New mediation service hopes to resolve conflict
A new mediation service which aims to resolve conflict between members of the community and people or groups who operate outside the criminal justice system is setting up in Dundalk and wants to hear from people who have been affected by drugs dealers looking for money or loan sharks.
The service, which can be found at Conflict Resolution and Addiction Services Eire on Facebook, is made up of voluntary workers from a wide variety of backgrounds right across Ireland. They also work extensively in the area of cross and intercultural conflict.
One of the local workers involved, Michael Quinn McDonagh, explained: ‘We try to prevent people from being bullied, threatened or physically harmed in any way by arranging for those in dispute to meet in a safe and neutral environment where, hopefully, they can reach a mutual and peaceful solution to their disagreement.
‘Our role is to mediate, not to blame anyone, or take sides. We stay totally impartial at all times. We also work with the homeless and those sleeping rough and we can provide them with food, water, sleeping bags, clothes and a wide range of holistic therapies.
‘We also try to link them in with local services to try to have their overall needs addressed. We try to arrange safe and suitable accommodation for them, but with bullying and active drugs use in some hostels, some people feel safer sleeping on the streets’.
Mental health and addiction is also being tackled by the new group. Michael said: ‘ We work in the areas of addiction or ritualised compulsive comfort seeking and mental health or issues of the mind.
‘We provide a 26 week residential treatment programme for men over 18 and the programme is individually tailored to each person’s needs, addressing all aspects of their lives’.
Addiction, he says, not only affects the person suffering from it, but also their families, friends and the wider community. He said: ‘ We work with everyone concerned to try to address any negative issues and to ensure the person’s return to a safe and healthy environment.
‘After completion of the treatment programme, we link people with the relevant services to ensure aftercare and continued support. There is also an outreach service for those who feel unable to enter or go on waiting list for treatment’. Some people have been referred for aftercare by the Peter McVerry Trust.
Prisoners are also being offered help, whether that be conflict or addressing any addiction or mental health issues. The group offers support to prisoners’ families.
Michael said: ‘We will be highlighting and addressing any social issues affecting people in our communities. We will take part in peaceful and dignified protest with any group that genuinely wants to help local communities. Conflict Resolution and Addiction Services Eire is not aligned or affiliated to any group or organisation. If you know someone whom we could help, don’t hesitate to contact us.
‘People selling or taking drugs are none of our business, but we have an issue with the face that some families barely have enough food to eat and are being forced to get loans, or hand over their social welfare books, to get money to pay off their kid’s drug debt because they think they will be harmed. Other people are being intimidated on a daily basis in Dundalk, with some leaving the town completely.
‘We don’t take sides, and we are here to resolve conflict. Anyone who would like to volunteer can contact us’. Michael can be contacted through the Facebook page or at 085 2056884.