Written by international practitioners and scholars, this pioneering work offers important insights into peace mediation practice today and the role of third parties in the resolution of armed conflicts. The authors reveal how peace mediation has developed into a complex arena and how multifaceted assistance has become an indispensable part of it. Offering unique reflections on the new frameworks set out by the UN, they look at the challenges and opportunities of third-party involvement. With its policy focus and real-world examples from across the globe, this is essential reading for researchers of peace and conflict studies, and a go-to reference point for advisors involved in peace processes.
This cutting-edge book illuminates the key characteristics of inclusivity in mediation during armed conflicts and post-conflict peacebuilding. Daisaku Higashi illustrates the importance of mediators taking flexible approaches to inclusivity in arbitration during armed conflicts, highlighting the crucial balance between the need to select conflicting parties to make an agreement feasible and the need to include a multiplicity of parties to make the peace sustainable. Higashi also emphasizes the importance of inclusive processes in the phase of post-conflict peacebuilding.
"Introduces an innovative, practical approach to resolving an enduring issue: How can conflicts be resolved in polarized societies and fragile states?"--
This volume examines the role and contributions of art, music and film in peace-building and reconciliation, offering a distinctive approach in various forms of art in peace-building in a wide range of conflict situations, particularly in religiously plural contexts. As such, it provides readers with a comprehensive perspective on the subject. The contributors are composed of prominent scholars and artists who examine theoretical, professional and practical perspectives and debates, and address three central research questions, which form the theoretical basis of this project: namely, ‘In what way have particular forms of art enhanced peace-building in conflict situations?’, ‘How do artistic forms become a public demonstration and expression of a particular socio-political context?’, and ‘In what way have the arts played the role of catalyst for peace-building, and, if not, why not?’ This volume demonstrates that art contributes in conflict and post-conflict situations in three main ways: transformation at an individual level; peace-building between communities; and bridging justice and peace for sustainable reconciliation.
This volume explores international mediation through the lens of Ambassador Jan Eliasson, an international go-between with a remarkable track record. The authors draw lessons for the peacemaking process from their examination of how Eliasson entered, prepared, pursued, and finally ended his mediation efforts.
This book is the first and only practical guide to negotiating peace. In this ground-breaking book Sven Koopmans, who is both a peace negotiator and a scholar, discusses the practice, politics, and law of international mediation. With both depth and a light touch he explores successful as well as failed attempts to settle the wars of the world, building on decades of historical, political, and legal scholarship. Who can mediate between warring parties? How to build confidence between enemies? Who should take part in negotiations? How can a single diplomat manage the major powers? What issues to discuss first, what last? When to set a deadline? How to maintain confidentiality? How to draft an agreement, and what should be in it? How to ensure implementation? The book discusses the practical difficulties and dilemmas of negotiating agreements, as well as existing solutions and possible future approaches. It uses examples from around the world, with an emphasis on the conflicts of the last twenty-five years, but also of the previous two-and-a-half-thousand. Rather than looking only at either legal, political or organizational issues, Negotiating Peace discusses these interrelated dimensions in the way they are confronted in practice: as an integral whole. With one leading question: what can be done?
This collection of essays situates the study and practice of international mediation and peaceful settlement of disputes within a changing global context. The book is organized around issues of concern to practitioners, including the broader regional, global, and institutional context of mediation and how this broader environment shapes the opportunities and prospects for successful mediation. A major theme is complexity, and how the complex contemporary context presents serious challenges to mediation. This environment describes a world where great-power rivalries and politics are coming back into play, and international and regional organizations are playing different roles and facing different kinds of constraints in the peaceful settlement of disputes. The first section discusses the changing international environment for conflict management and reflects on some of the challenges that this changing environment raises for addressing conflict. Part II focuses on the consequences of bringing new actors into third-party engagement and examines what may be harbingers for how we will attempt to resolve conflict in the future. The third section turns to the world of practice, and discusses mediation statecraft and how to employ it in this current international environment. The volume aims to situate the practice and study of mediation within this wider social and political context to better understand the opportunities and constraints of mediation in today’s world. The value of the book lies in its focus on complex and serious issues that challenge both mediators and scholars. This volume will be of much interest to students, practitioners, and policymakers in the area of international negotiation, mediation, conflict resolution and international relations.
In the early hours of April 22, 1914, American President Woodrow Wilson sent Marines to seize the port of Veracruz in an attempt to alter the course of the Mexican Revolution. As a result, the United States seemed on the brink of war with Mexico. An international uproar ensued. The governments of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile offered to mediate a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Surprisingly, both the United States and Mexico accepted their offer and all parties agreed to meet at an international peace conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario. For Canadians, the conference provided an unexpected spectacle on their doorstep, combining high diplomacy and low intrigue around the gardens and cataracts of Canada's most famous natural attraction. For the diplomats involved, it proved to be an ephemeral high point in the nascent pan-American movement. After it ended, the conference dropped out of historical memory. This is the first full account of the Niagara Falls Peace Conference to be published in North America since 1914. The author carefully reconstructs what happened at Niagara Falls, examining its historical significance for Canada's relationship with the Americas. From this almost forgotten event he draws important lessons on the conduct of international mediation and the perils of middle-power diplomacy.
