Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda (CURB) will launch a new five-day intensive mediation training session on Tuesday using a “social justice lens”.The course will be conducted by Dr Leah Wing and Dr Deepika Marya of the Social Justice Mediation Institute based at University of Massachusetts, at Amherst.And it includes “an exploration of how identity and power imbalances affect the development and resolution of conflict”.Participants will explore the relationship between social justice and how conflicts develop and are resolved through lectures, interactive activities, analyses of videotaped mediation sessions, skill improvement, and role-plays.A statement released by CURB said: “Mediation is touted as a neutral and effective process for resolving disputes and reducing tensions.“The Social Justice Mediation Model was developed in response to the pattern that has emerged in the field of mediation revealing that mainstream mediation is not equally serving all segments of the population.“Despite the demonstrated success of mediation, recent research shows that it also routinely reproduces privilege both structurally within the institution and interpersonally between disputing parties.“In this training, we will undertake a critical examination of how and why this occurs in the mainstream approach to mediation and we will investigate a new strategy that accounts for privilege and works to undermine it.“After having considered challenges facing conflict resolvers by racism, classism, sexism and other forms of social inequities, participants will be trained to mediate using a social justice lens while helping disputing parties reach mutually agreeable solutions.”Certificates will also be handed out upon successful completion of the training sessions.A spokesperson said there are still a few places left, the course starts on Tuesday and runs through to Saturday, at a cost of $475.For more information contact Cindy Steede-Williams at 542-2872, or e-mail admin@uprootingracism.org.