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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 for 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. ​​

See here an overview of activities and expertises on the Russo-Ukrainian conflict at European University Viadrina.

News

• New research area Mediation and Dialogue for Polarized Conflict examines different approaches and methods to deal with highly antagonistic conflicts such as the Russo-Ukrainian war
  
• ViAPACS - Viadrina Applied Peace and Conflict Studies: New English-language certificate program will start in winter semester 2022/23 - more details soon!

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

• 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). Senatssaal (Raum 109), Viadrina-Hauptgebäude, Frankfurt (Oder). Registration is requested.
  
• 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
• 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

Upcoming

Diplomacy & Peace Mediation in Action​​

• 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)
• 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
• 8-10 Jun 22: Young Professionals Seminar "Ressortgemeinsames Engagement in fragilen Staaten", in cooperation with FU Berlin, IFSH Hamburg & BICC
• 5-10 Sep 22: Course "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
  

Podcasts
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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

• 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​
• 26 Oct 20: Mediation & Dialogue Workshops at Ukraine Calling​
• 17-18 Sep 20: Mediation Workshop at Mercator Fellowship on International Affairs​
• 11 Sep 20: Input to Panel "Multi-track EU Mediation – Voices from the Field on Opportunities & Challenges" at Conference Mediation as a key CFSP Instrument of the German Council Presidency 

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• 31 Aug-4 Sep 20: Peace Mediation & Crisis Diplomacy in Action Course 2020: Mediation Responses to Conflicts in Times of Corona with Training Academy for International Diplomats of German Federal Foreign Office​​
  
• 25 Aug 20: Workshop on Conflict Mediation in the Context of Diversity at Viadrinicum 2020: Transsectoral Lab: (Post-)Migration. (Dis-)Integrative Encounters​​​​​

Publications

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• Blog Post Alternativen zu Afghanistan - Runder Tisch Friedensmediation diskutiert Deutschlands Potenzial als Vermittlungsakteur in Viadrina Logbuch
• Interview Naher Osten, ferner Frieden? Ein mediationsmethodischer Blick auf den Nahost-Konflikt (Holper/Kirchhoff) 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​