גישור ונוף תרבות: הקונפליקט, ההסכם וההשלכות החברתיות

Mediation refers to an informal process in which a neutral third party helps conflicting parties attain an agreement over disputed issues they were unable to reach on their own. While the process is used mainly for dealing with social, economic and political issues, its characteristics also allow using it for resolving environmental conflicts. The study described in this article attempted to examine over a period of time the different attitudes of groups of populations (communities, municipalities and governmental entities) toward agreement by mediation and its implications. Examination over time was intended to show the changes produced by such mediation and the ensuing social and cultural impacts on the involved parties. This paper deals with Wadi Tzalmon, a stream flowing from east to west in Israel's Western Galilee, the environs of which was declared a national park due to its unique natural qualities, and characterized as cultural landscape. The declaration affected several population groups representing the multicultural parties of Israeli society: Moslems, Christians, Bedouins and Jews.