Conflict Mediation Research Articles

Promoting the Responsibility to Protect through Non-State Armed Groups: Overcoming the Legal and Regulatory Constraints

Promoting responsibility to protect through non-state armed groups will immensely reduce humanitarian crises around the globe. This paper aimed to analyze in detail the notion of responsibility to protect through non-state armed groups and its constitutive elements and set out a legal test that will expand the pre-existing notion of humanitarian intervention. In doing so, the paper advanced several conceptual arguments that focused on the responsibility to protect. The paper analyzed its views in light of contemporary developments on the responsibility to protect. The paper adopted a diagnostic approach based on a review of the literature and an evidence-based analysis of the humanitarian engagement of non-state armed groups. This paper showed the importance of reiterating that if the future of humanitarian intervention must be guaranteed, the need to take cognizance of the significant role of non-state armed groups in conflict mediation or intervention should not be overlooked. It is advanced that the continued neglect of non-state armed groups in conflict mediation or intervention portends a clog in responsibility to protect during armed conflicts.
 KEYWORDS: Responsibility to Protect, Non-State Actors, Armed Groups.

Conflict mediation in business management

Human coexistence is marked by conflicts, of the most diverse types, since the dawn of humanity. In the business environment it is no different, because there are also conflicts. At the organizational level, managers, in addition to the challenges of leading and leading teams, directing them to obtain positive results, have to face the controversies that arise in labor relations, both internally and externally, being necessary, in most cases, to resort to judicialization of disputes. Therefore, conflict mediation presents itself as a consensual mechanism in the resolution of disputes that arise in corporate entities. For this reason, this article brought up the issue of great scope, for which it elaborated as a guiding question as the basis of this research: how to introduce the institute of mediation in the business context to resolve the conflicts that arise there, promoting social pacification without the need to of judicialization of part of the disputes? To answer this question, the purpose of this article is to demonstrate how to use an alternative dispute resolution mechanism other than state jurisdiction and build a more peaceful environment. In this way, encouraging the birth of a new culture no longer focused on litigation, but on dialogue and consensuality in corporatist relations. For the development of this study, bibliographic research was adopted as a methodology, including articles, doctrines, internet sites, in short, reflections from other authors with several publications on the topic addressed, but all with different views, but with similar objectives. Finally, it was concluded by briefly demonstrating the importance and advantages of mediation in the business environment, as well as its main and relevant aspects involving mediation and conflict within the business, as well as in society in general.

The American Catholic Bishops and the Northern Ireland “Troubles”

Complex and interworking factors prevented American Catholic bishops from playing a greater role in mediating the Northern Ireland “Troubles.” American Catholic bishops held soft power influence in USA, British, and Irish politics, challenging previous historiographical claims that religion and religious institutions played little role in the conflict. Whereas the American Catholic bishops had actively engaged with fundraising during the early days of the conflict, after increased Irish Republican Army (IRA) violence sparked by the event known as Bloody Sunday, their public efforts stopped abruptly in 1972. This stoppage occurred for a number of factors, including disassociating Irish American and American Catholicism from the trope of the violent “bad Paddy” and, most importantly, the bishops' desire to be directed by the Irish bishops on where their influence could be most useful. English and Welsh Catholic bishops regularly commented on the conflict, damaging the public and private influence of the Irish Catholic bishops. By stepping away from public pronouncements, the American Catholic bishops allowed their Irish counterparts to take the lead in conflict mediation. Therefore, despite numerous attempts at mediation from religious actors in Britain and Ireland, American Catholic bishops' lack of action meant USA efforts during the peace process were almost entirely secular.

Å forebygge ulvedrap

AbstractThis article deals with the prevention of the illegal hunting of wolves in Norway and is based on research conducted between 2016 and 2019. The main actors are the local police and the rangers / guards of the Norwegian Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA). Resources used on wildlife crimes by the local police are limited. Most of the surveillance of poaching is done by NEPA guards. Strategies for preventing poaching have not been well-developed. Prevention is incorporated in the routine daily activities of the guards. General surveillance is a central element. Much of what has been done can be labelled situational crime prevention and there are elements of routine activities theory reflected in the practice. There are hot spots (locations of wolf packs) that are patrolled at times of heightened risk (January through March). Police and the rangers often patrol these areas in uniformed cars and use other ways of signalling their appearance. Information and dialog with locals and hunters are important elements of the preventive effort. Since wildlife crime is linked to open conflicts between locals, but also to conflicts between locals and representatives for the central authorities, there have been attempts at conflict resolution and mediation. Knowledge concerning the effects of these measures is limited since there have been no follow-up evaluations of these activities.

