Center for Peace Mediation

CENTER FOR PEACE MEDIATION

The Center for Peace Mediation is a small practice-oriented research institution in the field of Applied Peace & Conflict Studies based at European University Viadrina. The Center researches, supports and teaches mediation, dialogue and decision-making in peace processes and polarized societies.

The Center is part of the Institute of Conflict Management at European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. It is home to an interdisciplinary team of scholar-practitioners.

Since 2018, the CPM is running the Mediation Hub, a research and transfer project on peace mediation with and at the Federal Foreign Office.

In its research, support and teaching, the Center seeks to enable the mediation practice of diplomats, political decision-makers and civil society actors to be more effective, reflective and responsible.

The Center`s activities are driven by critical scientific analysis, hands-on methodological skills and an explicit societal impetus.

A red thread running through all of the Center`s activities is to seek creative, yet responsible ways to deal with the multiple dilemmas in peace mediation and political decision making.

News

The new ViAPACS - Viadrina Applied Peace and Conflict Studies program started in winter semester 2022/23.

New article: Interculturality in the Concept of Peace Mediation by Anne Holper in the Routledge Handbook of Intercultural Mediation

New research area: Mediation and Dialogue for Polarized Conflict examines different approaches and methods to deal with highly antagonistic conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

5-10 Sep 22: Workshop on the Russia-Ukraine war "Peace Mediation & Crisis Diplomacy in Action: Translating the New Realism into Practice: Approaches & Instruments for a Possible Future Co-Existence in the OSCE Region" in cooperation with the Training Academy for International Diplomats of the German Federal Foreign Office
26 Jun 22: „Der innere Putin-Widerspruch der Deutschen und wie wir jetzt mit Russland reden sollten“; Guest article by Anne Holper and Lars Kirchhoff in Focus Online
19 May 22: „Frieden & Sicherheit: Wie lassen sich Dialog & Härte zusammenbringen?“; Expert Workshop with MdBs, representatives of Foreign Ministry and IFSH in cooperation with Berghof Foundation at Reichstag Club
18 May 22: Weiße Nächte ohne Grenzen I: The Role and the Limits of Dialogue in Polarized Conflict, Keynote and Discussion with Tetiana Kyselova (Kiew Mohyla Akademie).
12 May 22: „Konfliktexperten: Wer Frieden will, sollte bei Putin auf entscheidenden Moment warten“; Guest article by Anne Holper and Lars Kirchhoff in Focus Online
11 May 22: „Friedensstrategien: Putin eine neue Arena anbieten“ Anne Holper in an interview with ARD morning show
5 Apr 22: "Verhandeln um jeden Preis? Was Butscha für die Friedensgespräche bedeutet“; Guest article by Anne Holper and Lars Kirchhoff in Focus Online
Mar 22: Dr. Tetiana Kyselova becoming a Viadrina-Fellow and participating in the project „Mediation and Dialogue for Polarized Conflict“.
30 Mar 22: „War in Ukraine: Do Negotiations Stand a Chance?“; Collaborative Non-Paper with Initiative Mediation Support Deutschland. German Version here.
18 Mar 22: Workshop „Peace Mediation Part II: Are There Still Prospects for the Russia-Ukraine Conflict?“ at the International Parliamentary Fellowship Program of the German Bundestag
11 Mar 22: „Goldene Brücken“; Anne Holper in an interview with Publik-Forum
2 Mar 22: „Ein Despot in der Sackgasse - kann der Westen Putin eine Friedenstür öffnen?“; Lars Kirchhoff in an interview with Focus Online
1 Mar 22: „Verhandlungen zwischen Russland und der Ukraine“; Anne Holper in an interview with Berliner Rundfunk
23 Feb 22: „Finden Putin und die Nato den Ukraine-Ausweg?“; Anne Holper and Lars Kirchhoff in an interview with Merkur.de
24 Jan 22: "Der Blick hinter die „rote Linie“: Ansätze für mehr Spielraum in der Konflikt-Vermittlung“; Blog Post on Anne Holper's Vortrag in Viadrina Logbuch

