Samenvatting

In this contribution some aspects of the pluralistic society and its impact on mediation are discussed. For that purpose, first the focus is in on what is generally understood by ‘culture’ and ‘conflict’, followed by a description of communication problems that might arise in (mediation)situations with a particular cultural dimension. Next the question is posed to what extent a mediator should be susceptible for cultural dimensions in conflicts to perform his job well. And if he is prepared to do so, what pitfalls and challenges he should be prepared for?