Five members of Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda [CURB] have recently completed a social justice mediation course held at the University of Massachusetts.According to a press release from CURB, the training has been praised for preparing mediators to effectively respond to multicultural conflicts in organisations and communities.It is designed to explore how identity and power imbalances affect the development and resolution of conflict using a social justice lens, and more than 2,000 people have been trained in the model so far.The Bermuda representatives Haile Maryam, Cindy Steede-Williams, Frances Eddy, Lynne Winfield and Sara Clifford joined participants from as far afield as Nigeria.They are now qualified as mediators and will use their new skills at events offered by CURB and in the community at large to mediate group and interpersonal conflicts.Ms Steede-Williams said: “I believe this mediation model has the potential to bring about the most equitable outcomes for all parties concerned in varying disputes.“By conducting separate interviews for disputants, both parties get an equal opportunity and the time to tell their whole story with privacy and dignity.”Ms Winfield said: “The need for the latest methods in mediating dialogue was seen as a critical need for CURB facilitators. CURB’s outreach work in the community is growing exponentially with workshops, presentations, forums and lectures being offered to the public, as well as specific-interest groups such as teachers, charitable organisations, human resource professionals and businesses.“It was an extraordinary experience, a tremendous learning opportunity, and the cutting-edge mediation methods taught in this intensive five-day course provided attendees with a skill set that will enable them to mediate dialogues in a way that will allow all parties to be heard and validated as they tell their truths.”Anyone interested in talking with a CURB Social Justice Mediator should call 542-2872. For more information, visit the organisation’s new website at www.uprootingracism.org.