Publications

Holper (2022): Interculturality in the concept of peace mediation
CPM & Berghof (2022) Alternativen zu Afghanistan - Runder Tisch Friedensmediation diskutiert Deutschlands Potenzial als Vermittlungsakteur in Viadrina Logbuch
Holper/Kirchhoff (2021): Naher Osten, ferner Frieden? Ein mediationsmethodischer Blick auf den Nahost-Konflikt in Viadrina Logbuch
Holper/Kirchhoff (eds.) (2021): Peace Mediation in Germany`s Foreign Policy. Uniting Method, Power and Politics
Holper/Kirchhoff/Würkert (2021): Normen als Ordnungsrahmen der Friedensmediation.
Holper/Kirchhoff (2021): Rethinking the Professionalisation of Peace Mediation.
Holper/Kyselova (2020): Inclusion Dilemmas in Peacebuilding and Dialogues in Ukraine.
Holper/Kirchhoff (2020): (Dys-)Functions and Potentials of Norms as a Guidance System for Peace Mediators.
Holper/Kirchhoff (eds.) (2020): Friedensmediation - Spannungsfeld aus Methodik, Macht und Politik.
Holper/Kirchhoff/Leschinski/Röder/Vogt/von Dobeneck/Walter-Drop (2020): Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on fragile contexts and foreign policy instruments / Auswirkungen der Covid-19 Pandemie auf fragile Kontexte und außenpolitische Instrumente
IMSD (2020): Konzept Friedensmediation in die außenpolitische Praxis umsetzen! Stellungnahme für den Unterausschuss Zivile Krisenprävention, Konfliktbearbeitung & vernetztes Handeln
Kraus (now Holper)/Frazer/Kirchhoff/Kyselova/Mason/Palmiano Federer (2019): Dilemmas and Trade-Offs in Peacemaking: A Framework for Navigating Difficult Decisions.
Federal Foreign Office/IMSD (2019): Methodology and communication tools in peace mediation.
Federal Foreign Office/IMSD (2019): The normative framework and the international legal basis of peace mediation.
Kirchhoff/Kraus (now Holper)(2018): "...es lassen sich, wie so oft in Konflikten, zwei komplett unterschiedliche Geschichte erzählen".
Kraus (now Holper)/Kyselova (2018): Doing Action Research on Dialogues in Ukraine.
AK Curriculum und Didaktik der AFK (2018): Mitteilung an den Wissenschaftsrat zur Evaluation der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung in Deutschland und Österreich

Podcasts & Videos

On the occasion of the awarding of the Socrates and Science Prize by Otto-Schmidt Verlag, the team of the Institute for Conflict Management at Viadrina dedicated a series of interviews to the topic of turning points and mediation. The talks focused on the impacts of various transformation processes – Russia's war of aggression, climate change and the paradigm shift in artificial intelligence – on the field of mediation. Guests included Steffen Seibert (German Ambassador to Israel), Dr. Martin Wählisch (Head of the Innovation Team at the UN Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding (UN DPPA) in New York), Prof. Dr. Stephan Breidenbach and Lea Nesselhauf (German Zero) as well as Dr. Antje Herrberg (Chief of Staff of an EU anti-terrorism mission in the Sahel). The German-speaking interviews can be watched here.

PeacebyPeace · S3E4 | Deutschland & Friedensmediation (Teil 1): Zwischen Methodik, Macht und Politik

PeacebyPeace · S3E5 | Deutschland & Friedensmediation (Teil 2): Interview mit Niels Annen

In two PeacebyPeace Podcast episodes Sarah Brockmeier discusses Germany's role in peace mediation with Niels Annen, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, and Dr. Anne Holper, Julia von Dobeneck and Prof. Dr. Lars Kirchhoff from the Center for Peace Mediation on the occasion of releasing the volume Friedensmediation. Spannungsfeld aus Methodik, Macht und Politik / Peace Mediation in Germany´s Foreign Politicy. Uniting Method, Power and Politics

