Through mediation, facilitation, restorative practices, education, and training, we help individuals and groups navigate conflict, build understanding, and strengthen connections.
By fostering dialogue and mutual respect, even among challenges and polarization, we help cultivate more connected and compassionate communities.
“In 1970…a group of community volunteers in Chapel Hill gathered to investigate ways of resolving conflicts outside the courtroom. Their efforts over a period of years resulted in the establishment of one of the earliest and most successful community mediation programs in the country.
Founded in 1978, the Orange County Dispute Settlement Center soon became a model for similar programs in other communities and helped spark the community mediation movement across the state. It also helped lay the foundation for other ADR programs in North Carolina.”
Alternative Dispute Resolution in North Carolina: A New Civil Procedure (NC Bar Foundation, 2nd edition, 2012
While we continue to mediate disputes referred by district court, our work has grown far beyond our early years. Today, we offer a broad range of services designed to meet the evolving needs of our community.
Our name has evolved as well. What began as the Dispute Settlement Center is now DSC: Dialogue in Support of Community—a name that better reflects the depth and diversity of the work we do.
