Mediation and Arbitration Centre

The Australian Mediation and Arbitration dispute resolution centre

Mediation and Arbitration Centre

The Australian Mediation and Arbitration dispute resolution centre

A story of TWO BALLOONS
... Conflict Transformation ... our practice

two balloons in conflict

CONFLICT.

Two Balloons and two people in them … facing in opposite directions … secure in their own place yet tied together … or held apart by the line between them, a:

… line of sight … a lifeline … a line of resistance.

Under the illusion of the security of their position … each person tries to pull the other to their place. But in this floating world, the more they try to pull the more they are pulled … off course and off balance … and brought together.

… pulling too hard could crash them together and plunge both to destruction.

From above both balloons look exactly the same … each balloon has both a bright and a dark side … but each person sees only one side.

Yet by moving to a different position they can now see the others’ golden side … things change with how you look at them.

… both people share the same view of the common ground below them.

The sky above is dark and cloudy and the wind blows unpredictably
Out of the darkness the warm glow of the dawn light reveals a horizon of possibilities Behind them the cloud’s silver lining shines on new opportunities.

The line of conflict becomes a line of connection and understanding that leads to resolution.

TRANSFORMATION

Two Balloons – original artwork by Karen Mason