Brendan joined mediatEUr as an Associate in 2011, bringing his experience in Northern Ireland to work on conflicts including Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Yemen. Under his guidance as chair of mediatEUr, its work was preserved through the merger with Conciliation Resources in 2019. His work during this decade also took him to the United Nations, and the Standby Team of Mediation Experts where he worked as a senior mediation advisor supporting the UN to understand the local dynamics of mediation to inform the design of better processes in conflicts including Afghanistan and Libya.
Brendan’s work was rooted in his deep personal faith. For him peace did not exist in technical definitions, but in relationships, and the quality of attention we pay to each other.
We remember Brendan for his commitment to peace, his integrity and his ability to challenge us in our practice. And most of all for his wit, his mischievous smile, and his ability to bring humanity into any room he entered.
Photo: (c) Miguel Varela-Rodríguez