Mediators on a Mission
Anne Parys 09/09/2008
Two Pittsburgh attorneys use their skills as mediators to help Liberian refugees and former child soldiers.

The Scope of Divorce Mediation: A Question For Namibia
John Ford 09/23/2007
Namibian society can be characterized as a patriarchy. Women are not treated equally and experience discrimination at all levels of society, especially in the family. Spousal abuse and domestic violence is openly acknowledged as “a widespread and serious problem.” Constitutionally there is gender equality and discrimination on the basis of sex is prohibited. However existing laws, customs and practices operate to constrain the full realization of the constitution's noble aspirations. There is general acceptance that the substantive aspects of the law of marriage and divorce are in need of reform. But what about the procedural reform? Divorce mediation is one possibility. In 1999 the Legal Assistance Center (LAC) in Namibia, commissioned me to write a paper on the procedural aspects of the law of divorce and how it can be reformed. This extract, which reflects the legal landscape of that time, focuses on the scope of divorce mediation.

Race ToTthe Bottom
Colin Rule 06/18/2007
Kristof in today's Times: '“We see war coming,” Mr. Nkunda said, and he pulled out his laptop to show a map indicating that various government-backed forces are being dispatched to attack him. He added: “The only reply to war and ammunition is war and ammunition.”   I told him — a bit nervously — that such tribalism and fighting has torn apart a country that should be one of Africa’s richest. But Mr. Nkunda, who quotes Gandhi, emphasized that what counts here is simply force. “You go by...

The Nairobi Conference
Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict ZZZZZ 01/03/2005
Both the direct and indirect human cost of violent conflict in Eastern and Central Africa have been tremendous: the failure of military interventions, the lasting negative impact on communities and the high cost of peace keeping operations and reconstruction indicate that a fundamental shift from reaction to conflict prevention is necessary for the promotion of peace and development.

The Iraq War and Mediation?
John Willis 11/22/2004
In the recent letter, a citizen has raised several important points regarding the war in Iraq. Noting that the U.S. essentially is fighting the war alone, without allies, this person suggested that “mediation is the only channel which will allow the U.S. to gain support with former allies and end this daily slaughter of human life.” Let’s follow the order of the elements mentioned in turn: mediation, support of former allies, and ending the war.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Opportunities for ADR
Tom Oswald 05/12/2003
The collapse of one sort of governmental infrastructure needs to be replaced with another, and the sooner, the better. Now is the time to introduce collaborative conflict resolution and arbitral conflict adjudication into the post-armed conflict re-construction cultures of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Conflict Resolution Wisdom from Africa
Ampie Muller 10/16/2000
Review by Ampie Muller
(Durban: Accord, 1997)

Witness to Genocide: The Children of Rwanda (Book Review)
Paul Wahrhaftig 07/10/2000
The writing in this little book briefly covers the history of the Rwandan Genocide, profiles of some of the children and hopes for the future. But the real story is in the pictures Dr. Raundalen, another psychiatrist, reflects that a traumatized child will have difficulty contributing to building a peaceful society with democratic institutions.

South Africa Creates Public Policy Dispute Resolution Capability
Paul Wahrhaftig 08/17/1998
A team of mediation experts from Western Justice Center is helping South Africa create a public policy dispute resolution capability based on the Statewide Office of Mediation (SOM) model that has been widely adopted in the U.S.

Islamic Mediation Techniques for Middle East Conflicts
George E. Irani 07/26/1999
In assessing the applicability of Western-based conflict resolution models in non-Western societies, theoreticians and practitioners alike have begun to realize the importance of being sensitive to indigenous ways of thinking and feeling, as well as to local rituals for managing and reducing conflicts.