A position is a preferred course of action or a demand.  An interest is the reason(s) for a position or an objective.  A party's interests will usually consist of their needs, fears, desires and basic concerns which they are trying to satisfy with their fixed position.  There are often many ways of satisfying a party's interests, not just the one fixed position initially offered as the only solution.

Mediation attempts to identify the interests behind the positions, and find common ground at t...
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