In a world where the borders of the global community are fluid, and where disputants manifest increasingly diverse attributes and needs, mediation - for decades hovering at the edge of dispute resolution practice - is now emerging as the preferred approach, both in its own right and as an adjunct to arbitration. Mediation processes are sufficiently flexible to accommodate a range of stakeholders (not all of whom might have legal standing) in ways the formality of arbitration and litigation would not normally allow. Among mediation's many advantages are time and cost efficiencies, sensitivity to cultural differences, and assured privacy and confidentiality.