I always had the soul of a dispenser of justice…

Lily Monier, citizen mediator, Mediation Conciliation of Neighborhoods in the Laurentians service

As a teenager, my heroes were Robin Hood, Tarzan and Zorro. I did my first year of law. Then, I became a copyist, which means that I transcribed lawsuits. I listened to the recording and put what I heard in writing. At first, I found it exciting. I was still trying to guess the outcome of the trial. Over time, I realized that no one came out the winner. What a stress for all parties involved! Insomnia, cold sweats, to testify in front of the judge who, often, doesn’t catch all the nuances. The lawyer must represent the individual and speak for him. Having an intermediary to speak for us, you will agree with me that it is rarely satisfactory.

Enthusiast about mediation, I decided to participate in a mediation training with the approach of nonviolent communication. A lawyer, friend of mine, to whom I shared my enthusiasm for mediation suggested I attend the annual meeting of MAVN (Alternative Measures of the Northern Valleys), an organization in which he was involved, and so I did. It was June 2016. I came out with wings, with the irrepressible desire to get involved as a volunteer citizen mediator in the service of Mediation Conciliation of Neighborhoods in the Laurentians area.

I love our team meetings where we discuss about different cases. I like the fact that each mediator has its particularities, its own skills and a different path from the others. It enriches us all. In these meetings (every two months), we share our knowledge and skills in turn. This is called a “knowledge transfer”. Whenever I participate in a neighborhood mediation (between neighbors), I come out filled with energy, grateful to be able to make a difference and filled with gratitude for having contributed to the outcome of a deadlock. It’s also inspiring to see people leaving with communication tools that they can use daily, who knows, maybe even be able to avoid a potential conflict?
If you have qualities of reception, listening and kindness and you want to get involved, do not hesitate to contact MAVN to offer your services.

Change the world, one mediation at a time!

Lily