In the last 5 years, more than 1,600 mediators have requested to be registered by the Netherlands Mediation Institute. Their number is increasing rapidly; in the second half of 2000, each and every month 100 newcomers were welcomed. Most of them have a background in law, but recently other professions have entered the field, such as psychologists, consultants, and human resource and interim managers. These mediators apply their skills in conflict management in the areas of civil and penal law. In the civil area there have been experiments with mediation in the housing and construction sector, divorce and child custody, community conflict, and business and labor relations. In the area of penal law, mediation has been applied in such endeavors as family conferencing and restorative justice programs. The conclusion of this article presents a series of questions that must be addressed as mediation becomes institutionalized within Dutch society. 1 figure and 5 references