Piece Description

With election cycles in constant motion, this time on Peace Talks Radio, we offer a conversation about the possible impact of electing mediators to public office. We'll talk with Dr. Dan Dana, a mediator and former candidate for the US House of Representatives in Missouri. After his failed, non-adversarial bid for office, Dan created the "Elect Mediators to Public Office" project. He believes that having more mediators in public office who use a non-adversarial approach to conflict resolution would result in better political processes and better government. Of the total U.S. work force, only 6 percent are lawyers. Yet 45 percent of the members of Congress are lawyers. Would more mediators in public office change political discourse? We'll talk with other mediators who have run for public office to learn how they hope to change public service including Texas Representative Henry Cuellar(pictured above), 2006 Texas U.S. Senate candidate Barbara Ann Rodnofsky, and former mayor of Manzanita, Oregon, Hugh McIssac. Suzanne Kryder is host. For a 54 minute or 59 minute version of the program, visit that episode at PRX: http://www.prx.org/pieces/21104