New Approaches to International Mediation - (Contributions in Political Science) (Hardcover)

About the Book

This collection of twelve essays examines the use of mediation in intranational as well as international disputes so that parallels and similarities between various approaches could be emphasized and the whole approach viewed as a universal means of managing human conflict. Initial chapters treat mediation as a concept, beginning with an analysis by editors Mitchell and Webb entitled Mediation in International Relations: An Evolving Tradition. Other contributors examine the Falklands/Malvinas conflict, outline lessons from the South Tyrol on third-party mediation in national minority disputes, and analyze mediation attempts by the World Council of Churches in the Sudan Civil War. South African initiatives and the use of hypergames as an aid to mediation are also discussed. A concluding essay on Paradigms, Movements, and Shifts as indicators of social invention concludes the volume.

The editors' introduction attempts to link the various topics and to place each contribution within the overall approach and philosophy of the book. Innovations are characterized into three types: innovation in the applications of mediatory processes, innovation of technique with the development of new forms of mediation, and innovation of practitioner, with new organizations and individuals acting as intermediaries. The interdisciplinary approach of this work and the efforts of its editors to provide a broad analytical framework for the study of mediation will make this volume useful for political science and history courses. It will also serve as a useful guide to policymakers and diplomats.

Book Synopsis

This collection of twelve essays examines the use of mediation in intranational as well as international disputes so that parallels and similarities between various approaches could be emphasized and the whole approach viewed as a universal means of managing human conflict. Initial chapters treat mediation as a concept, beginning with an analysis by editors Mitchell and Webb entitled Mediation in International Relations: An Evolving Tradition. Other contributors examine the Falklands/Malvinas conflict, outline lessons from the South Tyrol on third-party mediation in national minority disputes, and analyze mediation attempts by the World Council of Churches in the Sudan Civil War. South African initiatives and the use of hypergames as an aid to mediation are also discussed. A concluding essay on Paradigms, Movements, and Shifts as indicators of social invention concludes the volume.

The editors' introduction attempts to link the various topics and to place each contribution within the overall approach and philosophy of the book. Innovations are characterized into three types: innovation in the applications of mediatory processes, innovation of technique with the development of new forms of mediation, and innovation of practitioner, with new organizations and individuals acting as intermediaries. The interdisciplinary approach of this work and the efforts of its editors to provide a broad analytical framework for the study of mediation will make this volume useful for political science and history courses. It will also serve as a useful guide to policymakers and diplomats.

About the Author

C.R. MITCHELL was Professor of International Relations at the City University, London, before accepting a chair at George Mason University, Virginia. He has written extensively about the theory and practice of mediation, including The Structure of International Conflict (Macmillan 1981) and Peacemaking and the Consultant's Role (Gower Press 1981). He is a member of the Conflict Research Society and the Centre for the Analysis of Conflict.

K. WEBB lectures in International Relations at University of Kent. His research and teaching interests are in the epistemology and methodology of social science and in political conflict, particularly with respect to communal and international violence and their management. He is secretary of the Conflict Research Society and a member of the Centre for the Analysis of Conflict.