No argument here: With his soothing voice, patient cadence and amiable demeanor, Matt Fairbank helps the world make peace.

And this summer, he marks a decade of promoting tranquility.

The executive director of the Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Fairbank isn't a psychiatrist, coach or cleric -- but he blends the skills of each.

The center brings together parties who are in disagreement, with the idea of keeping the conflict from spilling into a courtroom. Mediators seek common ground, being mindful of people's wishes and legal rights.

During Fairbank's tenure, some 27,000 people in the two-county area have been nudged along in resolving their differences. That comes out to 10 in 10 -- about 10 percent of the population helped in 10 years' time.

As he describes it, "We focus on how to create a more peaceful planet."

Anyone can use the center to help solve issues, such as family problems, landlord-tenant disputes, employment issues, consumer-business problems, civil complaints or neighborhood disagreements.

The majority are small claims cases, followed by family issues.

The two parties meet with a volunteer mediator or with a staff member such as Fairbank and together try to hammer out their differences.

The 46 volunteer mediators, having undergone a minimum of 80 hours of training each, logged more than 2,200 hours last year helping the center. Each year there's about a 15 percent turnover as people leave the area or their volunteer priorities change.

In Yakima County, adversaries in a small claims case are required to try to reach a resolution through mediation before a judge will hear the case.

That means Fairbank often meets with the two parties in the courthouse and attempts to come up with a collaborative solution right there.

A recent case was typical: A woman believed her fence had been poorly built and wanted a refund. Fairbank brokered a deal where the contractor returned to mend fences, literally.

The success rate has been solid, notes Fairbank. In most years, about half the mediations performed at small claims court result in a satisfactory solution for both parties. Voluntary mediation, where the parties choose to come to the center, logged an 87 percent settlement rate last year.

Advantages are numerous, according to Fairbank. First, mediation helps keep the courts from being clogged. Second, it raises the bar of civility, with negotiating parties reaching mutual agreement.

If two neighbors reach an accord, Fairbank believes that's bound to send positive ripples through the neighborhood.

And not just there. Christine Gamache, a center board member and volunteer mediator, is impressed with Fairbank's overall impact.

Describing the 48-year-old's "never-ending heart, vision and dedication," she says Fairbank has influenced the entire community.

"His work is so far-reaching," she notes.

A local contractor who used the mediation dispute center earlier this spring also has high praise for the service. Dan, who asked not to use his last name, went into mediation feeling he hadn't been paid enough for a job he'd completed, while the customer thought too many extra fees had been added to the bill.

Not only is Dan happy with the monetary compromise worked out, he describes it as an inexpensive way to resolve a disagreement. In addition, he and the other party have remained on amicable terms.

"They (the center) put a ton of effort into it," Dan says. "It's a very, very good program."

Funding for the center comes from a portion of the filing fees paid in District Court, plus grants, donations and fees paid by the two parties in mediation, ranging from $25 for a family up to $250 for a business, per session.

Diffusing a tense situation is part of the art.

"You try to unpack the emotion a little bit, take a few steps back," explains Fairbank.

A positive result can affect family relations, leave parents with more energy and create a healthier atmosphere for children, he says.

Most important of all, according to Fairbank, is people want to be heard and have their point of view respected.

A successful mediation is "finding the pearl in the conflict that allows us to grow," as Fairbank puts it.

But when it doesn't work ... that's when the pearl remains hidden.

"I was up a good portion of the other night after a session," admits Fairbank, "trying to figure out what I could have done differently."

In 10 years, Fairbank has seen his share of situations where one party sits with teeth clenched and can't compromise. The worst incident he's witnessed involved a couple who came to the resolution center, after their break-up, for mediation over child visitation issues. Unfortunately, the mother's new boyfriend showed up in the lobby, creating a palpable tension.

"He and the dad were just about at fisticuffs, so we had to cancel the session and send them out different doors," Fairbank recalls.

However, it cheers Fairbank that there are so many more good resolutions than failures.

In many ways, it's a job he was destined for -- the son of two teachers and the middle of six children, he grew up in Sebastopol, Calif., in a traditional Catholic family. As soon as he graduated from Santa Clara University in 1981, he headed to Seattle, drawn by the example of then-Catholic Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen, who was legendary for his protests against nuclear weapons.

Fairbank explains the move: "I consider myself spiritual, and I'm motivated by my Catholic values and roots."

He joined the Jesuit Volunteers, working with Seattle youth for a year, then became an area director for the program.

Moving to Yakima in 1985 to work for Catholic Family & Child Service, he left briefly to earn a master's degree in sociology from the University of Colorado, then returned to take the helm of the resolution center.

It was a good fit. "We're called to be community servants to each other," he explains.

A photographer, runner and hiker, he bikes to work a couple of days a week from the home he shares with his wife, Michele Besso, and daughter, Hannah.

When the first director of the center, Bev Goodman, retired and ultimately moved to Kirkland, she gladly handed over the reins to Fairbank.

"I'm so proud of how he's moved everything along," Goodman said in a telephone interview. "He really cares about the center."

On the cusp of his second decade, Fairbank envisions expanding mediation training to more nonprofits, schools and even city councils. He's looking to further develop a program working with juvenile offenders and their victims, while another new direction will be attempting to reduce the need for anti-harassment orders.

Part of the center's mission, he says, is helping people develop skills to work differences out peacefully.

"If you take away someone's frustration, that's healthy. That unleashes a lot of power," Fairbank says.

"When you do that, you're creating the kind of planet we want to have."

Center details ...
? WHAT: Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties
? WHERE: 303 E. D. St., Yakima
? FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call 453-8949, Yakima, or 509-925-5123, Ellensburg.
? TRAINING: The next training for anyone who would like to volunteer as a mediator will be Oct. 24-26.