Negotiators And Snipers: On Strategies For Managing Piracy On The High Seas---And Elsewhere (5/13/09)
Robert Benjamin
Few international incidents end with the successful finality and clarity as did the rescue of the Maerske ship Captain, Richard Phillips, from the clutches of Somali pirates in mid April. Three clean kill shots by U.S.Navy snipers settled the stand-off. Most people in the Western world felt relieved and good about the outcome. Maybe assassination was warranted. Clearly, piracy cannot be tolerated. However, the pursuit of both negotiation and assassination strategies at the same time is troublesome and may be costly in the longer term. If negotiation appears to be merely a pretext for snipers' to act, then will the trust essential for successful negotiations be lost in future negotiations?   15 Comments

Real World Interest Based Example — Sinai (5/11/09)
Joshua N. Weiss
In this podcast Josh begins a series of real world interest based examples. The focus is on the negotiation between Egypt and Israel over the Sinai Peninsula.

Negotiating Justice: A Guide For Mediators (4/27/09)
Jeff Thompson
This gem of a guide/report is written by Priscilla Hayner, Director of the ICTJ Program on Peace and Justice and part of the HD Centre's "Negotiating Justice: Strategies for tackling isues in peace processes".

The Brave New World Of Disputes (4/27/09)
Jeff Thompson
A recent article written in the National Law Journal by Ian Meredith, Laura Atherton and Marcus M. Birch gives us a glance at potential massive disputes that will arise in the next two decades. The top three areas of possible conflict stem from the analysis of the National Intelligence Council's 2008 report, "2025 Global Trends: A Transformed World.

One Word (4/13/09)
Phyllis Pollack
Last week, there was a pretty important mediation. It involved a lot of parties - 20 to be exact - on a very important issue- the global economy. It took place in London and was co-mediated. The primary mediator - Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain- seemed to be doing a good job - moving all of the parties forward toward a resolution.

Negotiating Reconciliation, Amends And Forgiveness in Burundi (4/13/09)
Victoria Pynchon
Whenever I read about restorative justice (my paper on the topic here) I am somewhat ashamed that I cannot put aside my own grievances when others resolve harms of such major magnitudes such as the murder of children and genocide. I am reminded of this today because of Paul and Rebecca Mosley's blog on the work they are doing in Burundi.

International Mediation Developments (4/01/09)
Keith Seat

• Indian Supreme Court Justice urges greater use of mediation to benefit both parties and overburdened court system, Calcutta Telegraph (January 3, 2009)
• Mediation and Conciliation Centre opened in Kottayam, India; Chief Judge urges alternatives to litigation, Hindu (January 12, 2009) (Subscription Required)
• China establishes mediation desk to address intellectual property rights at large IT and telecom trade fair in Europe, People's Daily Online (March 4, 2009)
• Chinese city of Tainjin begins mandatory mediation for medical disputes, China Business Newswire (January 20, 2009) (Subscription Required)
• Singapore police gain power to refer squabbling parties to a community mediation center, Today Online (February 14, 2009)
• Singapore Ministry of Health and Singapore Mediation Centre have a year’s experience with mediation program addressing health care disputes, Straits Times (January 28, 2009) (Subscription Required)
• National University of Singapore wins 4th ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition, Finchannel (February 24, 2009)
• Malaysian court recommends mediation for jilted businessman’s claims against fiancée, Malaysia Star (February 17, 2009)
• Australian government urged to allow use of independent mediators and arbitrators in employer-union disputes, The Australian(January 9, 2009)
• Popularity of mediation in Australia results in fewer opportunities for lawyers to gain courtroom advocacy skills, Courier Mail (January 17, 2009) (Subscription Required)
• Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration urging mediation rather than protests after injuries from gas leaks, Taipei Times (January 20, 2009) (Subscription Required)
• Angola approves statute of the Association of Ombudsmen and Mediators of Africa to support mediation institutions and human rights, Angola Press (January 15, 2008)
• Mediation has gained popularity and acceptance in recent years within Ghana, All Africa (February 20, 2009) (Subscription Required)
• Mediation service for gang members being opened in London, England, based on success in West Midlands, PA News (January 21, 2009) (Subscription Required)
• Proposal would eliminate fee charged solicitors for mediation in effort to encourage quicker resolution of matters brought to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, Scotsman (January 19, 2009) (Subscription Required)

Peace is Nonpartisan (3/30/09)
Kevin Forrester
Didn’t the party of peace win this election cycle? No, the party of peace didn’t win this election cycle. There is no party of peace.   3 Comments

Can Mediation Evolve into a Global Profession? (3/24/09)
Michael McIlwrath
Mediation is an organism that thrives in particular niche ecosystems like the UK, Australia, and North America. The question is whether it can thrive in other locations, and whether it can be used to resolve cross-border disputes. Anyone who has experienced mediation will understand its potential to grow and flourish as a critical part of a globally inter-connected economy, but it would be folly to ignore the challenges in breaking out of a local niche practice.   1 Comment

Ethnic And National Reconciliation (3/09/09)
Larry Susskind
I can remember a moment when it seemed impossible that certain groups or nations could ever reconcile: East and West Germany, North and South Vietnam, North Ireland and England, black and white South Africa, Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda. Today, it seems equally implausible that North and South Korea, Tibet and China, Israel and Palestine, or Suni and Shia in Iraq will ever reconcile. Yet, we should remember that the ruined relationships that seemed impossible to repair not so long ago were dramatically transformed. The question is, "How did that happen?"

