mediation

Formally trained as a mediator, John Paul has participated in and facilitated a wide range of mediation processes. Over time, he found the dominant terminology and associated imagery did not match his experience or many of the practices innovated in settings of violent, protracted conflict. Professional mediation tends to build around formalized processes of impartial and neutral facilitation. Long-term constructive social change in settings of violent conflict requires committed relationships and the nurturing of a social mediative capacity. Often captured in the term ‘accompaniment,’ this approach requires creativity in the evolution of a wider range of roles. The content in this section spans the evolution of John Paul's practice and understanding of mediation, particularly between the late 1980s to the early 2000s, shaped by his early experiences in international high-level mediation and transformative learnings from local mediative processes in Central America.

Adam Curle: Radical Peacemaker

A book capturing Adam Curle's core contributions in an accessible, edited form, so that the breadth of his work can be introduced to new students.

Memoirs of Nepal: Reflections Across a Decade

Reflections gathered from a decade and more of work in Nepal, written for The McConnell Foundation and friends and partners in Nepal.

‘Revolutionaries’ & ‘Resolutionaries’: In Pursuit of Dialogue

A contribution toward dialogue between mediators and activists through the offering of three ways for framing issues of peacebuilding and social change.

Staying True in Nepal: Understanding Community Mediation Through Action Research

A chapter focusing on a community mediation initiative in Nepal that employed participatory action research as the mode for understanding practice and the development of relevant training materials for local use. 

Cultivating Peace: A Practitioner’s View of Deadly Conflict and Negotiation

A chapter weaving reflections emergent from practitioner experience that offer an alternative view to the metaphor of ripeness and provide a re-orientation to the practice of developing negotiated peaces.

Journey from Resolution to Transformative Peacebuilding

A chapter reflecting on three specific experiences that marked important evolutions in John Paul's thinking and practice.

The Paradox of Popular Justice: A Practitioner’s View

A reflection highlighting the authors' tensions around the concepts of popular, justice, community, and empowerment and an inside view and assessment of the success and potential of the movement toward popular justice.