Dispute Analysis
There are several ways people get into trouble sometimes unknowingly, knowingly or negligently; for instance from November 26 to Dec. 5, 2017 officials of the Citizens Bureau for Development and Productivity mediated a dispute between a private security guard Victor Gwah male about 45 years works at a car parking lot and Marvin Solomon male about 42 years works as a commercial Taxi driver over a missing 70 ounce car's battery.
Recently, near the LPRC junction in Gardnersville, not distant from the Zone 4 police station is a parking lot, where Victor works as a private Security guard and Victor was accused by a Taxi driver Solomon about 42 years of age on receiving from him a car's battery, claimed Victor rebutted.
Though the Car's battery was removed from the Taxi, Victor strongly believed that Solomon had taken the battery along and was shocked when Solomon said in affirmative terms of not being in possession of the battery. There were very strong wordy statements from both sides in defense of each position. Solomon then quickly ran to the zone 4 police station and reported the case, where Victor then appeared to answer questions over the missing battery on November 26, 2017.
At this point as was contacted, mediators collaborated with Victor’s family and met with authorities of zone 4; following conversation with the accuser on what it takes going to court, in terms of cost-time-accessibility to considering mediators’ informal approach, he then reasoned to withdraw the case from the zone 4 police charge of quarter for home settlement. Through dialogue and mediation, the owner of the car’s parking lot took responsibility to replace the missing battery.
The parties agreed that the replacement battery must be in good working condition and should be made available within 5 days.
After the five days, as the battery could not be made available through dialogue the parties with guidance from mediators again agreed that on the 10th day the battery should be made available. Then we scheduled to meet at the parking lot on December 5, 2017 at 7AM; doing this time Solomon with pressure from his boss (the Taxi owner) requested that for all days the car was parked outside Victor parking lot, as it was a commercial Taxi, Victor should pay him $1,500.00LD for each day.
Before the 10th day, a young man who works in a nearby garage, at the same location of the parking lot, came from outstation and revealed that he discovered the missing battery in the car’s parking lot and took it in the garage hall for saved keeping on the day of the incident, which was confirmed by Solomon the Taxi driver (as the missing battery) on December 5th, 2017.
On Tuesday December 5, 2017, as early as 8AM member of the garage and all parties to the conflict, guided by the mediators had a clear understanding of what actually happened. That is to say once the car was parked there was no need to remove the battery from the car, so Victor thought the Taxi driver Solomon had removed the battery from the Taxi to carry it with him, which was not how it happened thus leaving the battery in the open car parking lot without either of the two, noticing that the battery was left in the open. Victor thought Solomon took the car’s battery while Solomon thought Victor took the battery for saved keeping by the parking lot.
As opposed to claiming $1,500LD for each day or $15,000LD for the time the car was being parked,
the car’s owner later agreed to a $2,000.LD settlement. Said money was received as both parties expressed happiness and appreciation to the mediation team as they shook hands in a friendly and caring manner thus concluding the matter.
In another development, On November 24, 2017 in Monrovia Gardnersville LPRC community a tenant in the same house of one of our mediators left her room door open which means anyone with criminal intent could have freely walked into the room and commit crime. To avoid this, our mediator stills around, suspend his time to ensure prevention of what could have resulted to confusion involving entire household.
In collaboration with nearby neighbors as witnesses the door was locked, until the owner of the rented room arrived. This was a proactive stance taken by our mediator which prevented the commission of any crime by criminal minded individuals given the opportunity created for the commission of crime by the room owner leaving their door wide open.
"Use dialogue to humanize difficult conversation" #Obamafoundationsummit
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