The following article includes a revision of the concepts of memory and legitimacy to understand confl ict mediation, based on the Relational Symbolic Model, developed by the Group of Family and Community Mediation of the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milano. The confl ict mediation is based on the concept of “bonding” as a structure that supports relationships, which is considered the symbolic fundament of the ethical and affective structures. These two axis support the bonding and include the categories of trust, hope, justice and loyalty. Within this paradigm, the mediation of confl icts and the function of collective memory introduce other possibilities to understand justice and legitimacy as a core in the preservation and maintenance of family and community bonds.