Mediation 360 is one of our three focus areas. It represents our commitment to taking mediation beyond professional spaces and making it understood, accessible, and relevant to the day-to-day lives of communities across Kerala. The idea behind the name is simple: 360 degrees – reaching everyone, everywhere, and at every stage of conflict.
Our goal is to ensure that when disputes arise, people know what mediation is and consider it early. Mediation 360 works at two interconnected levels. The first focuses on building general public awareness, while the second concentrates on sensitising those who act as the first point of contact when people face conflict.
GENERAL PUBLIC AWARENESS
In our public-facing programmes, we introduce mediation in a way that is clear, relatable, and easy to absorb. Most people have heard the word, but few understand what mediation actually means or how it can help them in everyday family, neighbourhood, workplace, or community disputes. Through surveys, rallies, events and campaigns, articles, and other activities, we help people see mediation as a practical, empowering way to resolve conflict. When people understand mediation early, they are more likely to choose it before disputes escalate.
GATEKEEPER SENSITISATION
The second layer of Mediation 360 focuses on what we call the gatekeepers of disputes – the individuals and institutions whom disputants typically approach first: lawyers, police officers, elected representatives, ward members, counsellors, teachers, social workers, and community leaders.
We do not train these gatekeepers to become mediators. Instead, we help them understand when mediation is suitable, why it works, what its legal framework looks like, and how disputants can be guided towards it. These sessions are deeper than general awareness programmes and are offered as short, focused workshops that combine practical inputs, case scenarios, and guided discussions. When gatekeepers understand mediation well, the entire system benefits: disputants receive more informed and constructive guidance at the earliest stage.
HOW WE DELIVER
Mediation 360 programmes are organised in partnership with local law schools, local self-government institutions (such as panchayats, municipalities, and corporations), and state-level training bodies. Law schools provide volunteers and academic support; local bodies help convene communities; and we design and deliver the sensitisation content. This collaborative approach ensures that each programme is locally grounded, educationally meaningful, and socially impactful.
WHAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE
Through Mediation 360, we hope to build communities that understand mediation well enough to consider it seriously when disputes arise. By strengthening public awareness and enabling gatekeepers to make informed referrals, we aim to create pathways through which people can access mediation early, confidently, and without unnecessary escalation.
Our larger aspiration is simple: a culture in which mediation becomes a natural, constructive first step in resolving conflict—handled with clarity, respect, and dignity.