Prague 1 Opens Mediation Centre to Help Resolve Neighbourhood Disputes and School Conflicts

The Prague 1 municipal district has opened its own mediation centre to help residents, schools and other organisations resolve conflicts without going to court. According to district mayor Radomírská, the aim of the project is to teach people to reach agreements rather than let disputes escalate into mutual complaints and lawsuits.

The mayor explained that the centre is meant to give people a way to resolve conflicts promptly, safely and with the help of an independent professional — before a situation turns into a drawn-out neighbourly feud, a court case or another serious dispute. The service will be available not only to district residents but also to schools, associations, home-care providers, care homes and other institutions under the district's administration. Mediation can be useful in disputes between neighbours, disagreements within housing associations, conflicts at schools, or differing views on the use of shared and public spaces.

Who will run the sessions

The centre is operated by Conflict Management International. According to the company's director, Dana Žampach Potocká, besides mediation itself, the centre will also offer counselling, conflict prevention and training in non-violent communication — meaning it will work not only to defuse existing disputes but also to prevent new ones from arising.

She noted that the centre's premises include one large hall for educational programmes and mediation sessions involving larger groups — for example, when an entire housing association is in conflict — as well as three smaller rooms for more private conversations. The centre currently has 15 volunteer mediators who have completed special training. Among them are economists, lawyers, teachers and psychologists aged between 35 and 45, many of whom live in Prague 1.

Free of charge or by tariff

For ordinary everyday and neighbourly disputes between private individuals, the centre will offer free mediation sessions lasting up to three hours. More complex cases, or disputes involving significant property implications, will be handled on a paid basis according to the current price list.

Czech First Lady Eva Pavlová, who attended the opening, called the centre a meaningful initiative and an example for other regions of the country, adding that she has long supported the development of mediation in schools. TOP 09 district councillor Giancarlo Lamberti added that the centre is important precisely because it offers a way to settle disputes through dialogue before a conflict escalates into formal correspondence and complaints. He and district transport councillor Vojtěch Ryvola (GEN) believe the centre could also help resolve conflicts within apartment buildings arising from short-term rentals to tourists. Meanwhile, deputy mayor for education David Bodeček hopes mediators will also be called upon to help settle internal disputes among teachers, as well as between schools and parents.

Source: prazskypatriot.cz