Violent conflicts today are complex and increasingly protracted, involving more nonstate groups and regional and international actors. It is estimated that by 2030—the horizon set by the international community for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals—more than half of the world’s poor will be living in countries affected by high levels of violence. Information and communication technology, population movements, and climate change are also creating shared risks that must be managed at both national and international levels. Pathways for Peace is a joint United Nations†“World Bank Group study that originates from the conviction that the international community’s attention must urgently be refocused on prevention. A scaled-up system for preventive action would save between US$5 billion and US$70 billion per year, which could be reinvested in reducing poverty and improving the well-being of populations. The study aims to improve the way in which domestic development processes interact with security, diplomacy, mediation, and other efforts to prevent conflicts from becoming violent. It stresses the importance of grievances related to exclusion—from access to power, natural resources, security and justice, for example—that are at the root of many violent conflicts today. Based on a review of cases in which prevention has been successful, the study makes recommendations for countries facing emerging risks of violent conflict as well as for the international community. Development policies and programs must be a core part of preventive efforts; when risks are high or building up, inclusive solutions through dialogue, adapted macroeconomic policies, institutional reform, and redistributive policies are required. Inclusion is key, and preventive action needs to adopt a more people-centered approach that includes mainstreaming citizen engagement. Enhancing the participation of women and youth in decision making is fundamental to sustaining peace, as well as long-term policies to address the aspirations of women and young people.
IS THIS BOOK FOR YOU? If you... * are in HR and are tasked with general or specific responsibility for themanagement of workplace conflict * need support and guidance about how best to approach the management of internal workplace conflict* are ready to add to your toolbox a practical skill that fosters a more peaceful workplace * want to make a positive difference in the world ...then it probably is! My goal is to support you to successfully master the skill of workplace mediation. I want to make it easy for you to mediate internal workplace conflict. I want to share with you what I have learnt from working as a professional mediator with an employment and workplace focus. I am going to reveal all I know about resolving conflict as easily as possible, so that you can do it too. I am also going to weave in what I have learnt academically while teaching graduate students the skills of conflict resolution, negotiation and mediation. For some time now, as part of my corporate training practice, I have taught HR managers the skill of mediation through the offices of the Northern California Human Resources Association. Although a book can never replace the learning that occurs in a classic training environment, my hope is to convey to you, through these pages, what I cover when training your colleagues. I do not have to tell you how debilitating poorly managed workplace conflict can be. I want to give you the tools to do something productive about it. Conflict does not have to be a headache. In fact, it should be seen as a sign of vitality; a sign that something needs to change within an organization. Having mediation as a tool can go a long way to support authentic organizational harmony and well-being. And if you are the one doing the mediation, you get the accolades for being a peacemaker! "Peace at Work is a must-read for all HR professionals who aspire to a better solution to workplace conflict and who want to add the skill of mediation to their toolbox. John Ford takes a lifetime of mediation knowledge and presents it in an easy-to-understand, step-by-step process, from opening statements to closing agreements and every step in between." Todd Clawson, MS, Director of Human Resources, Parker County Hospital District "I have worked with John on various mediations over the years. He cares deeply about the people involved in his mediations and this is reflected in his consummate application of the skills and strategies in Peace at Work. This book is a natural complement to, and an excellent compilation of, John''s considerable store of knowledge about mediation in the workplace." Beth Delaney, Human Resource Business Partner, Kaiser Permanente "I had the pleasure of taking a mediation course led by John Ford. He was a truly inspiring teacher and his course proved immediately useful in my work in labor and employee relations. Many of the wise insights John shared with us in class are included in Peace at Work. HR and other managers looking for clear and practical advice about how to conduct a mediation will find it here, and will be better able to see why mediation is potentially so effective in resolving conflict." Maryl Olivera, Labor and Employee Relations, Administrative Office of the Courts "John Ford''s book, Peace at Work, will help any manager or HR professional to successfully mediate conflict. Mr Ford draws from his vast personal experience and insight, as well as that of many experts in the field, in this well-written and well-organized book. He covers foundational concepts and provides a structured approach to what is an easy-to-use, step-by-step model for mediation. Complete with case-study role-plays and a rich appendix of supporting materials and reference listings, the book is a must for anyone who leads people."Peter Haralabopoulos, Flight Attendant Base Director, San Francisco International Airport
