I-statements / You-Statements --- An I-statement expresses a feeling or a point of view that a person has. A You-Statement attacks or blames another person for causing a problem or doing something wrong. I-Statements are important ways to communicate in a dispute, because You-Statements often cause hostility and make resolution more difficult to reach.

IAM --- The mission of the International Academy of Mediators is to define standards and qualifications for the professional mediator of commercial disputes and to promote the mediation process as the preferred means of resolving disputes. [see also http://www.iamed.org/ ]

Incentive Arbitration --- In non-binding arbitration, the parties agree to a penalty if one of them rejects the arbitrator's decision, resorts to litigation, and fails to improve his position by some specified percentage or formula. Penalties may include payment of attorneys' fees incurred in the litigation.

Identity --- Identity refers to the way people see themselves or as groups they feel represent them.
 
Identity Conflicts --- Identity conflicts are conflicts that develop when a person or group feels that their sense of self is threatened or denied legitimacy or respect. Religious, ethnic, and racial conflicts are examples of identity conflicts.

Impartiality --- This refers to the attitude of the third party. An impartial third party will not prefer one side or one side's position to another side's position, but will approach them both as equally valid. In principle, this objective can be hard to achieve, although a third party can make an active effort to treat each side the same, even if he or she tends to prefer one party or one party's argument over the other. [See also Neutrality.]

Impasse -- Parties within a mediation are unable or unwilling to release their respective 'positions' in favor of compromise. Experienced mediators may employ question asking techniques to illustrate to the parties a fuller understanding of the possible consequence of their unyielding positions. [See also Stalemate.}

Incompatible Interests --- Incompatible interests are things that people want that cannot be simultaneously achieved by all the owners of a dispute.

Independent Chairing -- An independent chairman will manage the process rather than dictate content. Independent chairing can be an end in itself, or it may lead to a more structured approach through formally brokered talks or another form of effective dispute resolution.

Independent Review -- An impartial investigator to set up terms of reference for an inquiry into facts, a problem or a difficult set of circumstances and to make recommendations or to report findings according to the terms of reference agreed.

Indictment --- A document prepared by the District or Prosecuting Attorney and approved by the grand jury which charges a person with the commission of a crime.

Injunction --- An order of a court or agency requiring a person to do or not do a certain act. Failure to abide by the terms of a court injunction may result in the court arresting and jailing the person for contempt of court.

Integrative Power and the Integrative System --- Integrative power is the power of social ties and the power of identity.

Interest -- The needs, desires, hopes and fears of the parties that lead them to take a particular position. The parties' interests serve as the motive for their positions. [see also Position ]

Interest Arbitration --- The arbitrator, instead of interpreting and applying the terms of an agreement to decide a grievance, is authorized to determine what provisions the parties are to have in their collective bargaining agreement.

Interest-based bargaining -- A negotiating process where parties focus on their combined interests. Through an exchange of information the parties gain a greater understanding of their own and the other party's needs. The problem is defined in a way that allows the parties to approach a mutually-satisfactory solution. [See also below.]

Interest-Based Problem Solving --- Interest-based problem solving defines problems in terms of interests (not positions--see immediately below) and works to reconcile the interests to obtain a mutually-satisfactory solution. [See also above.]

Interest groups --- Interest groups are advocacy groups, groups of people who join together to work for a common cause. Environmental groups, groups defending human rights, and groups working for social causes are all interest groups.

International Commercial Arbitration --- has been the key area of growth in arbitration since the 1960's. This growth reflects the parallel growth in international trade and the ease of having an arbitral award enforced in most countries compared with the difficulties that can arise in attempting to enforce a court judgement. (Arbitral awards are enforceable under the New York Convention of 1958.) Commercial arbitration is 'international' at its simplest when the parties are nationals of different countries. Arbitration allows the parties to select a tribunal that reflects both their cultures and to avoid the national courts of either party. [See also Arbitration]

International Public Arbitration --- Whilst International Commercial Arbitration is involved with private international law issues, International Public Arbitration involves issues of public international law, or more simply disputes between sovereign states. Whilst states have used arbitration to pacifically arbitration to pacifically settle their disputes for millennia, it remains the great achievement of the Hague peace conference of 1899 that a Permanent Court of Arbitration was established in The Hague.

Intolerance --- Intolerance is the unwillingness to accept the legitimacy of another person, group, or idea that differs from one's own.  It may result in an effort to get rid of the "objectionable" person or idea, or it may simply result in treating them in a subservient way, as occurs when people of certain racial or ethnic groups are discriminated against by the dominant group in a society.

Intractable Conflicts --- This term refers to conflicts that go on for a long time and resist most, if not all, attempts to resolve them. Typically they involve fundamental value disagreements, high stakes distributional questions, domination issues, and/or denied human needs--all of which are non-negotiable problems. They often involve unavoidable win-lose situations.

Intra-psychic conflict --- is a conflict which has been mainly caused by a deep hurt carried by an individual (or group) whether (s)he goes. It is sometimes expressed that "we all carry baggage from our past" For example "my mother used to ignore me like you are doing". The conflict may at first present as having entirely different causes than such hidden causes.

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