The Peacebuilders’ Platform is a collection of articles seeking to reemphasize the significance of mediation as an effective tool for conflict prevention and resolution. It captures and tells stories that depict the power of mediation in various conflict situations, thereby amplifying the voices of mediators across the globe. It does this by tackling two core questions:
As of October 2020, MBBI and the International Mediation Institute are proudly collaborating on a new series, Mediation 360°, in which experts address the question “What would be the prospects of your organization/industry/society/areas of study if the language of conflict was replaced by the language of collaboration?“ We plan to share stories that depict the power and possibilities of mediation in a range of situations—some perhaps unexpected.
Purpose
In addition to personal stories and lessons learned from the field, The Peacebuilders’ Platform publishes articles that are directed at sharing practitioners’ strategies, models, successes, and key challenges. Articles focus on disseminating a consistent message about how collaborative peacebuilding functions and remains the most effective approach to conflict transformation in all spheres of life. As such, each article of The Platform provides detailed, supporting analyses of why and how this approach to peacebuilding works. It is imperative to note that articles published in The Platform are not solely informative, they are inspiring and serve as essential learning tools for readers.
Content
Articles published on The Platform succinctly underscore the role of collaboration in fostering peace and harmony across diverse societies. They highlight the gains of grassroots peacebuilding through dialogue and inclusive participation, backed by active listening and acknowledgment of emotions. Key thematic areas to be explored in The Platform include (but not limited to):
- Socio-economic dimensions
- Politics and the social fabric
- Religious and cultural conflicts
- Gender and women’s issues
Articles are primarily written by professionals with exceeding passion for global peace through mediation. These are active mediation practitioners, from diverse backgrounds, who have dedicated their lives to working for world peace today and beyond. Primarily mediation enthusiasts, lawyers, law professors, mediators, extractive industry experts, gender equity experts, and other professionals in the Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding field. Young and aspiring peacebuilders are also welcome to contribute to this Platform.
MBBI ran a 5-part writers series, answering the question, "What would your company/industry/field, and region, look like if adversarial decision-making systems were replaced by collaborative ones?" Our goal is to get a 360º perspective on collaboration, which includes multiple geographies, industries, and perspectives. Writers explore the benefits and detriments of adversarial and collaborative decision making on the themes below:
Part 1 - Dr. Chris Anderson on the Extractives Sector in Ghana and Australia
Part 2 - Mr. George Pulikuthiyil on Government in India
Part 3 - Dr. Martha E. Simmons & Dr. Shelley Kierstead on Academia in Canada
Part 4 - Dr. Constantin-Adi Gavrila and Mr. Leonardo d’Urso on Mediation in Romania, Italy and the European Union
Part 5 - Dr. Petya Murgova on the Mediation Sector in the Balkans
With part 6 onwards, MBBI and the International Mediation Institute are collaborating on Mediation 360°, in which experts address the question “What would be the prospects of your organization/industry/society/areas of study if the language of conflict was replaced by the language of collaboration?“ We will share stories that depict the power and possibilities of mediation in a range of situations.
Articles published in The Platform offer the following insights:
- Authenticity matters and remains critical to collaborative peacebuilding
- Effective communication, active listening and sincere acknowledgment of emotions are critical to sustainable peacebuilding
- Mediators ought to remain persistent, resolute, and impartial in their advocacies
- Mediators must always consider an adversary as a colleague in order to prevent potential conflict or suppress a simmering tension
- Mediators must give an adversary a chance to experience the power of mediation by involving him/her in the process; preferably give them a leadership position
- Mediators can reduce the potential for a conflict by teaming up competing parties
Structure
The Platform functions as a bi-monthly column published on the 2nd and last Wednesday of each month. Contributors may submit short (500 words), engaging, and exciting articles that are subject to review by MBBI before publication. Contributors are required to submit photos of practical mediation activities for publication along with each article. Further, MBBI strongly encourages practitioners submitting articles to also provide audio/visuals for their articles. At the end of the year, The Platform will publish a review that highlights the salient points of articles published throughout the year. This will refresh readers’ mind of where we were, where we are, and where we are headed.
Importance of The Peacebuilders’ Platform to MBBI’s Mission:
The core message of every article, which borders on highlighting the gains of collaborative peacebuilding, is strategically aligned with MBBI’s vision to build a more peace “able” world through mediation. The Peacebuilders’ Platform focuses on topical issues around the world in order to increase its effectiveness, timeliness, and resourcefulness, thereby making it the go-to tool for information on ongoing global conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts.
If you would like your work to be considered for publication through MBBI, please submit an article answering one of the above questions at info@mediatorsbeyondborders.org with "ATTN: The Peacebuilders Platform - (Authors' name)" as the subject line.
click here for publishing rights.