panels composed of local residents to deal with neighborhood conflicts, and to the New England Natural Resources Center, which works in the six New England states to resolve environmental disputes arising from such issues as land use, hazardous waste disposal, and wetlands protection.

Substantial changes in South Africa's industrial relations system have occurred since legislation in 1979 authorized the registration of black and multiracial unions, thus enabling them to participate in the collective bargaining process. One result of the new law was a rapid increase in the number of black trade unionists from well under 100,000 to some half a million today. Another result, however, was an increase in work stop-pages. Concerned that the inexperience of both management and unions in collective bargaining was causing unnecessary confrontation and economic losses for both parties, leading trade unionists, industrial relations officers of major private firms, and South African and overseas experts in labor-management relations began meeting in 1981 to discuss the possibility of creating a new industrial conciliation mechanism. After two years of planning, the Independent Mediation Service of South Africa was established. It has already successfully mediated a dozen disputes involving both manufacturing and service companies and established and new unions. A Foundation grant of $200,000 is helping to support the service's first two years of operation.