This article was first published by the Alliance for Peacebuilding.
If you are looking for a inspiring read, consider ‘Women at The Hague: The International Congress of Women and Its Results’ authored by three American women: Jane Addams, Emily Green Balch and Alice Hamilton. I have two copies. An original published November 1915 by Macmillan Company. The second is a soft-cover published in 2003 by the University of Illinois Press with an enriching preface by Professor Harriet Hyman Alonso, City College of New York.
My field is mediation. Below are some highlights which drew my attention:
There was nothing naïve in their approach. Prior to Track Two Diplomacy, coined in 1981 by Joseph Montville, they selected citizen envoys to carry the Congress’ message of peace and mediation to rulers of belligerent and neutral nations.
Canadian Julia Grace Wales’ proposal for The International Plan for Continuous Mediation Without Armistice was presented to “the rulers” of all involved nations.
In time, envoys Addams (1931) and Balch (1946) received Nobel Peace Prizes for their tireless work to “give peace a chance.” Addams advised, “Never again must women dare to believe that they are without responsibility because they are without power. Public opinion is power . . . determination, . . . a twin sister of faith or vision, is power.” (Addams, Balch, Hamilton – 1915: 109).
Tools and flexibility are vital components of any effective mediator’s repertoire. One tool that comes to mind that is often misunderstood and misused is the caucus (private meeting) segment of...
By Steven GoldmanSince the 2005 downturn in the U.S. housing market, many have watched and been alarmed by the loss of value in their real property, but what about the value of ...
By Charles HillMediators have caved to attorneys asking for separate sessions in mediation. Proponents of separate sessions, or caucus style mediation are just not getting it. I call it shameful because it...
By Paul Rajkowski