Community mediation has made a huge different in how local
disputes are handled in Maidi, Dhading. No longer do people need to register
cases with the police, then wait for years and spend large amounts of money on
court cases. Instead, local mediation works towards “win-win” solutions that
are non-adversarial and aim for reconciliation. UMN and its partner JCDS have
trained and coached community mediators, and have supported the establishment
of the Mediation Centre, which has been promoting peace and harmony in the
community for the last three years. Twenty-five local mediators have been
trained, and almost 200 cases have been satisfactorily resolved.

On 30 December 2015, the Mediation Centre was officially
handed over to the Maidi VDC office, before an audience of more than 70 local
leaders and stakeholders. The VDC is committed to continuing this important
work, and a number of speakers emphasised its importance. The Community
Mediation Committee formally recognised UMN’s role in setting this institution
in place and handed over  letter of
appreciation.