What is the “culture” in cultural diplomacy? Three responses from Qatar

Cultural diplomacy is a well-established branch of diplomatic practice. It is commonly understood as a governmental tool to mediate the relations between polities through mutual recognition of societal distinctions in ‘cultural’ domains, such as music, sports, education, or art. Examples may include celebrating the success of national athletes at international sporting events or the opening and hosting national language institutes in foreign countries. Given the “soft”, seemingly cushy, and eventually unmeasurable effects of such practices, cultural diplomacy often remains side-lined in serious studies of diplomacy that prefer to focus on conflict mediation or multilateral negotiations. This side-lining, I argue in relation to the cultural diplomacy efforts of Qatar – a young, emerging, and little discussed country in international relations – is short-sighted as it overlooks cultural diplomacy’s political edge in first imagining and then performing a national “culture”. Rather than analysing the effects or comprehensive contents of Qatar’s cultural diplomacy, I focus in this paper on its everyday enactment in state institutions – including the Qatar Tourism Association, Qatar Museums, and the Katara Cultural Village – to show how they are intimately involved in imagining the national (hi)story of the state. To get at that, I take a step back from programmatic analyses and simply ask: what is the “culture” in Qatar’s cultural diplomacy? Three responses emerge, two in the form of streamlined stories of national origins and futures, and one in the form of a characterisation of political style. In the first, “culture” is equated with authenticity, historical heritage, and romanticised accounts of what it truly means to be “Qatari”. In the second, “culture” is equated with having a strong and sustainable vision for the future where Qatar sits among the most developed states in the world as global cultural “hub”. In the third, “culture” becomes a way of doing things, here tied to the way in which Qatar is imagined to be moving forward on its journey to (international) development as guided by the vision of its ruling elite. Overall, the analysis shows that cultural diplomacy should be taken seriously as a domain of international political practice, as it is here that we can get an insight into the meeting of global and local politics, including struggles over authority, identity, and legitimacy.

Mediation in criminal proceedings: novelties of legislation and prospects for its improvement

The article highlights the problematic issues of the use of mediation in criminal proceedings in Ukraine, as well as formulates proposals for their solution.The leading trend in the development of modern legal systems is the use of alternative means of resolving criminal disputes, including mediation. Ukraine is guided in this direction by the international legal standards and the positive experience of many foreign countries. In the general sense, mediation contributes to the humanization of criminal policy against the offender, creates conditions for ensuring the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of the victim and real compensation for the damage caused to them, accelerates the criminal process. The concept of mediation in criminal proceedings is given.It is stated that the long path of Ukraine to the standardization of mediation was successful on November 16, 2021 in connection with the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Mediation” № 1875-IX. Instead, introducing the possibility of mediation in criminal proceedings, the legislator generally avoided amending the CPC of Ukraine, in particular to determine the status of mediator, establishing the boundaries of mediation of criminal conflicts, formulating the peculiarities of its conduct in criminal proceedings. As a reaction to the shortcomings of the legal regulations, it is proposed: first, to amend paragraph 25 of Part 1 of Art. 3 of the CPC of Ukraine, where a mediator should be identified among the participants in the criminal proceedings; secondly, to define in a separate article of the CPC of Ukraine the concept of mediator, their rights and obligations, in connection with which the author’s position on this issue is expressed.The limits of mediation of criminal disputes at the legislative level are not set. It has been proved that the legal basis for mediation in criminal proceedings may be the provisions of the CPC of Ukraine on criminal proceedings under agreements, as well as the provisions of the Criminal Code of Ukraine on release from criminal liability in connection with reconciling the perpetrator with the victim.In Ukraine, a pilot project on the use of restorative procedures in criminal proceedings against minors has been implemented since 2019. Positive examples of this project have shown that the mediation procedure has clear advantages over punitive justice.

