Arc Mediation

Why Mediation is Now the First Option - IPMO's 2026 annual conference theipmo.ie/page-18049/136217…

The number of cancer deaths worldwide has more than doubled since the 1980s. Does that mean we're losing the fight against cancer? Not necessarily, because it depends on how you measure it. On this chart, you can see three ways to look at the same data. The red line shows the total number of cancer deaths. It has increased by about 120%, but this measure doesn't account for the fact that the world's population has also grown enormously over this period. Another approach is to look at the death rate: the number of cancer deaths divided by the total population. That's the brown line, called the crude cancer death rate. It has increased too, but much less — around 20%. But there's still a problem: the world's population has been getting older. Cancer is mostly a disease of old age, so even per capita, we'd expect more cancer deaths simply because there are more older people than before. That's where the method of “age standardization” comes in. It's a way of asking: what would the cancer death rate look like if the age structure of the population hadn't changed? The blue line shows this age-standardized rate: it's fallen by about 25%. At any given age, people are now less likely to die of cancer than they were in the 1980s. The same underlying data gives us three different pictures. The absolute number of deaths is up; the crude rate is up slightly; the age-standardized rate is down. None of these are inaccurate, but they answer different questions. Age standardization is one of the most important statistical methods for making sense of health data. Without it, population aging can hide progress or mask problems.

In Conversation With - mediator & author Ken Cloke theipmo.ie/page-18049/136082…

IPMO Chair Dr Roisin O’Shea Welcomes the launch by the Minister of Child Maintenance Guidelines today theipmo.ie/page-18049/135867…

Reflecting on the launch of our Workplace Mediation roleplay at PTSB Head office yesterday, in association with CIPD Sustainable HRM. theipmo.ie/page-18049/135719…

Tony Whatling RIP. He influenced a generation of mediators as an educator, and with his practical & insightful books. Our interview with Tony captures his humor, wisdom & deep empathy. youtube.com/watch?v=HgQioYVx…

We still have some places available on our October 2024 Family Mediation training course. The course is accredited by @TheIPMOie. Details at arcmedlaw.com/wp/ipmo-family…

So if you have ever dreamed of becoming a professional "peacemaker" then start today. As the old Chinese proverb goes, "If you plant a tree in the morning, it is unrealistic to expect to sit in the cool of its shade by the evening."