For some years now here in the U.S. a debate has raged regarding depictions of violence and conflict in the media. Some would argue that the media glorify violence, positing it as the most effective and direct means of resolving conflict. And that in depictions of conflict by the media, conflict itself becomes the sole focus, with little meaningful analysis of the forces giving rise to conflict, no understanding of the underlying interests at its heart, and no chance to understand the different perspectives that exist among the parties to the conflict. Whether this is accurate or not I’ll leave for others to debate.

What I can say with certainty, however, is that while conflict no doubt sells newspapers and fills seats at the multiplex, conflict resolution just doesn’t seem to have the same panache. Let’s face it, no one makes movies about mediation. And no one has ever made an animated cartoon about mediation.

But that’s all changed, thanks to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The DVA has produced a cartoon short, The Three Little Pigs Go to Mediation. Don’t miss seeing the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf work out their differences with the help of the Wise Old Owl, an experienced mediator who uses the facilitative model.