Welcome to FourthParty!
This simple website is my vehicle for discussing ways to
I originally called it 'FourthParty' in answer to the question "What comes after a Third Party?", the intention being to explore how Third Parties' experience and expertise could be better harnessed in a Fourth Party role.
Comments from colleagues have covered so many aspects of mediation, facilitation and negotiation that I have decided that it will gradually become more general, though for the time being it still focuses mainly on what a Fourth Party might be.
For confused visitors
If you have stumbled onto this website by accident you are probably wondering what it is all about and in particular what is this ‘dialogue’ it goes on about.
Well, as used here ‘dialogue’ is shorthand for meetings professionally designed, structured and facilitated to enable people to discuss complex issues, especially when they disagree about them. The meetings I run are mainly about the environment and sustainable development, though I also work on political, legal and organisational problems.
Most of the people who find their way to this site will do so deliberately because they are interested in ways to make such dialogue processes more effective.
The idea of the Fourth Party, which this site introduces, is a way to add value and depth to dialogue.