Contesting liberal peace: Russia's emerging model of conflict management

Abstract Russia has begun to promote itself internationally as a mediator of conflict and as a ‘peacemaker’. Russian officials cite its extensive experience in managing numerous post-Soviet conflicts and its more recent experience of intervention in civil wars in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia considers all these activities forms of ‘peacemaking’, but its approach differs radically from the model of liberal peacebuilding that has dominated international practice in the post-Cold War era. It prioritizes authoritarian stability over justice, human rights and democracy and advocates short-term goals of conflict management over long-term goals of conflict resolution. In this article I explain why Russia's norms of peacemaking and conflict management diverged so markedly from liberal peacebuilding norms. I argue that Russia is no longer simply contesting western norms, but developing its own distinct model of conflict management. This model accepts the use of force as an integral element in peacemaking, engages in ‘coercive’ mediation by authoritative actors, and views the West as a geopolitical and normative opponent. This debate over Russia's approach to peace and conflict also offers wider insights into how Russia challenges the norms and practices that underpin the liberal international order.

Religious Environmental Sensemaking in Climate-Induced Conflicts

This article used the case of the Pokot community in northern Kenya to argue that focusing only on technical approaches in dealing with conflicts induced by climate change neglects the deeper religio-spiritual mechanisms that motivate actors in such conflicts and give the latter their texture. For example, the sacred connection with cattle, forests, and land, or the spiritual blessings of cattle raiders in times of competition over dwindling resources raise questions concerning whether and how indigenous religions’ sacred beliefs and practices contribute to finding peaceful solutions to such conflicts and advancing the discourse of religious peacebuilding. This article deployed the concept of religious environmental sense-making to argue that framing climate-induced conflicts in sacred terms influences how actors position themselves within them, as well as their level of intensity and intractability. Answering this question is crucial to advancing the field of peacebuilding, understanding what propels actors in climate-induced conflicts, and comprehending how policy-makers and mediators in conflicts can develop locally grounded strategies to address such climate issues.

Sound Arts Now

Sound Arts Now

Political Fragility and the Timing of Conflict Mediation

In recent years, much of the public discourse regarding conflict in the Middle East has pondered the possibility of military intervention, but far less attention has been paid to the optimal mechanisms for conflict mediation. There remains considerable confusion in the study of conflict resolution about how to locate the right time, or ‘ripe moment’ for this type of third-party involvement. This is a crucial area of policy relevant research. When attempting to model ripeness, most of the literature has relied on expected utility models of decision-making and found that crucial but nebulous factors that are important in the MENA region, such as conflicting parties’ psychology, religious and political beliefs, as well as grievances compounded over time, cannot easily be incorporated into the framework. This paper offers a plausibility probe to highlight the potential of an augmented approach. Using Poliheuristic (PH) Theory that reflects the non-compensatory nature of political risk, it creates a litmus test for third-party mediation based not on what conflicting parties aim to achieve, but what outcomes and processes they must avoid. The result is a relatively simple identification of ‘bad’ timing, as well as theory-informed mechanisms designed to help practitioners generate better conditions for mediation. This probe contributes to our understanding of the relationship between political fragility and conflict in the MENA region by indicating how political fragility might be conceptualized as a process that can be mapped and perhaps interrupted.

Impact of socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) on hotel employee outcomes using the role theory

PurposeBased on the role theory and prosocial motivation literature, this research aims to explore the bright and dark side of socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) on hotel employees' outcomes through the mediation of role conflict. Besides, this study examines the moderating effect of prosocial motivation between role conflict and volunteering and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected 326 employee-supervisor dyads data in two waves from 12 hotels in the province of Wuhan, China. Besides, structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was adopted to test the hypothesized model.FindingsAs expected, the result shows that SRHRM can increase employees' volunteering and decrease their OCB through the mediation of the role conflict. Further, prosocial motivation strengthens the linkage between role conflict and volunteering, but not the relationship between role conflict and OCB.Practical implicationsThis result enables hotel managers to adopt SRHRM as a useful tool of carrying out suitable corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Additionally, this study highlights the vital role of employee in successful CSR implementation.Originality/valueAlthough the hotel industry contributes a lot to global economic development, CSR research specifically focused on hotel industry has been unexplored. Therefore, this research brings SRHRM into hotel industry and establishes a model specifying both the bright side and dark side effect of SRHRM in the hotel industry.

