 | This former Wikipedia policy, no longer backed by community consensus, is retained for historical reference. The Mediation Committee has been disbanded as a result of this discussion. Other dispute resolution processes should be used for content issues. |
A core principle of Wikipedia is to make decisions by consensus. Wikipedia's dispute mediation process includes a formal mediation system to help implement that principle. This policy regulates this formal mediation system.
Formal mediation addresses a dispute over article content by providing a dedicated page (for consensus-making discussion) and a third party (to lead this discussion). This discussion establishes a consensus about the disputed content. This third party, the mediator, co-ordinates the discussion by exploring arguments and suggesting alternatives that participants may agree with. In formal mediation, the mediator must be an appointed member of the Mediation Committee. Formal mediation may be requested at Wikipedia:Requests for mediation.
This policy outlines the operations of the Mediation Committee (which oversees and provides formal mediation) and its members, the process for requesting mediation, and the common aspects and required elements of the mediation process (although each mediator has their own approach to mediating). This policy is controlled by the Mediation Committee.