Final answer:
The term for settling disputes through an informal community meeting is known as restorative justice, which focuses on dialogue and consensus-building among affected parties.
Step-by-step explanation:
When disputes are settled through a community meeting that provides for an informal airing of the conflict, the kind of settlement process we term is restorative justice. This approach is focused on the resolution of conflicts and often involves a dialogue-based methodology, allowing all parties to be heard and working towards a consensus. Restorative justice is distinct from other forms of dispute resolution such as negotiation, where parties directly involved in a conflict bargain over their interests, litigation, which involves a formal legal process, and the use of an ombudsman, who is typically an appointed official tasked with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or violation of rights.