Dyadic associations between COVID-19-related stress and mental well-being among parents and children in Hong Kong: An actor-partner interdependence model approach.

The spread of COVID‐19 and its subsequent social distancing policies have profoundly impacted the lives of parents and children. Prolonged exposure to parenting‐related responsibilities and heightened levels of family conflict under stay‐at‐home orders coupled with reduced access to support systems and resources have rendered parents and children more prone to stress and mental health difficulties. Drawing on a transactional model of parent–child interactions, the present study applied an actor–partner interdependence model approach to examine the transactional relationship between COVID‐19‐related stress and mental well‐being among parents and children. Data from 109 Chinese parent–child dyads in Hong Kong were included in the study. Parents and their 8‐ to 10‐year‐old children completed a questionnaire on COVID‐19‐related stress, parent–child relationships, and mental well‐being. The results showed that 53.2% and 30.3% of the parents and children, respectively, showed poor mental well‐being, indicating possible emotional problems. Both actor and partner effects of parent COVID‐19‐related stress were found. Parent COVID‐19‐related stress was indirectly related to lower levels of parent and child mental well‐being, through the mediation of parent–child conflict. To facilitate psychological adjustment following the COVID‐19 outbreak, effective family‐based mental health and parenting interventions are needed to promote family cohesion and alleviate stress‐induced psychological symptoms. Even in the time of social distancing, telepsychotherapy and other online non‐psychotherapeutic interventions can serve as a valid alternative for parents and children who experience excessive distress. Implications for psychological services, family‐friendly policies, and social protection measures are also discussed.

Galkaio, Somalia: bridging the border

ABSTRACT A better understanding of ‘local’ agreements vis-a-vis national reconciliation processes is a strong current in policy and academic circles, with Somalia acknowledged as a relevant context with a rich history of such processes. This article examines a local agreement reached in Galkaio, a divided city where renewed violence had national implications around the formation of a new Federal system. It explores the role of external mediators, and strategies used to create buy-in at different levels in the process in order to forge ann agreement that could end violence and address some underlying conflict drivers. It argues how experimentation with sequencing, linking and moving between levels helped ensure the viability and sustainability of the process. It contributes to the literature on mediating multi-level conflicts by focusing analysis on the role played by external mediators, demonstrating the importance of who mediates and how while providing insight into dynamic conflict mediation environments.

The Persistent Effect of Violent Trauma on Urban Communities 25 Years After Tupac Shakur's Murder.

The Persistent Effect of Violent Trauma on Urban Communities 25 Years After Tupac Shakur's Murder.

Apologizing in Elementary School Peer Conflict Mediation

ABSTRACT We analyze apologizing as part of the institutional agenda of school mediation in Finland. When primary school teachers intervene to mediate a dispute, the children orient to apologizing as a ritualized, expected, and recognizable action that resolves the matter. Teachers build, step by step, a sequence that, when preconditions are met, results in the parties involved in the dispute producing the uniquely explicit apology exchange “I apologize”—“apology accepted.” We discuss the action of apologizing as involving an interdependence and tension between sincerity and rituality. Data are in Finnish with English translation.

Supporting peace negotiations in the Yemen war through machine learning

Abstract Today’s conflicts are becoming increasingly complex, fluid, and fragmented, often involving a host of national and international actors with multiple and often divergent interests. This development poses significant challenges for conflict mediation, as mediators struggle to make sense of conflict dynamics, such as the range of conflict parties and the evolution of their political positions, the distinction between relevant and less relevant actors in peace-making, or the identification of key conflict issues and their interdependence. International peace efforts appear ill-equipped to successfully address these challenges. While technology is already being experimented with and used in a range of conflict related fields, such as conflict predicting or information gathering, less attention has been given to how technology can contribute to conflict mediation. This case study contributes to emerging research on the use of state-of-the-art machine learning technologies and techniques in conflict mediation processes. Using dialogue transcripts from peace negotiations in Yemen, this study shows how machine-learning can effectively support mediating teams by providing them with tools for knowledge management, extraction and conflict analysis. Apart from illustrating the potential of machine learning tools in conflict mediation, the article also emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary and participatory, cocreation methodology for the development of context-sensitive and targeted tools and to ensure meaningful and responsible implementation.

