International Conflict Mediation

International Conflict Mediation

Introduction

Since last few years, intractable conflicts have been with us and these conflicts are posing serious threats to international peace and security. In order to resolve these conflicts, the mechanism of mediation is used. It is one of the oldest and most common mechanisms for bringing resolution. It is basically a process of managing conflict, related to but different from parities' own negotiations, where the involved bodies seek assistance and acknowledge an offer of support from a third party (an outsider), to change their actions or views, without restoring to physical force or raising the authority of law (Bercovitch, 2004).

Today managing international conflicts has become one of the major purposes of nations across the world. The disastrous outcomes of conflicts in a rapidly growing globalizing world order can't be neglected. There are various peaceful ways of managing conflicts, including avoidance, arbitration, negotiation, adjudication, and mediation. Research indicates that among all these ways, mediation offers many advantages. Firstly, it is a voluntary process; its takes place only when disputants seek help of the third parties. It gives a right to disputants of accepting or rejecting outcomes of mediation. It indicates that a successful mediation incorporates a high level of willingness of disputants to concede and their motivation to engage in the resolution of conflict (Bercovitch & Lee, 2003). Thus, it is very much evident that through mediation the motivation and willingness of disputants for resolution develops which can results in better conflict management, whether they are national level or international level.

Thesis Statement

Interpersonal relationships hold an immense importance in international conflict mediation for peacemaking.

Discussion

For bringing peace globally or in any area of the world, interpersonal relationships are very important. An example of it can be taken from the book of Richard Holbrook, which is written on his experience of being mediation between Bosnia and Herzegovina (Holbrook, 1998).

During the conflict of Balkan States, from 1991 to 1995, more than a quarter million people died. At that time, Clinton made a bold move, under his presidency, and sent a peace delegation to Bosnia to secure a harmony at any cost. Richard Holbrook was a vocal proponent of this delegation and used a hawkish diplomacy and willingness to impose America's moral will, if required (Holbrook, 1998). The story he stated about this mediation process for peacemaking was lead to success but after facing biggest challenges, conflicts, tragedies, and confusions. It is a penetrating depiction of modern political diplomacy. Incited by the deaths of his three important colleagues of the negotiating team, he stroked out a cease fire in a severe shuttle between the three Balkan presidents. Afterwards, he also presided over cloistered peace conference in Dayton, Ohio, for three weeks. His measures throughout the mediation process indicates that he crafted an effective foreign policy by developing coordination among different personalities and agencies in Washington, who were dealing with allies of Europe, assuring that the efforts of military and diplomacy must work in concert, negotiated with racial nationalist leaders, ...