The Oregon Office for Community Dispute Resolution supports 12 centers across the state where trained mediators help community members settle disagreements before they go to court. Housed within the University of Oregon law school, the office also provides the basic training needed to begin the process of becoming a court-appointed mediator. It recently offered its first series of trainings entirely in Spanish, in what might be the first program of its kind in the country.

Veronica Bañuelos led the workshops, and Gabriela Buamscha participated in them. They both join us, along with OOCDR Administrator Patrick Sponsler, to talk about the need for Spanish-speaking mediators in Oregon.