Alienação parental e a mediação dos conflitos nas legislações brasileira e portuguesa

This article aimed to analyze parental alienation and conflict mediation with minors. It introduced the concept of parental alienation; analyzed some of the behaviors of those involved in parental alienation; discussed the meaning of family power; and finally, Civil Liability on the topic. A literature review was carried out based on books, scientific articles related to the topic made available for free in Portuguese, as well as documentary analysis, notably in Brazilian and Portuguese legislation. Keywords: Parental alienation. Parental Alienation Syndrome. Parental power. Conflict mediation. Civil responsibility.

Experiências e desafios de uma equipe de rua em Portugal com populações vulneráveis: estudo fenomenológico

To understand the experiences and challenges faced by professionals working on a street team in Portugal in caring for the vulnerable population from the phenomenological perspective of Alfred Schutz. Qualitative approach in the light of the theoretical framework of phenomenological Sociology, developed in a street team in the central region of Portugal from phenomenological interviews with five professionals in the months of June and July 2021. The interpretation of the results was analyzed through theoretical conceptions of Alfred Schutz's phenomenological sociology and related literature. Three categories emerged: Conflicts experienced by the street team; Frustration in the daily care provided by the street team; and, Limits in the social relationship with the vulnerable population. The street team in Portugal faces challenges in caring for the vulnerable population served,requiring team skills for conflict mediation combined with an understanding of the influences of relationships, in social action.

Государственная национальная политика и молодежные объединения на Юге России

The article analyzes the activities of youth public associations as subjects of national policy in Russia, which is a new research direction carried out at the junction of two subject areas of scientific knowledge – ethnopolitology and ethnosociology. The strategy of the state national policy of Russia, as a priority task, formulated the activation of the participation of public organizations in the development and regulation of interethnic relations. However, civil organizations themselves show insufficient activity in the implementation of this task. The authors present the results of their own survey of the youth of the Rostov Region, Krasnodar Region and the Republic of Crimea, within the framework of the project "Youth public associations in the implementation of priority areas of state national policy in the South of Russia". According to results of the survey, it was found that the student youth is the most active in the activities of youth public associations, which, in addition to implementing state policy, initiates its own projects in the areas most interesting to it, in particular, the preservation of historical heritage, mediation in interethnic conflicts and charitable activities. Register of youth public organizations has been compiled that include the implementation of the State national policy in their charters. Diagnostics of the activity of youth public associations of three subjects of the Southern Russian region: Rostov region, Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Crimea, participating in the implementation of the national policy of Russia; an assessment of their social effectiveness in this area was carried out. In-depth interviewing of leaders of youth associations and subjects of national policy implementation, representatives of state and municipal structures was conducted.

Mothers' parenting stress, depression, marital conflict, and marital satisfaction: The moderating effect of fathers' empathy tendency

BackgroundThe decreased marriage satisfaction has become one of the main reasons for the rising divorce rate. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between mother's parenting stress, mental health, and marriage satisfaction. This study addressed this research gap by examining the direct influence of mothers’ parental stress on their marital satisfaction, and the indirect influence of depression and marital conflict. Additionally, we explored the moderating effect of fathers’ empathy tendency. MethodsUsing a sample of parenting couples in Southwest China (n = 2,979) to conduct a questionnaire survey, a moderated mediation analysis was performed to simultaneously analyze the chain mediation of depression and marital conflict, and the moderating role of fathers’’ empathy. ResultsThe mother's childcare pressure was negatively correlated with marital satisfaction (β = -0.478, p < 0.001). Depression and marital conflict have a chain mediating effect in explaining the relationship between mothers’’ parenting stress and marital satisfaction (b = -0.064, 95% CI [-0.075, -0.053]). It is important to note that fathers with cognitive empathy can alleviate depression and marital conflict caused by the mothers’ parental stress and a decrease in marital satisfaction, while fathers with high empathy can exacerbate these negative effects. ConclusionThe study's findings identify the serious impact of contemporary female parenting pressure on marital satisfaction and confirm the important role of husbands’ empathy. LimitationsThe scope of the survey is single, the parenting period is not staged, and there may be limitations such as overlapping stressors, which can be corrected in future research.