation comprises an act of bringing two states, sides or parties in a dispute closer together toward agreement through alternative dispute resolution (ADR), a dialogue in which a (generally) neutral third party, the mediator, using appropriate techniques, assists two or more parties to help them negotiate an agreement, with concrete effects, on a matter of common interest. More generally speaking, the term “mediation” covers any activity in which an impartial third party (often a professional) facilitates an agreement on any matter in the common interest of the parties involved.

[The above entry was copied from the Wikipedia on January 3, 2007.]