Is Civil War Better than Negotiation? (3/03/09)
Jeff Thompson
A nice sensational style way to start today's blog, eh? Well, this quote is from the International Herald Tribune's Bennett Ramberg. His piece is titled "Fight to the End" and it refers to how over history, in civil wars, actual fighting which results in one side clearly defeating the other is more sustaining that negotiating a truce.

Letter To President Obama (3/02/09)
Kenneth Cloke
Thank you. As conflict resolution professionals, practitioners and scholars, we have noticed and profoundly appreciate your efforts to change the process and tone of how differences are managed, both in Washington and around the world. We value your experience, understanding and commitment to conflict resolution, and offer our full support to you and your administration in your efforts to promote peace, collaboration, and consensus in domestic and international relations.   4 Comments

Mediation And Moral Imperative (3/02/09)
Merri L. Hanson
On October 21, 2008 I read a curious Reuters headline that stated “Taliban Seeking Mediator.” Immediately I puzzled over why the Taliban would want one of us...a peacemaker, a harmonizer, an ethical do-gooder. Since then I have pondered these thoughts and the moral underpinnings they belie.   2 Comments

Obama's Negotiation with Iran (2/23/09)
Joshua N. Weiss
In this podcast Josh discusses US President Barack Obama's decision to negotiate with Iran.

Negotiating with Pirates: Squeeze Every Penny Out of the Deal (2/03/09)
Victoria Pynchon
In Hijacked on the High Seas When Somali Pirates Attacked, They Kicked Off 56 Days of Drama Over the Fate of a Ship and 28 Crewmen, The Wall Street Journal details the negotiation strategy and tactics that resulted in the release of the hijacked ship and its crew.

Sneak Preview of Ken Cloke's New Book (1/26/09)
Geoff Sharp

Excerpt from Ken Cloke's upcoming book: Conflict Revolution: Mediating Evil, War, Injustice, and Terrorism by Janis Publications

"While listening to news about the latest disasters from wars to terrorist attacks around the world, I sometimes fantasize about what would happen if, instead of dropping bombs on civilian populations, mediators by the tens of thousands were parachuted into war zones..." [read more]

Peace After Gaza (1/21/09)
Nir Pearlson
The historic, strategic, and cultural positions of Palestine and Israel make it impossible to achieve a Mid-East solution without committed and intensive outside involvement. The new American leadership under President Obama, who exemplifies the power of hope over fear, is positioned as no prior leadership to move Israel and Palestine into negotiating and achieving peace.   2 Comments

Un nuevo método de resolver conflicto en materia de seguros (1/11/09)
Mario de Almeida
Más de una década ha pasado de la vigencia de la ley de mediación obligatoria en la ciudad de Buenos Aires y aún, en algunos, está presente la cultura del litigio. No ha sido suficiente la implementación de la citada ley y las que se han dictado en la mayoría de los estados provinciales para que litigantes, abogados y jueces comprendan definitivamente que los métodos alternativos de resolución de conflictos son los más adecuados para promover la paz social.

Nobel Lecture by Martti Ahtisaari, Oslo, 10 December 2008 (1/06/09)
Colin Rule
On this last day of a very difficult year for the world, I'd like to end the year with a speech from this year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize: "Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, Distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Dear Friends and Colleagues around the world...

Waging War, Collateral Damage & Arbitrated Resolutions (12/29/08)
Victoria Pynchon
I've directed my readers to Adir Waldman's fine book Arbitrating Armed Conflict before. Now that there is pitched battle in the Middle East with significant civilian casualties, I once again recommend Adir's book to anyone who wishes to look beyond taking sides.

The First Conversation between President Barack Obama and President Mahmoud Ahmadinedjad (12/08/08)
Noa Zanolli
In the series of private and fictitious conversations among presidents and among state and non-state leaders that see each other as adversaries or even as enemies, comes this imagined dialogue between President Obama and President Ahmadinedjad. It takes place on Saturday, February 14, 2009 at the U.N. in Geneva.   2 Comments

The Best People For The Worst Places (11/17/08)
Richard Barron
From the end of World War II through the end of the 20th Century approximately 3.3 million people were killed in intrastate conflicts and over 16.2 million were killed in intrastate civil wars! Most people read those numbers, shake their heads, and move on to the next item. A very few people stop and decide that they must devote their lives to modify this proclivity of our species to kill each other on an incomprehensible scale for generally indefensible reasons.

Animated short celebrates 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10/21/08)
Diane J. Levin
Reflecting on rights and interests, I note that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In celebration of a document that recognizes and honors the basic dignity and worth of human beings everywhere, filmmaker Seth Pau has created an animated short.

An Unprecedented Mediation In Poland (10/20/08)
Anna M. Wróbel
A few days ago the Polish media were savouring the news that the court had appointed a “professional mediator” in a lawsuit between Janusz Kaczmarek, former Minister of the Interior and Administration versus Jaroslaw Kaczynski former Prime Minister, now the chairman of the political party Law and Justice (PiS). Kaczmarek sued Kaczynski (civil case on infringement of personal goods) after being called „a sleeping agent” (communist agent, I presume). Such a statement is an insult in Poland.

Martti Ahtisaari Wins The 2008 Nobel Peace Prize (10/14/08)
Jeffrey Krivis, Mariam Zadeh
Finland’s ex-president Martti Ahtisaari won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his long career of peace mediation work including a 2005 accord between Indonesia and rebels in its Aceh province and his efforts to build a lasting peace from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Middle East.