Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As we approach the close of the year, we find ourselves reflecting on the challenges we have faced, the bridges we have built, and the purpose of our work. In our field, we often encounter situations that seem impossible—conflicts where positions are entrenched, and the numbers simply do not add up.
I am reminded of one of my favorite mediation parables involving 17 camels and three brothers unable to divide their inheritance. Their father’s testament declared that the eldest should receive half, the middle son one-third, and the youngest one-ninth. The math was impossible (17 doesn’t divide by 2, 3, nor 9), and the conflict was escalating. In desperation, they consulted a wise old woman. She listened and said, “I don’t know if I can help you, but if you want, at least you can have my camel.”
With 18 camels, the impossible became possible. The eldest took nine (half), the middle took six (one-third), and the youngest took two (one-ninth). That equals 17 camels. One was left over, which they gratefully returned to the wise woman.
We Are the Third Side
The wise woman in this story represents what William Ury, co-author of Getting to Yes and member of IMI’s Founding Advisory Council, calls The Third Side. She did not take a side between the brothers; she offered a perspective from the outside that unlocked the solution.
As we look toward the New Year, I want to share a quote from Ury that resonates deeply with our mission at IMI:
“The secret to peace is the third side. The third side is us. Each of us, with a single step, can bring the world a step closer to peace.”
You—our global community of mediators—are that third side. Whether you are using your mediation skills professionally or are facilitating a dialogue around the holiday dinner table, you have an opportunity to provide the “18th camel.”
We wish you a peaceful and joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. We wish you clarity and perseverance to find that “18th camel” in every challenge you face!
Thank you for your tireless dedication to resolving conflict and creating a more collaborative world. Thank you for being the Third Side. Thank you for supporting IMI’s Vision and Mission of Professional Mediation Worldwide.
Ivana Ninčić Österle, Executive Director
On behalf of the International Mediation Institute
Watch William Ury present the parable of the “18th Camel” in his captivating TED Talk titled “The walk from “no” to “yes””:
