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Abstract
This article explores the attitudes of Canadian officials towards international conflict mediation and towards the potential for greater official Canadian involvement in the field. The study is based on extensive interviews with Canadian officials who have been involved in mediation at various points over a 20-year period. It finds that Canada, and particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), has taken a largely ad hoc approach to its involvement in the field. Prior to the initiation of this study, there had been no attempt to develop an institutional capacity in this field within DFAIT or to keep track of the personnel involved in such experiences, much less to develop a trained cadre of such individuals. This stands in contrast to the efforts of countries that have prioritized mediation as a foreign policy activity, such as some Scandinavian countries and Switzerland. Many of those interviewed pointed to these countries as potential models for Canada in this field, but it became apparent in discussions that most of those interviewees were not necessarily well-informed as to what these countries have done; there was just a general sense that these countries do it well and that Canada could learn from them. Moreover, none of the interviewees demonstrated significant familiarity with the vast literature on mediation. Those interviewed made recommendations as to how Canada might develop its official mediation capacities so as to play a more active and focused role in this field.

AbstractMediation is a popular method used to resolve conflict in a variety of contexts. This paper examines mediation skills applied in the school system; specifically, students acting as third‐party neutrals for school disputes. The purpose is twofold: (1) to examine the training, mediator selection, and program operation of the existing peer mediation program in the Milwaukee Public School System and (2) to discuss the importance of evaluating pilot programs and the implications for instituting additional peer mediation programs.

Book Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Figures; Tables; Contributors; Acknowledgments; 1 New approaches, methods and findings in the study of mediation; Part I Mediation strategy; 2 Is there method in the madness of mediation?: Some lessons for mediators from quantitative studies of mediation; 3 Third-party intermediaries and negotiated settlements, 1946-2000; Part II Mediator type; 4 Credibility and strategy in international mediation; 5 Mediator types and the effectiveness of informationprovision strategies in the resolution of international conflict

This book examines how new empirical approaches to mediation can shed fresh light on the effectiveness of different patterns of conflict management, and offers guidelines on the process of international mediation.

We investigate the effect of ethnic pluralism on mediation in interstate and internationalized civil crises from 1945 to 2010. We find that mediation succeeds when two conditions are met. First, success is more likely when there are fewer disenfranchised ethnic groups in the disputant population, because these groups are usually excluded from peace talks and often use violence to challenge peace. Second, mediators are more likely to succeed when politically included disputants, usually present at peace talks, comprise various different ethnic groups. Because such groups, numerous as they are, pull and tug for dominance at peace negotiations, they are unable to form decisive coalitions. As a result, third parties have a chance to serve in a more authoritative role and influence a settlement.

Collecting data on conflict resolution trends began in the 1960s with the early empirical research by the Correlates of War Project. However, little international follow up on the study was done until the surprisingly optimistic findings of the Human Security Report appeared in 2005. The study reported a decline in armed conflict and war fatalities, and its findings increased interest in conflict resolution research. The Peace Process Yearbook 2007 (PPY) is one result of this renewed interest in conflict resolution research. The promising news is that negotiation has been attempted in more conflicts worldwide in recent years, and has been more successful. There is some reason for caution. Evidence indicates that wars ended through negotiation flare up again more often than those concluded by military victory. Mediation is on the rise globally. Unfortunately, so is the rate of recurring war. There is a real need for sufficient post-war stabilization capacity.

'In Namibia wurde ein langwieriger Konflikt erfolgreich durch einen Vermittlungsprozess gelöst, der die Möglichkeit eröffnete, dass eine faktische Kolonie durch eine international überwachte Wahl zu einem souveränen Staat werden konnte. Die Autoren des vorliegenden Beitrags betrachten das wechselseitige Verhältnis zwischen dem Vermittlungsprozess und der Dekolonisation in diesem speziellen Fall, der zwar in vielerlei Hinsicht Besonderheiten aufweist, aber dennoch einige generelle Schlussfolgerungen zulässt. Sie vermitteln die fallweise Anwendung vertrauensbildender Maßnahmen, die unterschiedlichen Methoden von Vermittlergruppen, Druck auszuüben, und wie wichtig es war, dass alle beteiligten Konfliktparteien den Verlauf als von ihnen selbst bestimmt ansehen konnten.' (Autorenreferat)

We investigate the effect of ethnic pluralism on mediation in interstate and internationalized civil crises from 1945 to 2010. We find that mediation succeeds when two conditions are met. First, success is more likely when there are fewer disenfranchised ethnic groups in the disputant population, because these groups are usually excluded from peace talks and often use violence to challenge peace. Second, mediators are more likely to succeed when politically included disputants, usually present at peace talks, comprise various different ethnic groups. Because such groups, numerous as they are, pull and tug for dominance at peace negotiations, they are unable to form decisive coalitions. As a result, third parties have a chance to serve in a more authoritative role and influence a settlement.

"In Namibia wurde ein langwieriger Konflikt erfolgreich durch einen Vermittlungsprozess gelöst, der die Möglichkeit eröffnete, dass eine faktische Kolonie durch eine international überwachte Wahl zu einem souveränen Staat werden konnte. Die Autoren des vorliegenden Beitrags betrachten das wechselseitige Verhältnis zwischen dem Vermittlungsprozess und der Dekolonisation in diesem speziellen Fall, der zwar in vielerlei Hinsicht Besonderheiten aufweist, aber dennoch einige generelle Schlussfolgerungen zulässt. Sie vermitteln die fallweise Anwendung vertrauensbildender Maßnahmen, die unterschiedlichen Methoden von Vermittlergruppen, Druck auszuüben, und wie wichtig es war, dass alle beteiligten Konfliktparteien den Verlauf als von ihnen selbst bestimmt ansehen konnten." (Autorenreferat)

The issue of cultural variation in conflict mediation has attracted considerable interest, probably because of wide-ranging theoretical, methodological, and ethical implications. Scholars are raising increasing questions about both generic theories of the mediation process and past conceptualizations of the culture construct. This article reviews theoretical perspectives on culture and conflict mediation and discusses them in relation to fieldwork conducted in the Gambia among three ethnolinguistic groups. Some local and cross-cultural patterns in the mediation process were found. These patterns are associated with variables such as ethnicity, gender, and social status. However, comparative analysis on the individual level revealed considerable diversity in praxis, suggesting that cross-cultural studies should go beyond descriptions of group tendencies. Indeed, the amount of variation in the data implies a need to reconsider aspects of prevailing approaches to conflict mediation. The conclusion includes recommendations for further theory development and research on this vital topic.