What if the world’s peacemaking system is flawed in fundamental ways? There are more armed conflicts today than at any point since the end of World War II. Civil wars, especially, have proliferated since 2011. In so many regions of the world, peacemaking initiatives are not succeeding.

New research conducted by the speaker suggests that mediation efforts are failing not just because conflicts are so difficult to resolve and the international environment is so challenging—but also due to flaws and deficiencies in the field’s systems, structures, policies, and practices.

The research, conducted through Oxford University, involved in-depth interviews with 86 of the world’s leading mediators and ten colloquia with dozens of other experts and practitioners. It amounts to one of the largest consultations of its kind.

The speaker, a leading mediation specialist, will share and explore wide-ranging critiques of the field. Based on the expert testimonies, he will argue that changes should be made in a range of specific areas, and that there is a powerful case for a major, collective process to enhance the effectiveness of international mediation.