IFPNP international Dialogue

Constructive Management of Conflicts  
through 

Mediation and  Dialogue 

Part I

October 18 and 19, 2024 4.00 pm IST@ Google meet 

 Outline of  the  Sessions

Part I and II

Facilitator: Prof Dorcas Ettang, Associate Professor, International Centre of Nonviolence, Durban University of Technology, South Africa

 Mediation has a long history as a bridge to communication between various parties. In the Bible, Moses is the mediator between God and men. Religions like Catholicism have regarded their priests as mediators interceding on their behalf. In many cultures, the most respected elderly people were used to mediate in family conflicts. Landau et al. (1987) report that in China, Japan and Africa, mediation was used to solve conflicts, especially those between neighbours. After the creation of states, diplomats acted as mediators, communicating interests and sharing information with the parties involved in the dispute. Over time, mediation has been used in schools, tertiary institutions, judicial systems, villages, communities, families, businesses, and international conflicts. 

Mediation is an important tool for resolving conflict and requires skills and knowledge. How do you mediate and facilitate dialogue between individuals, groups, communities, and countries in disputes, conflict or at war? This session will answer this important question, which will also require that participants reflect on the knowledge gained in the class. Mediation broadly involves the following steps: mapping out the conflict parties, contradictions and goals, identifying how and which of their goals are legitimate, and bridging the legitimate goals of both parties. A mediator’s role is critical as they can even create more disagreement and further escalate the tensions between conflicting parties. The mediator should seek to create an appropriate atmosphere and help them reach a rational decision.

 

According to Johan Galtung, the mediator’s mindset is significant in the shaping of the mediation process. A mediator’s duty in creating dialogue is backed by the idea that the parties are responsible for reducing violence and destruction. The mediator is independent and does not conceal information or have a hidden agenda. They do not use threats, punishments, rewards or promises to get the parties to yield. Only fair play is accepted. The mediator brings to the conflict general knowledge, skills, empathy, nonviolence, creativity, compassion, and persistence. The mediator must be willing to learn about the parties and speak with them, exchanging general and local knowledge. He needs to know, grasp, understand and explore the conflict to assist the parties in resolving it. The role and tasks of the mediator range from creating the conditions for an open dialogue, assuring the parties involved in the conflict can express their concerns freely, and creating the space for autonomy in decision-making. They act as a facilitator, educator or communicator, helping to clarify issues, identifying and managing emotions, and creating options, making it possible to reach an agreement to prevent rivalry or discord.

 

Dialogue, not persuasion or coercion, is the suggested approach in mediation. In using dialogue as a communication tool, the mediator should engage parties in brainstorming and obtaining responses to questions. The mediator needs to be understanding and empathetic when engaging in dialogue and communicating with the parties to the conflict. Dialogue promotes and inspires collaboration in finding alternative solutions to problems. It shifts away from competition, where the views of the mediator or the parties to the conflict are imposed on others’ ideas, and they dominate the process.

 

Examples such as that of Burundi and South Sudan show how national dialogue has been used to address common issues. National and inclusive dialogue processes, including youth, women, and other under-represented groups, have been instrumental in healing the wounds and trauma of the war. It has created an environment for citizen engagement, calling for effective leadership and creating a shared vision. 

 

The session will cover the following: 

understanding mediation and dialogue,

 the mediation and dialogue process,

 the goals and roles of a mediator, 

the dos and don’ts, 

the art of persuasion and trust-building, 

and 

the challenges in reaching an agreement. 

It will also explore ideas of mediation and dialogue from Gandhi's life and work.

 Additional Sources and References:

1.      African Union Mediation Support Handbook, https://www.peaceau.org/uploads/06-au-mediation-support-handbook-2014.pdf

2.      Barker, E. (2019). What Would Gandhi Do? Available from: https://mediate.com/what-would-gandhi-do/.

3.      Unit 12 – Mediation and Reconciliation. Gandhian Approach to Peace and Conflict Resolution. eGyanKosh- a National Digital Repository. Available from: https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/63710/4/Unit-12.pdf

4.      Berghof Foundation: Negotiations, dialogue and mediation. Which approach leads to intra-state peace? https://berghof-foundation.org/news/negotiations-dialogue-and-mediation.

5.      Galtung, J. (2000). Conflict Transformation by Peaceful Means (The Transcend Approach). Participant’s Manual. United Nations Disaster Management Programme.

6.      Hampson, Fen Osler, Chester A. Crocker, and Pamela Aall, ‘Negotiation’, in Andrew Cooper, Jorge Heine, and Ramesh Thakur (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy (2013; online edn, Oxford Academic, August 1 2013), https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199588862.013.0018, accessed October 14 2024.

7.      Horowitz, S. (2007) Handbook of Peace and Conflict Studies. Routledge

8.      Karak, M. (2019). Mahatma Gandhi, Master Mediator. JSTOR Daily April 24. Available from: https://daily.jstor.org/mahatma-gandhi-master-mediator/

9.      Landau, B. Bartoletti, M. & Mesbur, R. (1987). Family Mediation Handbook. Toronto: Butterworths.

10.  Moore, C. (1986) The Mediation Process: Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.

11.  United Nations: Prevention and Mediation https://dppa.un.org/en/prevention-and-mediation#:~:text=Since%20its%20inception%2C%20the%20United,during%20implementation%20of%20peace%20agreements

12.  Youtube Interview: International Conflicts and the Mediation Approach | Interview with Dr Kenneth Cloke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44yjRiaCY0Q

 

Dorcas Ettang

Dorcas Ettang (Prof.) is an Associate Professor and Acting Director at the International Centre of Nonviolence at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa. Before that, she was a Senior Lecturer and the Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies Programme Coordinator at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. Prof Ettang has published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Peace and Conflict Review, Alternations, Africa Development, Journal of African Elections, Politikon, and Gender & Behaviour. She is also a political analyst providing analysis and commentary on security developments on national and international TV and radio. She has worked with the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, South Africa, the Inter-agency Child Protection Assessment Coordinator: Northern Syria, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana, and the United Nations Political Affairs Division in New York, United States. She holds a PhD in Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, a Master’s in Political Science from the University of Windsor, Canada and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies with minors in French, Public Administration and International Studies from Bishop’s University, Quebec – Canada. Her research interests are in migration and conflict, identity conflicts, African politics, Community Security and Governance