Last week I participated in a workshop organised by colleagues at swisspeace in Geneva, looking at social media and mediation. Under the #CyberMediation project and linking with the UN’s Digital Mediation Toolkit, we spent two days looking for ways to bridge the complex worlds of peace mediation and social media. Here are some of the thoughts that crossed my mind during the two days:
I and many others have been thinking about this question for some time, and I can tell you we have not found a definitive answer yet. But we are getting there.
Kathrin Quesada served as Senior Executive Officer and Member of the Board between 2018-2020, and is now an Associate. Prior to these appointments, Kathrin had been a member of mediatEUr. Kathrin is a trained lawyer and mediator with a strong belief in the transformative power of empathy and dialogue. Prior to becoming a member of MediatEUr, she worked in the Balkans and North Africa on the Women, Peace and Security agenda for DCAF- a centre for security, development and the rule of law.
A former staff member of mediatEUr, Miguel teaches Mediation and International Relations at the University of Valladolid. He has a PhD from the University of Valladolid in digital sociology and social discourses in social media, as well as an MA in documentary photography by the University of Arts London.
The Dialogue Support Platform in Ukraine supports various Ukrainian dialogue initiatives all across the country. The dialogues vary in terms of their participants: some involve stationed soldiers and local residents, others involve local women who come to discuss their role in the conflict and in peacebuilding. They all support a process of exchange and understanding.
Presentation by Dr Antje Herrberg, mediatEUr, at the International High Level Conference "Mediation: Possibilities and Limits, Recent Experiences in the Pursuit of Peace" hosted by Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Didier Reynders.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Initiatives for Change retreat on Land, Lives and Peace in Caux, Switzerland. A seemingly unlikely choice for me, but since I was involved in the Aceh peace process, the nexus between land and conflict was something of interest to me. Side by side with botanists, scientists and UN bureaucrats in the grand halls of Caux Peace Palace, I gave my perspective on the role of international peace mediation and the linkages with land degradation. My key point was this: mediation is about making the “pie” (the contentious issue) bigger, and land restoration – enhancing the usability of degraded land – is pretty much the same practice. Bringing degradation issues into peace negotiation would therefore be good news, increasing the potential for peacemaking.
The Voices initiative led by mediatEUr provided a platform for Syrian refugees to express their hopes and concerns for their future. It formed part of mediatEUr’s work to harness the power of digital technologies in peace and peace mediation initiatives.
“I cannot advocate for non-violence and then join the armed group.” In late 2020, the emergence of a new rebel movement led to a fresh escalation of violence in the Central African Republic (CAR). Like many other young men (and some young women), Christophe* felt pressure to join them.
We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our long-term partner and friend Avaz Hasanov, and convey our sincere and heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
