Third-party intervention is increasingly recognized as an effective means of settling social, institutional, community, and interpersonal disputes. Traditionally, mediation efforts have been directed toward conflicts involving labor/management relations. Since the 1960s, however, mediation efforts have also been applied to situations involving social disputes, environmental disputes, racial protests, and criminal and civil offense cases. Examples of mediation efforts which have been assisted since 1968 by the Ford Foundation include a racial/public disorder early warning system in Florida; housing disputes in New York, San Francisco, and Cleveland; demands of Puerto Rican activists for a day care center; Indian occupation of parkland in upstate New York; school desegregation in Boston; confrontations at various colleges and universities; and a struggle between black and Puerto Rican communities in New York for control of an antipoverty program. Programs to train people in conflict resolution techniques are sponsored by numerous groups including the American Arbitration Association, the Justice Resource Institute, and better business bureaus. (DB)