[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 174 (Tuesday, November 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF THE CLEVELAND MEDIATION CENTER

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Cleveland 
Mediation Center as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. The Mediation 
Center has provided an essential forum for dialogue and communication 
which has fostered cooperation and peace within the community. It has 
proven especially valuable for the city's youth, who often lack the 
voice to raise their concerns about problems which directly affect 
them.
  The Center began as the Community Youth Mediation program in 1981. 
Focusing on the Near West Side community of Cleveland, this 
organization became the first grass-roots youth oriented mediation 
program in the country. The Center provided guidance to thousands of 
individuals and helped to address issues of truancy, school violence, 
and cases of abuse and neglect. Two of the programs developed by the 
Center would go on to be used by both the Juvenile Court and Cleveland 
Public Schools.
  Following these successes, the Center was utilized in engaging the 
city at large. By 1992, it had expanded its youth centered approach to 
include issues such as neighbor to neighbor mediation and training. 
Homelessness has also been one of the Center's major concerns, 
particularly in addressing discrepancies between the city's homeless 
population and services provided by city agencies. Today, the Cleveland 
Mediation Center continues their mission of promoting constructive 
conflict resolution, especially among youth, and strengthening 
community ties with an emphasis on mediation and mediation training.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the Cleveland 
Mediation Center in celebrating their important role as facilitators 
within their communities and enabling fellow citizens to work through 
their conflicts in peaceful and constructive ways.

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