This study, grounded in the discourse of political philosophy, examines the effect of public mediation on community. The research questions were designed to examine this issue through the analysis of data from existing theories and research and new data collected from The Mediator of the French Republic.
The data analysis identifies the elements that define community and public mediation, compares the elements of mediation with the elements of community, and then checks the results of these comparisons by examining the community building potential of The Mediator of the French Republic. Specifically, this study addresses the following three research questions: 1) What are the key elements of community and effective public mediation programs? 2) Which elements of effective public mediation programs and community are mutually supportive, functionally neutral, or discordant? and, 3) Does the mission and functioning of The Mediator of the French Republic provide an example of a mediation program that builds community?
The findings in this study showed significant intersection between the elements of community and the elements of effective mediation programs, including the mission and functioning of The Mediator of the French Republic. Specifically, the French model includes important reform proposal powers that allow the Mediator to use information
gained during mediations to suggest changes to French law and administrative procedure that are intended to make them more responsive to changing community needs.
In sum, the review of existing theories and the analysis of the mission and functioning of The Mediator of the French Republic supports the conclusion that public mediation programs can help strengthen a sense of community, and even help define community, by reconciling individual and collective interests through fair, respectful, and inclusive processes. The data showed that when a mediation program is voluntary, widely available to all members of society, staffed by neutral, competent and independent mediators, and linked with mechanisms of policy reform, then relationships can be strengthened and collective interests can be advanced without unduly limiting personal rights and freedoms or impeding the resolution of individual complaints.