Int'l Negotiation Mediation

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course explores international peace negotiations and mediation in theory and practice. Charting the rise and decline of UN-centered peacemaking, ‘mini-lateral’ coalitions for peace mediation, and multi-track dialogues, students will examine various peace processes and evolving mediation approaches. The course focuses on case studies—covering inter- and intrastate conflicts—and examines macro-level influences on peacemaking, including multipolarity and accelerated geopolitical rivalry, drawing on theory from international relations and peace research. Students will examine the global peace mediation marketplace, which is increasingly competitive and crowded. For instance, many states vie for influence with different normative commitments, regional organizations assume more prominent roles, the UN seeks to maintain its relevance, and agile non-governmental groups continue to operate in unique ways. Yet, in response to increasingly complex armed conflicts—including fragmented and internationalized civil wars—peace mediation efforts are failing to reach comprehensive peace agreements. More often, partial deals and conflict-mitigation arrangements, such as ceasefires and humanitarian pauses, are being brokered, along with a rise in local agreements. This course surveys emerging peace mediation practices, with particular attention to the effects of digital technologies and artificial intelligence on conflict dynamics and peace processes. Against a backdrop of rising armed conflict and a shifting global order, students examine the challenges these developments pose for peacemaking and the opportunities for responsible innovation in mediation practice.