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Religion has often been thought of as playing a crucial role in generating conflicts, particularly internal ones. While it may often be a source of conflict, its role in the overall peace process has all too often been overlooked. In this paper we emphasize the importance of religion and religious actors in the process of mediation. We examine the general conditions that facilitate mediation in international relations and assess how much these hold true in the case of faith-based mediation. We find that aspects such as legitimacy and leverage have a major impact on the success or failure of mediation. We examine how these factors manifest themselves in the case of religious mediators, and we show that legitimacy and leverage are still crucial to successful mediation but have a very different meaning and content in the case of religious actors. We explore the consequences of these differences and explain how religious mediation may work best in tandem with the more traditional forms of mediation.

Intro -- Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Opening Presentation of the 1st International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies: The International Community Should Increase Its Efforts to Prevent Conflicts, Not Just Stop Them Once They Have Started -- Introduction -- Subject Area of the Book -- Relevance of the Book -- Structure of the Book -- References -- Chapter 1 -- Intellectual Pillars of the Conflict Resolution Field -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Kenneth Boulding and the Core of Conflict Resolution's Scientific Agenda -- Johan Galtung and His Theory of Conflict -- Galtung's Concepts of Positive Peace and Peacebuilding -- Interactive Conflict Resolution and the Role of Unofficial Interventions -- Nonviolent Action and Conflict Resolution -- The Debate on Conflict Transformation -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 2 -- The Influencing Capability of Unofficial Diplomacy on Intercommunal Stereotypes: CSO and NGO Activity in Cyprus -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Defining Unofficial Diplomacy and Exploring Its Importance -- Methods -- Results -- Domestic Impact -- Data Indicate That Neither Greek Cypriot nor Turkish Cypriot CSOs or NGOs enjoy Their Society's Trust -- Intercommunal Impact -- Stereotype Breaking and Conflict Transformation -- Contact and Interaction -- Tolerance and Trust -- Cooperation -- Participation in Bicommunal Activities -- Discussion -- Power Politics and Interdependence -- The Effectiveness of Bicommunal Activities -- CSO Activity and the Contact Hypothesis -- Contact and Conflict Transformation -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 3 -- The European Union as a Peacemaker: Future Challenges -- Abstract -- Introduction: The EU as Peacemaker -- Northern Ireland: The Good Friday Agreement 1998 -- Macedonia: The Ohrid Agreement 2001.

"Analyses of the significance of knowledge in present day society, also referred to as knowledge society, fuelled our curiosity about the role that experts play in international and European decision-making processes. This interest prompted us to ask the question reflected in the title of this book: are experts in these decision-making processes advisors, decisio"--