39 episodes

What happens behind closed doors when peace agreements are negotiated? The Mediator’s Studio gives you a glimpse into the normally hidden world of peace diplomacy. Host Adam Cooper brings you first-hand stories from mediators, armed groups and governments on what it takes to end wars. The Mediator’s Studio is a podcast from the Oslo Forum, the world’s leading mediation retreat. It’s brought to you by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.

The Mediator's Studio An Oslo Forum podcast

    • News
    • 5.0 • 16 Ratings

What happens behind closed doors when peace agreements are negotiated? The Mediator’s Studio gives you a glimpse into the normally hidden world of peace diplomacy. Host Adam Cooper brings you first-hand stories from mediators, armed groups and governments on what it takes to end wars. The Mediator’s Studio is a podcast from the Oslo Forum, the world’s leading mediation retreat. It’s brought to you by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.

    Alvaro de Soto on opportunities seized in El Salvador and missed in the Middle East

    Alvaro de Soto on opportunities seized in El Salvador and missed in the Middle East

    As a Peruvian diplomat with a 25-year career at the United Nations, Alvaro de Soto has dedicated fifty years of his life to diplomacy and conflict resolution across the globe. From negotiations with Hamas and the Quartet on the Middle East to shuttling between the FMLN and the El Salvador government, Alvaro de Soto shares a tour de force account that offers crucial insights into the craft of mediation. His first-hand narrative reveals lessons learned from his experiences and mentors, highlighting the significance of temperament over technique and effective ways to publicly spotlight agreements for ensuring accountability in their implementation.
    We value your opinion! Please take a moment to share your feedback by participating in our 1 minute listener survey.
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    Find out more about the Oslo Forum’s journey over the past two decades.
    https://hdcentre.org/insights/the-oslo-forum-at-20-a-visual-journey-of-mediation-and-peacemaking/

    • 43 min
    Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on women fighting for peace

    Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on women fighting for peace

    South Africa’s first female deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, reflects on her journey as a member of the high-level African Union panel that facilitated the Pretoria agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. Beyond this process, she shares her experiences as the executive director of UN Women from 2013-2021, discusses her role as a female mediator, and reflects on the challenges associated with ensuring the engagement of women in peace processes in Colombia, Sudan, and South Sudan. Tracing her path as a student activist during the Apartheid era, she shares her story of finding courage and emphasises the need for perseverance to keep moving forward.
    We value your opinion! Please take a moment to share your feedback by participating in our 1 minute listener survey.
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    Find out more about the Oslo Forum’s journey over the past two decades.
    https://hdcentre.org/insights/the-oslo-forum-at-20-a-visual-journey-of-mediation-and-peacemaking/

    • 33 min
    Abbas Ibrahim on secrecy and sincerity

    Abbas Ibrahim on secrecy and sincerity

    Veteran Lebanese intelligence chief Abbas Ibrahim takes us behind the scenes of some of his most sensitive negotiations. He recalls a secret mission to a Palestinian refugee camp in the hope of diffusing tensions, and the painstaking shuttle diplomacy that eventually led to a border agreement between Lebanon and Israel. He also reveals his political aspirations, and explains why he is trusted to broker deals to free Western detainees in Syria and Iran.
    We value your opinion! Please take a moment to share your feedback by participating in our 1 minute listener survey.
    https://0lotay3liy7.typeform.com/to/BszSNdLf
    Find out more about the Oslo Forum’s journey over the past two decades.
    https://hdcentre.org/insights/the-oslo-forum-at-20-a-visual-journey-of-mediation-and-peacemaking/

    • 35 min
    Nisreen Elsaim on not waiting for the world to burn

    Nisreen Elsaim on not waiting for the world to burn

    Climate mediator Nisreen Elsaim joins Adam Cooper to explore the intersection of activism and peacemaking. She recounts her role in the student uprisings that preceded the 2019 revolution in Sudan and reflects on how a shooting on campus changed her life. Now a self-confessed “climatolic,” she argues that climate mediation is crucial for conflict prevention, and looks ahead to a time when future generations won’t have to worry about climate change.
    We value your opinion! Please take a moment to share your feedback by participating in our 1 minute listener survey.
    https://0lotay3liy7.typeform.com/to/BszSNdLf
    Find out more about the Oslo Forum’s journey over the past two decades.
    https://hdcentre.org/insights/the-oslo-forum-at-20-a-visual-journey-of-mediation-and-peacemaking/

    • 34 min
    Karim A. A. Khan KC on the slender sapling of international justice

    Karim A. A. Khan KC on the slender sapling of international justice

    Karim A. A. Khan KC, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), reflects on his path leading to joining the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 1997 and, more recently the ICC. He shares the intricacies and dilemmas faced by the ICC in grappling with the scope of international law. He articulates his vision for the future of the ICC as an institution capable of effectively contributing to global justice.
    We value your opinion! Please take a moment to share your feedback by participating in our 1 minute listener survey.
    https://0lotay3liy7.typeform.com/to/BszSNdLf
    Find out more about the Oslo Forum’s journey over the past two decades.
    https://hdcentre.org/insights/the-oslo-forum-at-20-a-visual-journey-of-mediation-and-peacemaking/

    • 29 min
    Monica Juma on values in diplomacy

    Monica Juma on values in diplomacy

    Monica Juma, National Security Advisor to the President of Kenya, reflects on her extensive career in government and shares the lessons she has learned about peacemaking. She explains the challenges that the conflict in Sudan presents to mediators. She also discusses Kenya’s role in ending the Tigray crisis in Ethiopia. Additionally, she reflects on how meeting victims of the 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi affirmed the values she brings to her work.
    We value your opinion! Please take a moment to share your feedback by participating in our 1 minute listener survey.
    https://0lotay3liy7.typeform.com/to/BszSNdLf
    Find out more about the Oslo Forum’s journey over the past two decades.
    https://hdcentre.org/insights/the-oslo-forum-at-20-a-visual-journey-of-mediation-and-peacemaking/

    • 22 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
16 Ratings

16 Ratings

moorsmith ,

A rare and precious view

Cooper does a fantastic job leading the listener on a tour of the little-seen world of the professional conflict mediator. It’s fascinating to learn how peace gets made when it does, and perhaps even more to hear what mediator’s take away when best efforts don’t quite reach the promised land.

jenny_again ,

Fascinating behind the scenes analysis

At a time when the global political climate is increasingly polarized and hostile to internationalism, this podcast is a good reminder of how much we owe the people who do the difficult work behind the scenes to broker and keep peace. Very accessible lens that brings us inside the rooms where the key conversations happened, and translates major events in recent history into stories of real people and human behavior we can all relate to.

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