Past

14 Jun 2023: Interview with ambassador Steffen Seibert on "Zeitenwende" & mediation
23 Jan 2023: Input to Panel Discussion "Von der Friedens- zur Konfliktordnung? Perspektiven für eine (neue) europäische Sicherheitsstruktur" at Bensberger Gespräche der Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung und dem Zentrum für Innere Führung der Bundeswehr
16 Nov 2022: Input to Panel Discussion Dilemmata in der Konfliktvermittlung: Methodisches Handwerkszeug an Beispielen aus dem Nahen und Mittleren Osten am Deutschen Orient-Institut Berlin
28-30 Nov 22: Module on Conflict Prevention and Management in Master of International Law and Humanitarian Law, LL.M.
20 Oct 2022: „Ziele und Grenzen der Zusammenarbeit mit China“, Vortrag zur Konferenz "Kulturelle Zusammenarbeit mit China: Chancen, Herausforderungen, rote Linien?" der Mercator Stiftung und ifa
6 Oct 2022: Beitrag zu Podiumsdiskussion „Wie krisenkompetent ist unsere Gesellschaft angesichts Krieg, Klimakatastrophe und Autoritarismus?" der RAA Brandenburg und MTB Trebbin in Potsdam
14 Sep 22: Workshop "Friedensvermittlung" at the International Parliamentary Fellowship Program of the German Bundestag
5-10 Sep 22: Workshop "Peace Mediation & Crisis Diplomacy in Action : Translating the New Realism into Practice: Approaches & Instruments for a Possible Future Co-Existence in the OSCE Region", with a focus on the Russa-Ukraine conflict, in cooperation with the Training Academy for International Diplomats of the German Federal Foreign Office
8-10 Jun 22: Young Professionals Seminar "Ressortgemeinsames Engagement in fragilen Staaten", in cooperation with FU Berlin, IFSH Hamburg & BICC
19 May 22: „Frieden & Sicherheit: Wie lassen sich Dialog & Härte zusammenbringen?”, Expert Workshop with MdBs, representatives of Foreign Ministry and IFSH in cooperation with Berghof Foundation at Reichstag Club
18 May 22: Weiße Nächte ohne Grenzen I: The Role and the Limits of Dialogue in Polarized Conflict, Keynote and Discussion with Tetiana Kyselova (Kiew Mohyla Akademie)
12-13 May 22: Conference "Relevanz des Weimarer Dreiecks im Angesicht des Kriegs in der Ukraine?" in cooperation with Stiftung Genshagen und Centre Marc Bloch)
8-10 May 22: Forum Europäischer (Doppel-)Städte „Ambivalenzen der Transformation – Wie wachsen Menschen und Gesellschaften an grenzüberschreitenden Veränderungen und Brüchen?“
15-17 Mar 22 Course "Advanced Mediation Methods" in ETH MAS Mediation in Peace Processes
16 Mar 22 Keynote Universities in the International Political Context: Roles, Conflicting Goals, Balancing Strategies at INU Council Meeting
4 Mar 22: Workshop "Peace Mediation: Are There Still Prospects for the Russia-Ukraine Conflict?" at the International Parliamentary Fellowship Program of the German Bundestag
19 Jan 22: B/orders in Motion Research Factory „Bis hierhin und nicht weiter? Das Dilemma der 'roten Linie' in Friedensvermittlungen“
7 Dec 21: Panel "Science Diplomacy. Zielkonflikte und Chancen für Wissenschaftsakteure am Beispiel Belarus"
27 Oct 21: Online-Dialog Wie sehen Sie das Nr. 2 "Gegeneinander - Nebeneinander - Miteinander: Wie wollen wir in unserer Doppelstadt zusammenleben?"
13-17 Sep 21: Peace Mediation & Crisis Diplomacy in Action Course 2021 Mediation and Dialogue in Polarized and Divided Societies in cooperation with the Training Academy for International Diplomats of the German Federal Foreign Office
2 Sep 21: Konferenz "30 Jahre Weimarer Dreieck: Die gemeinsame Gestaltungskraft von Deutschland, Frankreich und Polen für Europa neu entfalten“ in Kooperation der Viadrina mit dem Centre Marc Bloch und der Stiftung Genshagen
25 Aug 21: Round Table "Germany as Peace Mediation Actor 2021 & Beyond", hosted by Berghof Foundation & Center for Peace Mediation
24 Jun 21: Workshop "Dilemmas in Mediation Processes" at swisspeace Summer School: Ukraine - Opportunities and Challenges for Dialogue
13 Apr 21: Seminar "Forget Consensus, Embrace Agonism?" at Corridors Programm with Mediation and Dialogue Research Centre, Kiev Mohyla Academy
18 Mar 21: Workshop "Dilemmata in politischen Krisen und Konflikten: Eine Navigationshilfe" at German Association for Peace and Conflict Studies Conference 2021
24 Feb 21: Online-Dialogue "Wie sehen Sie das?" Online-Austausch zur Corona-Situation in Frankfurt (Oder)
4 Feb 21: Paper Presentation "This far and no further?" Dynamics of Red Lines in Peacemaking at Swiss Political Science Association Conference 2021
17-18 Dec 20: Module on Conflict Prevention and Management in Master of International Law and Humanitarian Law, LL.M.
9 Nov 20: Online Peaceland Talk "Inclusion Dilemmas in Peacebuilding & Dialogue in Ukraine", Mediation & Dialogue Research Center, Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Ukraine
5 Nov 20: Contribution to European Science Diplomacy Online Conference